“I might not have to agree with Islam, but until these people break the law, I fully support them,” explained Eric Allen Bell about his documentary being shot in Murfreesboro.

Almost every resident of Murfreesboro and its surrounding areas is aware of the Islamic Mosque debate. The issue has been featured in the media for months, even making national news on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. Many community members show great concern about the Mosque Center’s expansion to the point of protest and are trying to get the project shut down before building begins. Others support the group in their decision to expand their worship center and are standing up for religious freedom.

Bell, a Murfreesboro resident of two years, began shooting his documentary upon seeing the issue through the media and hearing it discussed among friends. He soon thought someone should take the opportunity to show the topic from all angles.

“This is a classic David and Goliath situation,” described Bell. “My documentary is about America. When it comes to government, there is no right to regulate religion. We are in danger of losing our liberties. If we let them shut down this [worship center], who are they going to go after next?”

Bell explained his documentary as having two parts. The first part addresses the problem of religious intolerance and the second presents a solution. The film will have one overall message about religious and political freedom and how “evil persists when people stand by and do nothing.”

Bell claims that the religious intolerance is driven by fear and a misunderstanding of culture. “I’m not saying people should turn off their critical thinking, but don’t confuse fear with facts. Just because someone has a southern accent, it doesn’t mean they are racist or ignorant. Don’t make similar assumptions about another culture.”

“The imam of the Murfreesboro Islamic Center wants to assure all citizens that he left the country he is from because he loves the United States,” said Bell of his meeting with the Islamic Center representative. “The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro is not here to change our laws or our way of life but rather to enjoy what this great country has to offer.”

Although this is Bell’s first documentary, he is no stranger to the film industry. He moved to Murfreesboro from Los Angeles, looking for a place where people are nicer and things move a little slower.

“This film is not about being liberal or conservative,” says Bell. “It’s about being an American.”

Bell has been in the motion picture industry since 1990 and has been hired to write screenplays and adapt novels for major studios. His directorial debut "The Bondage" premiered at the South By South West Film Festival