ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Fairness for Muslim School

Further development in a new city is always going to get the attention of those who were there first. There may be some legitimate traffic issues raised by residents opposed to a 400-student private school proposed in Rancho Santa Margarita by the Islamic Center of Southern California. But some of the response of opponents seems to go beyond mere concern about congestion. As Orange County becomes more diverse, and religious groups and their institutions seek a place, fair treatment is essential.

In places here and around the nation, religious institutions are engaged in battles over land use. Several years ago, Buddhists had to give up plans for a monastery in Yorba Linda at a site that the planning commission had deemed suitable. The City Council bowed to protests that the monastery would contribute to congestion. Regrettably, that case seemed to be mostly about whether a place would be found for those with unfamiliar beliefs.

In a proposed city like Rancho Santa Margarita, growth where there once was sagebrush is inevitable. To say, as one homeowner did in a letter to the Islamic Center, that the school should be in “neighborhoods where your customers are located” signals a lack of understanding.

Orange County has one of the largest concentrations of Muslims in the nation. Who is to say that they aren’t anybody’s neighbors? They are and are likely to be so in the newer areas of the county in the future.

Surely the 400 students would not put Rancho Santa Margarita over the top on what growth it can handle. Its proposal on the November ballot to become Orange County’s 33rd city is a good opportunity for local control.

If traffic is the real issue, community leaders can signal their good faith by working with the Islamic Center to address legitimate community concerns and thereby honor the new pluralism of our communities.