Amid controversy over Muslim-friendly community, Lino Lakes City Councilmember accused of anti-Islamic conduct
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The head of Minnesota's Council on American-Islamic Relations is holding a press conference on Wednesday to level the latest in a series of anti-Muslim-related allegations involving the Lino Lakes City Council following its decision to pause the development of a Muslim-friendly community.
The advocacy group wrote in a statement Jaylani Hussein, its executive director, was "reportedly accosted and forced out of Lino Lakes City Hall" on Monday by supporters of Councilmember Chris Lyden, whom the organization has accused before of engaging in anti-Muslim conduct. A Lino Lakes resident who said he attended the meeting disputed Hussein's account of the events and accused the executive director of being sensationalist to get attention.
Earlier this month, Hussein alleged Lyden positively responded to an email that included multiple anti-Islamic statements. Hussein and the advocacy group called for Lyden's resignation and for the council to repudiate his alleged conduct.
The organization said Wednesday's event will address "threats to the Muslim community," and will demand the council investigate Lyden and "take disciplinary action."
A city divided
The email in question was allegedly sent in response to a New York Times article on the development of the Madinah Lakes Project, which aims to convert 156 acres of a sod farm in the city into a community that includes a mosque, businesses and housing.
The project has divided residents for the past several months, with multiple contentious city meetings and online petitions for and against it yielding hundreds of votes each, with slightly more signatures in favor of pausing it.
Despite an expected moratorium on the project, the City Council voted 3-2 in July to table the proposal. City leaders and some residents have insisted that issues like water availability, safety and cost were their main concerns and not the possible influx of Muslim residents.
WCCO reached out to Lyden for a response but hasn't received an immediate reply.
This is a developing story. Stay with WCCO.com for more.