SHEILA BURKE

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear the appeal of a group of neighbors who tried unsuccessfully to block the construction of a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

A board member of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro said Monday he was hopeful that the refusal of the nation’s highest court to hear the case will restore unity to the community.

Neighbors have been arguing since 2010 that approval for construction was illegal because there wasn’t enough public notice for the planning commission meeting where the approval occurred. The mosque was built anyway as the case moved through the courts.

A lawyer representing opponents of the mosque said they had done all they could do.

Opponents of the mosque are now suing against a planned cemetery on Islamic Center property.

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