Lino Lakes council censures member for applauding anti-Muslim email

The Lino Lakes City Council voted Monday night to censure one of its members for applauding an anti-Muslim email that called Islam “our declared enemy” in response to a news article about a proposed housing development that includes a mosque.

Wearing an American flag necktie and at one point holding up a copy of the Quran, Council Member Chris Lyden objected to the resolution to censure him, calling the issue “so trivial.”

“There’s never a good time to sell your soul attempting to be politically correct,” he said near the start of his objections that lasted about 10 minutes.

In the end, the City Council voted 3-1 to censure Lyden. Council Member Michael Ruhland was the lone no vote, and Lyden did not participate in the vote. The censure distances the city from Lyden’s response, which the resolution says “could be interpreted by some” as endorsing anti-Muslim opinions in the original email.

“The response neither reflects the views of the City or the views of the City Council,” the resolution reads. “The Council disavows the email response in its entirety.”

On Aug. 4, a person writing as “Sean, USA” sent Lyden a lengthy email about a New York Times story on the controversial Madinah Lakes development proposal. The development would bring a “Muslim-friendly” housing development to Lino Lakes that includes a mosque. The housing component recently stalled when the City Council enacted a one-year moratorium on residential developments.

The emailer sent the anti-Muslim letter to the story’s author, to Lyden and to members of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). The email claimed there was “no such thing” as Islamophobia.

Lyden responded using his city email account, writing, “Might be the best email I have ever received!”

CAIR demanded Lyden resign for the response, which the organization said was endorsing Islamophobia. Lyden rejected the allegations of racism and said he takes issue “with the CAIR organization. Period.”

Although Ruhland voted against the resolution, he said that was in order to continue working on it, and that he took issue with Lyden using his city email to respond.

“My biggest issue is I feel he violated the code of conduct by handling personal opinions and personal business matters with city resources,” Ruhland said.

The resolution to censure Lyden was brought forward by Mayor Rob Rafferty and Council Member Dale Stoesz, the agenda packet indicates.

The Madinah Lakes project, which was recently stalled, has drawn backlash from some city residents who say it would overburden the town’s infrastructure, including its water supply, and that it would diminish Lino Lakes’ small-town feel.

The opponents have also raised concerns about the 2013 theft-by-swindle conviction on the record for the project’s developer Faraaz Yussuf, whose official name is Faraaz Mohammed.

Many others, including members of the Muslim community from Blaine and elsewhere, have come out in support of the project, and say the opposition is rooted in Islamophobia.

Jaylani Hussein, CAIR-MN’s executive director, continued to argue that Lyden should resign.

“You need to resign, and the rest of you need to hold him accountable,” Hussein said.