The Daily Herald reports on CAIR-Chicago's efforts in reversing the decision by DuPage County's board to reject a planned Islamic education facility near Naperville.

WBEZ 91.5 FM reports on a Federal judge decision that DuPage County's zoning denial is 'arbitrary and capricious.'

CBS Chicago reports on the ruling by a federal judge that voted in favor of a suburban Islamic religious center and their right to open.

"It's basically the ideal zoning application for DuPage County, with absolutely no controversy surrounding it," said Amina Sharif, communications coordinator with the Chicago Council on American-Islamic Relations. "The area where it's located is already commercially zoned, next to a synagogue, and there is more than adequate parking there. If the DuPage County Board had rejected this, then we'd have an obvious problem. This is a very easy thing to approve."

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4odbbCGHyI

CAIR-Chicago is pleased to announce the decision by District Court Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer this week to deny DuPage County’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed against the county on behalf of the Irshad Learning Center, a Naperville mosque.

CAIR-Chicago is pleased to announce the decision by District Court Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer this week to deny DuPage County’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed against the county on behalf of the Irshad Learning Center, a Naperville mosque.

CAIR, which advocates for religious freedom and civil liberties in the Muslim community, also maintains that Irshad officials tried to pursue remedies for the permit refusal through normal administrative channels before filing the federal suit. Kevin Vodak, the attorney arguing the case for CAIR and Irshad, was pleased overall with the ruling.

CAIR-Chicago, which said the center would serve about 30 families, “will continue to pursue the Center’s right to use the facility they own to accommodate the needs of the community,” said Kevin Vodak, CAIR-Chicago Staff Attorney.

CAIR-Chicago welcomes today's decision by District Court Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer to deny DuPage County’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed against the county by the Irshad Learning Center, a Naperville mosque.

CAIR-Chicago welcomes today's decision by District Court Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer to deny DuPage County’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed against the county by the Irshad Learning Center, a Naperville mosque.

“We think there is a bias against the Muslim institutions,” said Kevin Vodak, the lawyer for CAIR-Chicago. He noted that the board rejected the Irshad proposal without explanation, which is highly unusual, and that last fall the county took up an amendment to prohibit any new religious institutions in residential areas. “Most of the new proposals are from Muslims,” Mr. Vodak said.

The zoning panel voted 6-1 last month to recommend denial of the conditional use permit needed for a worship center.All seven members of the ZBA, along with 10 County Board members and former chairman Bob Schillerstrom, are named in a pending federal complaint [made by CAIR-Chicago] alleging they erred a year ago when they turned down an Islamic school and worship center.

CAIR-Chicago's complaint alleges the Irshad Learning Center’s First and 14th Amendment rights were violated when county officials refused to grant a special use permit to open an Islamic worship site and school. Kevin Vodak, the attorney representing Irshad through the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said the judge hopes to issue her ruling within the next couple of weeks.

The Chicago office of the Council on American Islamic Relations announced that it has filed a complaint in federal court today against DuPage County, in response to the county’s rejection of a zoning permit for a proposed Islamic School in Naperville.