In 1946, the Muslim Mosque Association built the first mosque west of the Mississippi … in Sacramento's Southside Park neighborhood. Now, it wants to expand into a second facility around the corner from its current site. The mosque's president has met twice with the Southside Park Neighborhood Association. And association president Beverly Bumpas says the reaction has been completely different from the debate at Ground Zero.
Bumpas: "We have had no comments about religious concerns. In fact, we were talking about how wonderful it'd be to have the mosque reflected in our community - mainly because they've been there for generations."
Instead, Bumpas says, neighbors mostly have logistical concerns - like parking and architecture. Construction on the mosque could begin sometime next year.
