Virginia Beach, Va. (WTKR) - A day after the Virginia Beach City Council approved the first mosque in the resort city, another mosque in Hampton Roads is responding to accusations made against them.
By a 9-1 vote, the Beach City Council approved plans by the Crescent Community Center to build the mosque at the intersection of Landstown and Salem Roads.
Councilman Bill DeSteph, who is currently running for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, was the lone dissenting vote.
He told NewsChannel 3's Reed Andrews the "no" vote wasn't for religious reasons, but because of national security concerns.
"I’m saying follow the money, there are ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Follow the money," DeSteph explained.
Scott Saunders, with ACT! Virginia Beach was also at Tuesday's City Council Meeting.
The national ACT organization lists its mission as to "mobilize Americans regarding the multiple threats of radical Islam, and what they can and must do to protect themselves and their country against this determined enemy."
Saunders told Reed Andrews that there are links between the Muslim Brotherhood and mosques in Hampton Roads.
"We know that the Hampton Roads mosque is associated with it," Saunders said. "There are indications that Crescent Community Center is associated with the Hampton Roads Mosque."
On Wednesday, NewsChannel 3 took those accusations to the mosque in Hampton.
Dr. Ahmed Noor, a trustee for the mosque, explained the relationship between Virginia Beach and Hampton.
"The relationship is we all try as practicing Muslims in the Hampton Roads area to meet at least twice a year. The meetings would be on our days of festival," Noor explained.
He also flatly denied the allegations that the Hampton Mosque was related to the Muslim Brotherhood.
"There is no connection whatsoever to Muslim Brotherhood," Noor stated. "This is a mosque in the United States. We have a connection with national Muslim organizations in the United States but we do not have any connection with people outside the United States."
Noor says he understands the fear of the unknown that comes with building the new mosque, and thinks more outreach needs to be done.
He points to the community relationship the Hampton Roads Mosque has achieved over the years in Hampton since being established in 1984 as a good way forward.
Related:
Residents sound off against Virginia Beach’s first mosque
Update: Beach City Council passes proposal to build first mosque
