CAIR-MN calls for Lino Lakes council member’s resignation after confrontation over Muslim housing project

The Council on American-Islamic Relations of Minnesota is calling on Lino Lakes officials and the community to denounce a City Council member for his response to an email that was critical of a proposed Muslim-focused housing project.

Jaylani Hussein, CAIR-MN’s executive director, wants Lino Lakes to investigate City Council Member Chris Lyden for his response to an anti-Muslim email reportedly sent by an out-of-state person. Hussein asked the city to repudiate Lyden’s actions and launch an “ethical review of his conduct.”

The latest flareup of tensions in Lino Lakes revolves around the proposed Madinah Lakes Project. The City Council voted in July to put discussions about the project on hold for a year so city staff can create a master plan for 900 acres of land in the city, including the project site.

Jaylani’s request stems from an August 4 email sent to a New York Times reporter, Lyden and CAIR staffers by a person calling himself “Sean” from an email address labeled “Observer Williams.” The email was a response to a New York Times’s article about Madinah Lakes.

Jaylani said CAIR-MN has received several emails from the same email address.

The email’s author called Islam “our declared enemy,” and the religion’s holy book, the Qur’an, “hate speech” against other religions. The email also urged Lyden to “put the kibosh on the Muslim development,” and mentioned Jaylani by name.

“Might be the best email I have ever received!” Lyden wrote in an email reply to everyone on the email chain, including Jaylani. “Thank you Sir!”

Lyden’s response to the email came up briefly at a City Council work session this Monday, where council members tabled the matter for a future meeting.

Jaylani held a news conference Wednesday about the matter, and said that during Monday’s work session, Lyden falsely accused him of threatening people.

Lyden, Lino Lakes Mayor Rob Rafferty and Lino Lakes city spokespeople did not return messages seeking comment for this story. In a city council meeting earlier this month, Rafferty acknowledged that the city had received a complaint about Lyden’s email.

“The statements made by this council member do not reflect or represent the views of the city of Lino lakes or the city of Lino lakes council as a whole,” Rafferty said during an August 12 meeting. “We are taking this situation seriously and  continue to review and evaluate the matter. We will be utilizing the process outlined in the city Lino Lakes council code of conduct to further address the issue.”

Jaylani said that he was in a hallway outside the meeting Monday when five people approached him and acted aggressively, asking him if he was threatening people. The people were wearing T-shirts that said, “Slow the growth,” a reference to resistance against the Madinah Lakes project, said Jaylani, who believes they were Lyden supporters.

Two police officers who were on hand broke up the confrontation, he added.

In an attempt to de-escalate the situation, one of the officers told Jaylani to find a seat inside a room nearby. A man who was part of the confrontation followed Jaylani and sat next to him, displaying aggression, Jaylani said. That’s when Jaylani decided to leave city hall.

“I knew right away I had to disengage for the safety of myself,” he said.

Jaylani said he will bring personal security to future Lino Lakes City Council meetings.

Lino Lakes City Administrator Sarah Cotton said in an email that city staff was “made aware of a verbal altercation” outside of city chambers Monday and “quickly intervened.”

“Members of the public safety team de-escalated the situation and spoke with participants, to reassure their safety,” Cotton said. “At no time was any criminal behavior observed or reported. Additionally, a review of video of the incident confirmed that no criminal behavior occurred.”

Cotten added that the city “is dedicated to ensuring that all members of the public are safe in our community and have access to all public meetings.”

Luke Walter is part of Love Lino Lakes, the group behind the Slow the Grow campaign, and was at city hall Monday. He disputed Jaylani’s version of the events, and said he and others attended the work session meeting because of interest in the agenda item regarding Lyden’s email.

Walter said that after the work session ended, he and the group, which included Jaylani, walked down a hall to the City Council chambers for a scheduled council meeting. A woman with the Slow the Grow campaign asked Jaylani a question, and the exchange got heated, said Walter.

Walter said once they got to the council chambers, he sat one seat away from Jaylani, leaving an empty seat between them, and did not engage with Jaylani. Walter said he was not aggressive towards Jaylani.

Walter said the group was not there to support Lyden, and that he found Lyden’s email “absolutely reprehensible.”

Records from Monday’s City Council meeting show that Walter spoke during the public comment period, and said the Madinah Lakes project would perpetuate segregation. The project was not on the council’s meeting agenda. Walter did not address Lyden’s email in his remarks.

CAIR-MN is asking for members of the Slow the Grow effort to repudiate Lyden and the people who confronted Jaylani.

“I know many people who are part of [Slow the Grow] are probably not aware of what happened,” Jaylani said. “They are probably not fully aware of what’s in this email.”

Jaylani said he is also calling on the group, Lino Lakes residents and the broader community to demand Lyden’s resignation.

“Public pressure is required,” he said. “Otherwise, Islamophobia is accepted by the public and by Lino Lakes.”

UPDATE: This story has been updated with information from a community member who was at Monday’s meeting.

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