By Richard Tedesco
editorial@antonmediagroup.com
Muslim leaders representing several mosques in Nassau County met with Nassau County Police Department officials recently to discuss their concerns about protecting their community against possible reprisals in the wake of the recent attack by two Muslims in California who pledged to ISIS.
“The concerns we have are about protecting some of our prayer services. We also wanted to share our thoughts and ideas as a Muslim community to work with the police to protect where we live any way that we can,” said Mufti Farhan, spiritual leader of the Muslim Community of Nassau County. “With the hatred and bigotry that is in the air now, we did not want any backlash from the community. So we just wanted to make sure the law enforcement authorities are on the same page as us.”
The Muslim Community of Nassau County is an umbrella organization comprising leaders of eight mosques and two academies in the county. The Muslim leaders met with acting Nassau County Police Commission Thomas Krumpter and Deputy Inspector Gary Shapiro at police headquarters in Mineola.
“We meet with leadership of religious faiths regularly,” Krumpter said after a briefing on police counterterrorism social media practices Tuesday, Dec. 15. “This meeting was at their request and we’re looking to strengthen our relationship that we already have with [the Muslims]. We’re working with them to enact their requests at this time. Muslims are like everyone else here in Nassau County. They work hard, go to work everyday.”
Krumpter said there are factions of individuals that are radicalized and “have corrupted certain beliefs,” but that Muslim leaders abhor the behavior.
“They’re just as concerned as we are,” Krumpter said. “They made it very clear that they condemn that type of behavior. It was a very constructive and productive meeting.”Farhan said the police have been attending prayer services at the mosques to provide security against possible attacks. “Their presence is definitely needed for us,” he said.
Farhan said some Islamic centers have received hate mail and threatening phone calls. He also said that people driving by several of the centers have screamed epithets at children playing in the parking lots.
Junaid Subzwari, leader of a mosque in Bethpage, noted a report of an attack on a Muslim in the Bronx last week and said, “We’re kind of crossing our fingers that we don’t have any incidents here.”
The Muslim leaders also expressed concern about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s recent suggestion that all Muslims be banned from entering the U.S.
“It’s just painful to hear an individual who is trying to take a position of authority have such thoughts and ideologies,” Farhan said. “It’s just shameful that a person trying to take leadership of such a civilized place should have such ideas. It’s mind boggling.”
Farhan said all the Islamic centers around Long Island have regularly reached out to neighboring churches and synagogues to maintain an open dialogue and invite members of other faiths to visit their mosques. In the Westbury mosque where he presides at Friday afternoon prayer services, Farhan said he sees people of other faiths in attendance. He said the mosque in Valley Stream held a barbecue a few months ago which was attended by members of various religious groups.
“We are hoping to keep things as open as possible,” Farhan said. “We want people to come and ask questions.”
Habeeb Ahmed, president-elect of the Islamic Center of Long Island and a Nassau County human rights commissioner, said the regional Muslim community has long believed in maintaining a spirit of transparency. The Islamic Center of Long Island belongs to the Muslim Community of Nassau County.
“Fear of the unknown is a very real fear and people don’t know who we are and what we believe in. Many people don’t even know that we believe in the same prophets, Jesus and Moses. They think we believe in a moon god or a sun god. We are one of the monotheistic religions,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed said all of the imams in the Long Island mosques have condemned the actions of the ISIS adherents in California.
“It has nothing do with the Islamic faith. It is important for people to know that these people are committing these crimes in the name of Islam and it has nothing to do with Islam,” Ahmed said. “They do not belong to our religion.”
He said the imams specifically work with the young people in their respective communities to educate them on the moral precepts of Islam.
“No person of any faith would commit acts of these kinds against innocent people,” said Aziz Bhuiyan, president of the Hillside Islamic Center in North New Hyde Park. “If anybody is doing this, they are a criminal and should be treated as such. This is our country and we should do anything to protect it.”
Bhuiyan said in the wake of recent events, including Trump’s remarks, people have made obscene gestures as they drove by the temporary site of the Hillside Islamic Center in Queens. A new two-story center is currently rising at the Hillside Avenue site.
“I hope we can rise up above this and make this country safe for every person, regardless of color, religion or ethnicity. If we shun this kind of behavior, we can ensure a better life for our grandchildren,” Bhuiyan said.
