NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - One of three leading Republican candidates for Tennessee's 6th congressional district has denounced a planned Islamic Center in Murfreesboro.
Lou Ann Zelenik issued a statement Thursday evening saying she stands with those opposed to building what she calls "an Islamic training center." She says the center is not part of a religious movement, but a political one "designed to fracture the moral and political foundation of Middle Tennessee."
Many residents in the suburban Nashville community became aware of the planned center after it had been approved, and an overflow crowd packed a meeting last week to speak against it.
A Zelenik spokesman said she was not available for comment Thursday night. Zelenik, who calls herself a leader in the Middle Tennessee tea party movement, hopes to replace U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon, a Democrat.
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