Plans are in the works for a new mosque in Keene. It’s a project of William Coley, a Muslim activist and former Libertarian vice-presidential candidate. He's currently based in Tennessee, but plans to move to Keene and open the mosque this fall.

He says the idea came out of conversations he’s had with Ian Freeman, a fellow libertarian and a Keene resident. Freeman founded an organization called the Shire Free Church, which is donating the property for the mosque.

Coley says it will be a space not only for Muslims, but also for those of other faiths that need a place to worship. “There’s more than one small religious group here in town – they just don’t have the funding to have their own building,” he said. “So we want to give back by allowing those groups to come and use our worship space.”

Coley also hopes to offer space to the homeless.