St. Albert Muslim association responds to mosque appeal ruling

The Muslim Association of St. Albert has expressed disappointment after Alberta's Court of Appeal granted permission to challenge approval of its proposed mosque in Campbell Business Park. In an October 10 report by the St. Albert Gazette, association president Jallal Tarrabain said the group respects the decision but is concerned about the time the appeal could take.

The September 25 decision allows review of two legal questions concerning the development appeal board's treatment of applicable planning rules and the project's compatibility with those plans. Permission to appeal on a third ground, concerning capacity and parking, was denied because it involved a factual dispute. The ruling permits an appeal; it does not itself reject the mosque or overturn its development approval. Tarrabain said the community needs a new mosque because its existing premises do not meet its needs.