Laurie Goodstein has an article in today’s NY Times that details the growing opposition to mosques throughout the country. She points out that where previous campaigns in local communities to prevent construction of mosques focused on issues like traffic and parking, now the efforts argue that mosques are breeding grounds for Islamic extremism. Their tactics now include speeches and presentations from former Muslims.

In fact, studies show just the opposite.

As she writes:

A two-year study by a group of academics on American Muslims and terrorism concluded that contemporary mosques are actually a deterrent to the spread of militant Islam and terrorism. The study was conducted by professors with Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy and the University of North Carolina. It disclosed that many mosque leaders had put significant effort into countering extremism by building youth programs, sponsoring antiviolence forums and scrutinizing teachers and texts.

A former student directed me to this website after seeing billboards like this on the highway: