Christians, Muslims Form Unlikely Alliance in St. Anthony Village

Christians are reaching out to Muslims after St. Anthony Village denied a permit for a new Islamic Center and Mosque.

The St. Anthony City Council meeting turned a bit ugly last month with derogatory statements aimed at Muslims and the Islamic faith. After the public testimony, the city council voted to deny a group of Muslims a conditional use permit for the Islamic Center.

Members of Nativity Lutheran Church, along with two other Christian denominations in St. Anthony, invited Muslims in the Twin Cities area to an interfaith meeting Sunday night. Faith United Methodist even offered its church to the Muslims if they need a place to worship. As this is a sensitive issue in St. Anthony, the pastor at Nativity asked us to keep our cameras outside.

Right now, the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota is looking into St. Anthony's decision to deny opening the Mosque. In a statement, the Feds say they are working with both sides to come up with a negotiated solution to the Mosque issue. If that doesn't work, the U.S. Attorney's Office says it will explore other options, but would not say what those options include.

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