Schermerhorn Concert Hall not to become Music Clity Mosque

Maybe you never heard the rumor, but it you did, rest easy. The Nashville Symphony's beautiful Schermerhorn Concert Hall, which was rescued from a bankruptcy sale at the last minute will not become a mosque. Before being rescued from bankruptcy, it was not going to become a mosque. The symphony has not subleased the hall or part of the hall to a group to use as a mosque. Or, at least some of the people who were saying this are now saying it was all a hoax.

In emails and Facebook postings an alarm was being sounded that people needed to organize to stop The Schermerhorn from becomng a mosque. This rumor was starting to pick up steam even beyond conservative activist in Nashville. It was reported on Michelle Backman's facebook page and the Michael Savage facebook page and other sites.

I did not report on this.  I would have been hesitant to join the cause anyway. If it went on the auction block and an Islamic group bought it, I would not be happy about that but I would not be terribly alarmed and would see no grounds for opposing that development. I might would have urged greater effort to find a solution that saved the Hall from the action block, and might would have made a modest financial contribution to efforts to save the Hall, but would have not joined law suites or street demonstrations.

If the Hall could not have been saved from the action bloc, and a Muslim groups  bid was the highest, so be it. While not joining a movement similar to the effort to stop the Murfressboro mosque, I would have reported on it. I am glad I did not. It was a hoax. Or, apparently it was all a hoax. Some of the people who were spreading the alarm now say they were the victim of a hoax, so I assume the whole thing was a hoax.


It was a pretty convincing hoax. The hoaxers created a good looking website that said, "Welcome to the Al Hussein Music City Mosque and Islamic Center, opening November 2013 at The Schermerhorn Symphony Center."  The site has a mission statement and list as their activities: 

* Five daily prayers * Friday khutba in English and Arabic And Somali * Islamic education classes in Arabic, Somali and English. * Weekned school for youth and children * Family serives (Marriage, counselling...) * Homeschool *Ramadan activities include: daily iftar, Traweeh, Tahajud, Eid prep. eid party. etc. *

I almost posted this, but something just did not smell right so I held off. I am glad I did not spread the rumor. It is reported that the hoax originated with a disgruntled Symphony employee, but that is not confirmed either. To view the website, follow the link. If there is more to this story than what I have reported, please let me know.

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