Restrictions Imposed on Mosque Design

I was both outraged and saddened to read that the Los Angeles City Council had required a Muslim mosque to be built Spanish style to “blend in with the neighborhood.” What chutzpah! The mosque is supposed to hide its Islamic character and conform to a style that most church buildings in Los Angeles differ from. Meanwhile, Christian and Jewish chaplains in Saudi Arabia have been told not to wear their religious insignia when they are off the base in order to fit in with the Muslim character of Saudi Arabia. I’m saddened to think that we are sinking to this level.

I call upon all religious leaders in Los Angeles to protest the City Council’s arbitrary attempt to convert a minaret into a bell tower, and I call upon the Muslim community in Los Angeles to protest the Saudi attempt to keep non-Muslim religious profiles submerged in their country.

RABBI ALLEN S. MALLER

Culver City