“WE DEFEND COMMUNITY’S RIGHT TO BUILD HOUSES OF WORSHIP…”
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — The Boca Raton Interfaith Clergy Association — which counts clergy from multiple religions, including Judaism, is calling online comments regarding the planned Islamic Worship Center and School in the Ag Reserve “hurtful.” The organization issued a statement early Friday — hours before an unofficial meeting to discuss the future of the Agricultural Reserve is planned for the South Palm Beach County convention center.
Here is the official statement: ”As faith leaders in Boca Raton, we believe we live our best lives in a pluralistic, respectful democracy where faith communities live side by side in peace. For decades we have worked together in partnership and mutual respect to build a vibrant, diverse religious community. We write today to urge everyone to seek the peace and welfare of our city and to protect what we have built together.
We know some in our community are concerned about plans for expansion, including a new house of worship, in the Agricultural Reserve. Questions about how that area will be developed are before the Palm Beach County Commission and we trust our commissioners to act in the community’s best interests.
Over the past week we have seen painful and at times hateful remarks about various faith traditions in online conversations about this issue. We condemn unreservedly any expressions of hatred, bigotry, and the vitriol we have seen. We cannot tolerate this level of intolerance.
We always encourage residents to bring their concerns to elected officials. We ask that they do so with respect and gratitude for the blessing of a diverse religious community.
Sign up for the BocaNewsNow.com nightly newsletter and breaking news email alerts. Completely free. Unsubscribe at any time.
Follow us on Google News
We stand together in defending every faith community’s right to gather and to build houses of worship and community centers. This is a fundamental freedom of our American democracy, and it is essential to living out our commitments to our faiths.”
Several outspoken Boca Raton and Delray Beach residents have engaged in what could be considered Anti-Islamic hate speech in an effort to pack a meeting set for Friday. Palm Beach County has made it clear that the proposed center is NOT a topic of conversation as the meeting will focus solely on the future of the Agricultural Reserve, not specific projects.
