Florida Man Sues to Halt Mosque Construction, Claims Terrorism Ties

MIAMI — A man fighting the opening of a mosque in his suburban neighborhood filed a lawsuit Tuesday to try and halt construction, a move derided by Arab leaders as anti-Muslim.

Rodney Wright, who is Christian, claims the relocation of the Islamic Center of South Florida to a new, larger building in his Pompano Beach neighborhood "presents a substantial harm to the well-being, safety and health" of the community.

The lawsuit claims the leader of the mosque, Imam Hassan Sabri, has repeatedly been associated with others who are tied to terrorist groups including Hamas, Al Qaeda and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The connections outlined in the filing appear loose and there is no accusation of direct wrongdoing.

Sabri has not been charged with any criminal wrongdoing and neither he nor his mosque have been the target of any publicized investigation. The imam did not return a call seeking comment.

Larry Klayman, the attorney for Wright, said the filing does not amount to an anti-Muslim action but maintained that the mosque sacrificed public safety.

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