Sufism Reoriented has claimed that it has overwhelming support from the community at large in Contra Costa County and elsewhere.

Let’s take a look at the facts:

Because members of Sufism Reoriented (SR) conducted a hostile takeover of the Saranap Community Association in July 2008, for the express purpose of securing a majority on the Board of Directors, non-SR Saranap residents started to petition against this development in late 2008 and early 2009. At one point in 2009, a representative of the Planning Dept. told us that it wasn’t necessary to keep turning in more petitions because the County could plainly see there was lots of opposition to the project… that they didn’t need any more signatures because it just made more work for them and used up valuable resources.

So we stopped.

As far as we know, SR has never stopped gathering signatures. It’s like a football team running up the score after the other team has left the stadium. And they kept going and going and going….

Second, they have conducted a classic “Push Poll” campaign. That is where questions are loaded to influence the person polled to support a certain viewpoint. It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book to try to influence public opinion.

The verbiage on one of their petitions merely said at the top:

 “I am a resident of Contra Costa County, and I have received information about the new sanctuary proposed by Sufism Reoriented.
I appreciate receiving this information, and I’m writing to let you know that I support this building project.”

This says almost NOTHING. It makes absolutely no reference to what each person was told before he or she signed the petition. It says nothing about the size of the project or the fact it’s located in a residential neighborhood.

Many of the original petition signers have contacted the Saranap Homeowners Organization to say they were mislead and they want to know how to rescind their support.

Many signatures have been erroneously categorized on the County database. We don’t believe there has been any malicious intent by County employees but the fact still exists. Many residents appear on both lists, support and opposition. Some have asked to be removed but have been relisted later.

Several are from business owners in Saranap who do not live in Saranap. And certainly – most importantly – well over half of the signatures gathered have come from outside of our Saranap neighborhood.

They include signatures whose addresses hail from: