The Justice Department today announced that it has filed a lawsuit alleging that Stafford County, Virginia, violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) by enacting overly restrictive zoning regulations prohibiting an Islamic organization from developing a religious cemetery on land it had purchased for that purpose. That right protects the freedom of faith communities to use their land for religious purposes, including for cemeteries, houses of worship, and religious schools.“The United States of America must and will remain a nation committed to the right of all people to practice their faith free from unjustified governmental restrictions. Indeed, this nation exists to provide sanctuary to people seeking the religious freedom that is too often denied in other parts of the world, and the Department of Justice is committed to protecting the fundamental right of people of all faiths to practice their religion free from illegal governmental interference,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “That right protects the freedom of faith communities to use their land for religious purposes, including for cemeteries, houses of worship, and religious schools.” “Honoring and burying the dead is a sacred religious act for many faith traditions,” said […]
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