A battle over the expansion of religious practice has broadened to push a little city into bigger issues. The intersection of religion, urban planning, and limited space have all run against each other in Lomita, a little community of the South Bay which, in spite of three severe murders in one year, has remained relatively quiet.
Arguing that a new mosque would create overwhelming traffic for the city, the Lomita civic leaders declined to approve a new structure for the the Islamic group.
In a civil suit fighting this decision, the Council on American-Islamic Relations has determined that the city made the decision to rebuff the new mosque out of religious discrimination. Now, the United States Department of Justice has also got involved. The little "City on the Hill" has gotten tangled into quite a mess this day.
The Muslim community in Lomita assembles only with great difficulty in its current worship hall. Having to worship outside in many instances, faithful adherents want something more spacious.
Whether the rejection of a building permits stems from discrimination or limitation, these issues cannot be resolved neatly with courtroom dramas. Injunction relief is warranted, though, if the City of Lomita did not provide sufficient information to dispense with a building permit in the first place.