The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Stafford County, claiming it blocked the creation of what would have been a Muslim-owned cemetery in the county. The DOJ says the county violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act — RLUIPA — a federal law that protects religious institutions from discriminatory land-use regulations. The lawsuit alleges the county enacted overly restrictive zoning regulations that prevented the All Muslim Association of America (AMAA) from developing the cemetery, which would have been constructed on 29 acres of land the AMAA had purchased on Garrisonville Road in North Stafford. The DOJ complaint which was filed in the Eastern District of Virginia alleges that the county passed an ordinance in 2016 that blocked the AMAA from constructing their cemetery. The original ordinance was based on standards set by the Virginia Department of Health that no cemeteries could be within 100 feet from private wells and certain streams. The AMAA had complied with all state and local ordinances necessary for the cemetery at that time. The allegation then goes on to state that Stafford County after learning of the Association’s plans passed an ordinance that pushed the recommended distance from 100 to 900 feet. […]
