Texas: Farmersville residents say no to planned cemetery for Muslims amidst fear of terrorism

Residents of Farmersville, north of Dallas have been having mixed feeling since the proposed plan to build a cemetery for Muslims in the area. The desire by an Islamic group to have their own cemetery has led to some heated rhetoric from those opposed to the plan and their reason being they fear it will bring radical Islam and terrorism to their doorsteps.
The Islamic Association of Collin County purchased 34 acres to develop a cemetery in the sleepy burg of Farmersville because the closest Muslim burial ground is rapidly running out of space.
The residents in the town attended a community meeting arranged by Farmersville city officials, who tried to convince locals there was nothing to fear and the planned religious burial ground will meet state standards. They were however of a different opinion as one of the residents Resident Barbara Ashcraft told the Dallas Morning News after the meeting: "People don't trust Muslims. Their goal is to populate the United States and take it over."

       Over 300 residents attended the community meeting       (C)WFAA

The executive director of the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations, Alia Salem, was quoted saying: "Islamophobia is out there and it is real,"
Muslims are doctors, engineers, lawyers,” said Khalid Hamideh, a spokesman for the Islamic Association of North Texas. "They are the kind of people anyone would want as neighbors." Hamideh said the reaction of some Farmersville residents toward the cemetery is distrust of outsiders fueled by events such as one in May in nearby Garland where two gunmen were shot dead after they opened fire at an art contest that featured caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad, something considered offensive to Muslims.
A city decision on the cemetery has not been set.