Mosque to rise amid new Islamic cemetery in San Martin

After almost two decades of worshipping in a backyard sheep barn, members of a Muslim congregation in southern Santa Clara County can finally proceed with its controversial plan to

After almost two decades of worshipping in a backyard sheep barn, members of a Muslim congregation in southern Santa Clara County can finally proceed with its controversial plan to build a mosque and Islamic cemetery here.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved permits for the South Valley Islamic Community’s project Tuesday.

“Our nearest Muslim cemetery is nearly two hours away, and that is a great hardship for our families,” Karen Musa, president of the Islamic Center, which has been planning the project for more than a decade, told supervisors. “You cannot expect people to live here and not die here.”

The Islamic Community’s members have been praying and gathering in a “barn mosque” since 2001. That’s when the barn’s owner kicked out his sheep and let the group use the space rent-free.

In 2006, families in the congregation scraped together funds to buy a vacant 15.8-acre parcel at 14045 Monterey Road, where they hoped to bury loved ones and serve future generations of worshippers.

The center would have daily prayer services throughout the day, which would draw between 100 to 150 people, as well as events with up to 300 attendees on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The center is permitted to have four special events a year with as many as 500 people.