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Proposed Muslim Cemetery In Dudley Suffers Setback With Town Vote

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The barn on the property the Islamic center wants to turn into a cemetery (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
The barn on the property the Islamic center wants to turn into a cemetery (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

A proposed Muslim cemetery in the central Massachusetts town of Dudley took a setback Monday night.

Town Meeting voters gave the go-ahead to selectmen to start the process of buying a parcel of old farmland that was going to be the cemetery site.

"There seems to be overwhelming support for the town to acquire this property, some or all of this property, to be retained for town purposes or agricultural use, open space, whatever may be the reason," Gary Brackett, who's the town attorney, told me.

The Islamic Society of Greater Worcester wants to develop the cemetery on 55 acres. But the proposal has met some intense opposition from neighbors and others who raised questions about the impact on their drinking wells.

The language and tone of some opposition has also raised accusations of religious prejudice.

The Islamic center may challenge the legality of the town buying the land.

David Boeri has been following the controversy. He attended Monday's meeting and reports for Morning Edition. Listen to the audio above.

This segment aired on May 24, 2016.

Earlier Coverage:

Headshot of David Boeri

David Boeri Senior Reporter
Now retired, David Boeri was a senior reporter at WBUR.

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