A proposal to move the liquor store from 40th and Market streets to 43rd and Walnut - across the street from Philadelphia's largest, most active mosque - is threatening the relationship between the Muslim community and the city.
The Pennsylvania Code - the state's official document of rules and regulations - explicitly states that a license for a state liquor store cannot be issued if the proposed location is within 300 feet of a religious institution or if the new location will be "detrimental" to an area within 500 feet - both of which are the case.
The new liquor store, which would be built where the Rite-Aid used to be, will join a bar and beer distributor in the neighborhood. Members of the mosque noted that they already have problems with patrons of the beer stores behaving inappropriately and littering around the mosque, and a hard-liquor store could prove even worse.
The new store would also be directly next door to Makkah Market, which serves as a gathering place for Muslim families - which include small children - who attend the mosque for prayer and classes. A hard-liquor store has no place being so close to a hub of the Muslim community, or any close-knit, family-oriented neighborhood, for that matter.
Islam forbids the consumption of alcohol, and to place a liquor store so close to the mosque sends a message to the Muslim community that the city has little respect for their well-being.
The current location of the liquor store is dilapidated and does not have enough parking space; a new location is warranted. But a better liquor store isn't worth alienating this vibrant community.
