Religious minorities suffer zoning discrimination

WASHINGTON — Religious minorities figure prominently in religious freedom investigations by the Justice Department, a new report shows.

“Jewish synagogues and schools, African-American churches, and, increasingly, Muslim mosques and schools are particularly vulnerable to discriminatory zoning actions taken by local officials, often under community pressure,” the 14-page report stated.

The department released the report Sept. 22, the 10th anniversary of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. The law, which passed with bipartisan support and the advocacy of a range of faith groups, aims to protect both religious liberty in zoning matters and free exercise of religion for prisoners and residents of government-run nursing homes.

Of 51 investigations opened in the last decade, 16 involved Muslims, Jews or Buddhists. Half of the department’s probes of land-use violations involving Christians involved racial or ethnic minorities.