CARLTON FLETCHER: Albany City Commission does the right thing

Stand tall, don’t you fall, for God’s sake don’t go and do something foolish.

— The Guess Who

Local government can sometimes be an ugly thing, messy with thinly veiled personal agendas, its integrity damaged by lazy officials who have neither the ability nor the inclination to read/study proposed agenda items so that they can intelligently discuss them and make decisions about them.

Albany has had its share of really bad elected officials, individuals who forgot all about the people who elected them the moment they settled into that illustrious seat at the table.

(A couple of things: 1 — It’s amazing how significantly some officials’ actions tarnish those once-coveted seats at the table with their boorish, sycophantic, self-serving actions. They’re the ones Stevie sang about when he said, “You just come to visit ‘round election time.” 2 — As much as we in our little corner of the world like to think so, the despicable actions of our less-than-effective local leaders are not unique. Hope it doesn’t bust you’re bubble, but these people are everywhere.)

Sadly, the well-reported, 24-hour-news-cycle exposure of these officials have left most Americans jaded to the point that they not only give little more than passing notice to the callous antics of their governing body, they expect them.

That being said, I’d like to color a little outside the lines in this space and commend the Albany City Commission for, in the face of citizen opposition that grew increasingly ugly in its disrespectful challenge of documented expectations, making a tough right decision at its business meeting Tuesday. Despite an aggressive outcry from some members of the community who chose to try to bully city leaders into ruling in their favor, the commission voted 5-2 to approve a cemetery for the Albany Islamic Center at 711 W. Highland Ave.

Now, if you came to me and asked me what kind of development would I like to see on that piece of prime real estate in the heart of Albany’s inner city, a cemetery might have come in at around No. 1,742 on my list. But when the local Islamic mosque sought proper burial sites for its members, there turned out to be no more room available in the publicly-owned Riverside Cemetery.

After an extensive search that was fruitless, mosque leaders decided to buy an adjacent vacant lot and put a cemetery there, one that would allow them to bury their dead in the traditions of their religion. Those traditions include no embalming of the deceased and, typically, shallow graves. The bodies in Islamic burials are also typically wrapped in linen or cotton cloth and buried with no casket, a return, if you will, of “dust to dust.”

Cognizant that such traditions conflict with typical burials in a region that is heavily Christian, members of the Islamic Center agreed not only to 6-foot burials, they acquiesced on the matter of burying their dead in six-sided concrete vaults. Even as mosque President Mohammad Okashah explained that his research indicated such “green burials” as those favored by Muslims led to no health risks in areas around such cemeteries, the mosque agreed to conditions placed on the cemetery.

Citizens opposed to the request expressed their concerns about property values, health risks, water contamination and even animals digging up corpses. And while many who expressed such concerns were obviously sincere, there were some who used the conflict to try to drive a wedge between the two factions in the community. When that bore little fruit, they used threats.

But City Attorney Nathan Davis and Planning Services Director Paul Forgey explained that the commission had passed legislation listing 10 criteria for granting special approval on certain specific issues, which was needed for the cemetery request to pass. And, as Forgey noted, item by item, the request did not have a negative impact on any of the 10 criteria.

“Once it is established that the request meets the standards of those 10 criteria, this body’s discretion in considering such a matter is relinquished,” Davis explained. “This is not like a zoning case where you have the discretion to rule on the merits of a request.”

While members of the Islamic Center did not openly threaten a lawsuit if their request were denied, that threat hung over the proceedings like a cloud. Both Ward I Commissioner Jon Howard, who spoke eloquently of putting aside feelings in order to conduct the city’s business, and Ward III Commissioner B.J. Fletcher, who had been inundated with comments from supporters of both sides of the issue as the representative in whose ward the mosque and the proposed cemetery lay, admitted that the threat of legal action impacted their vote.

When former City Commissioner Arthur Williams hinted at a counter lawsuit by opponents of the cemetery, and Howard questioned Davis about the chances of citizens winning such a suit. Davis replied, “Slim and none.”

Sadly, as much as we’d like to think the opposition to the cemetery was based on genuine fears expressed by some in the audience, certainly the fact that the request was made by a Muslim congregation was a factor.

Still, the City Commission stood firm and did the right thing. Fletcher promised to “do everything in my power” to make sure the conditions placed on the center are met, but perhaps the most eloquent statement of the evening was made by center member Umar abdal Aquil, who said, “I don’t think anyone can say we’re not keepers of the trust.”

They may not have taken the most popular action in some corners, but on Tuesday night, the Albany City Commission stood up to threats and intimidation and did the right thing. For that, they deserve a measure of respect.

Email Carlton Fletcher at [email protected]. Follow @ABH_Fletcher on Twitter.