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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nDid you know that there were high tensions among attendees at a recent community meeting in Delray Beach regarding the future of a previously approved Islamic Center and large Islamic school?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The meeting itself was held at the Dr. Andre Fladell South County Civic Center on October 2, 2026. The Center holds up to 500 people but was packed to capacity, so the doors had to be closed while hundreds more were forced to wait outside, where many angry residents remained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event inside became heated as residents voiced opposition to the center, which was approved by the County Commission, and condemned the presence of residents, labeling them as neo-Nazis and anti-Muslim protesters who attended the meeting, while the Boca Raton Interfaith Clergy, which includes Muslim members like Dr. Basem Alhalabi of the Islamic Center of Boca Raton (ICBR), issued a statement supporting residents’ right to discuss development concerns but condemning what they deemed as \u201chateful rhetoric.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
County Commissioner Maria Sachs addressed the crowd, noting that the Islamic Center\u2019s administrative approvals were already in place and that the meeting was not a vote on the specific project. She announced plans to propose tighter approval rules for similar developments and to hold a separate, focused public meeting on the Islamic Center. The meeting ended without any new decisions, but law enforcement was present to manage the overflow crowd and external protests. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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