Christians Under Attack

When the people of northwest Huntsville learned that the downtown shelter for the homeless would be moved to their segment of the city, most of the community was upset. Attorney Chris Zulanas, who represents area residents, said "the neighborhood supports the mission's outreach but worries about the crime and other negative 'aftereffects' that will likely follow it."

He noted the dangers posed by its "walking distance to UAH, day care centers, churches and hundreds of apartments. All of those will be exposed to the element the rescue mission will draw."

The Huntsville Islamic Center's congregation considers itself part of this community. A constituent of HIC wrote an e-mail voicing his personal concerns about the move. While this e-mail - the subject of the April 23 column - echoes some of the concerns of HIC members, it is not our official position on this issue.

The shelter serves a part of the community that is terribly disadvantaged. It is a beacon of hope for people who face unbearable social and financial woes. However, the shelter does not serve the homeless in a vacuum.

Its efforts must be coordinated with the local hospital, HIV/Aids Clinic, the Salvation Army, etc. To provide easy access to these facilities, the shelter needs to be in close proximity. HIC feels that putting two extra miles between the shelter and the point of care will create a burden for those seeking help.

We believe the shelter should be on the same "campus" as the ancillary institutions and that both its creation and its upkeep are a community responsibility that should be paid for by our taxes.

HIC has always appreciated the fine work done by the missions for the homeless in Huntsville. HIC has been active in the "First Stop" program to help the homeless with the Interfaith Mission Service and has organized food drives for the soup kitchen.

Having the shelter close to HIC concerns us as well as the rest of the community because of the potential impact on crime and on property values.

These very same issues were raised when City Public Safety Director Rex Reynolds reported that "crime in the current downtown rescue mission area rose 51 percent from 1997 to 2007, mostly prostitution and public intoxication." He said he "could not promise that crime wouldn't follow the mission to its new site."

These issues were voiced openly in the first meeting of concerned citizens at District 6 on Wednesday, April 16. Thus, the Islamic Center is HIC is not alone in its grave concerns about the relocation of the mission.

Dr. Nauman Qureshi is an Athens physician. The e-mail mentioned in David Prather's column was sent by huntsvilleislamiccenter@yahoogroups.com and labeled as "HIC Digest Number 304." Reader submissions of 500 words on state or local issues of subjects may be e-mailed to john.ehinger@htimes.com.