CAIR-NY Demands Security for Houses of Worship After Anti-Muslim Tirade Targeting Mosque Attendees in Melville
The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned an anti-Muslim tirade by an individual who reportedly entered a mosque in Melville on Wednesday and called for stepped-up security for houses of worship.
The man allegedly entered the mosque and began recording worshipers with his phone and positioning a baseball cap over his eyes. He reportedly shouted, “free the Israeli hostages now,” and called the Muslim congregants “racist.” He was arrested for trespassing and harassment.
The congregants and leadership of the Islamic Center of Melville found it necessary to create a public movement to prompt local law enforcement to take the matter seriously, despite video proof of the incident. We are told to report incidents, and yet action is often delayed until public exposure forces it,” said CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher. “This incident is a microcosm of the broader tensions of rising anti-Muslim hate we’ve seen across the country since the war in Gaza began. We condemn this hateful incident and urge law enforcement to ensure that our congregations are safe in their houses of worship.”
She noted that in 2023, CAIR-NY saw 555 requests for legal assistance, of which, 239 were directly related to Palestinian solidarity, representing 43% of its requests. Nationally, CAIR chapters received 3,578 complaints during the last three months of 2023 amid an ongoing wave of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate.
CAIR-NY’s 2022 report “Feeling the Hate: Bias and Hate Crimes Experienced by Muslim New Yorkers” found that 64% of Muslims have experienced a hate crime, bias incident, or both. Yet only 4% of Muslims reported incidents to law enforcement, citing the lack of trust/accountability in law enforcement as a main reason.
CAIR-NY is also urging religious institutions nationwide to take extra security precautions by using advice offered in CAIR’s booklet, “Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety.” The advice in the booklet is applicable to institutions of all faiths.
This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.
