The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit Thursday that accuses the City of Troy of violating the religious rights of a Muslim group by denying zoning approval to establish a mosque.

The case was quickly met with praise from Muslim rights and advocacy groups, including the Michigan chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations in Farmington Hills.

"The City of Troy is one of the largest communities in Michigan in both land size and population," said Amy Doukoure, CAIR-MI's attorney. "It is appalling to think that they could have 73 places of worship for other faiths, but that in this day and age, the city is not home to a single mosque."

The lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of Michigan, alleges Troy denied zoning approval to Adam Community Center, an organization of Muslims who live and work in Troy, to operate a place of worship.

The center could not be reached for comment.

Troy said Thursday afternoon it had not seen the lawsuit and had no comment.

In the lawsuit, the Justice Department argues that zoning laws shouldn't treat mosques, churches, synagogues, and other religious assemblies less favorably than nonreligious assemblies, adding that this illegally restricts the free exercise of religion.

"Troy is obligated to treat religious assemblies and institutions on equal terms with nonreligious assemblies and institutions," said Matthew Schneider, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. "This complaint reflects our commitment to protect the religious liberties of all people in this district."

The group bought a 20,000-square-foot building in a commercial district to use as a community center and place of worship after nine-year search, according to the complaint.

It had a restaurant, banquet hall and parking lot.

The space the group is meeting in now, 4700 Rochester Road, is too small to hold meetings, including Friday Jummah prayers, religious rituals for births, marriages, and funerals, and community engagement events, the lawsuit said.

Troy's zoning laws allow a nonreligious place of assembly, such as a theater or banquet hall, to use the same building without additional approval, according to the lawsuit. But zoning restrictions on places of worship required the group to seek additional approvals.

But on June 19, 2018, the city's zoning board denied the center’s application.

The Justice Department said that this denial violates the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 and "imposed a substantial burden on the center’s religious exercise."

In addition, the lawsuit argues that the city's actions have "created considerable delay, expense, and uncertainty" for the center in its "efforts to establish a place of worship in the city."

More:

Detroit Youth Choir to perform for free in downtown Detroit

Detroit's female genital mutilation case takes a big legal hit

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.