Pig Races Held Next to Mosque

KATY , TEXAS

A suburban Houston man, unhappy with an Islamic association's plans to build a mosque and community center on property adjacent to his, staged pig races as a protest during afternoon prayer services Friday.

Craig Baker, 46, lined a track for 25 pigs to race on, sold merchandise and grilled sausages for about 100 people who showed up in heavy rain. People have sent donations ranging from $100 to $1,000 to sponsor the event, Baker said.

He said he is not trying to offend anyone but wants to show that the Katy Islamic Association can't force him to move or relocate.

"I am just defending my rights and my property," Baker said.

Yousef Allam, a spokesman for the association, said the group never meant to give Baker the impression that it wanted him to vacate his land.

"If we somehow communicated that to him, then we apologize," Allam said.