Mahmoud Harmoush, the imam of the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley in California, says he is surprised by the level of criticism aimed at the center's plans to replace its current mosque – now located between a pipeline company and a packaging warehouse – with a new mosque on four acres near Temecula's housing developments.

The Los Angeles Times reports that opponents of the mosque fear it could turn the community of 105,000 into a haven for Islamic extremists.

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CNN's Allan Chernoff talks to the man behind an ad aimed at keeping a mosque from being built near Ground Zero.

In cooking, the process of clarification entails straining out extraneous muck from liquids so that they might be pure, clear and ideal for consumption.

Our sister blog, Eatocracy, is setting out to do the same with a series on the world's dietary tribes. The first installment delves into the dietary restrictions of 12 religions in the hopes of cooking up a little interfaith understanding.

Learn which group looks to yogurt and fresh vegetables for enlightenment and whose holy men eschew the digestive effects of legumes and crucifers.

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