Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Backers Insist Brooklyn Mosque Will Be Built
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Jul 24, 2010
Modified Jul 24, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Jul 24, 2010
Modified Jul 24, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Even though a similar plan to erect a mosque in Staten Island was recently shot down, those behind the plans to build a mosque and community center in Sheepshead Bay say they will not back down. Opponents previously sent a letter to local officials claiming that "mosques and Muslim schools preach hatred," and one recently said that if the mosque were built he would blow it up. But the group's architect Ibrahim Anse says they're not letting the hatred get in their way. He told the Brooklyn Paper, “This is our right and it’s a cause we believe in.”
Aside from the Islamophobic vitriol, other residents oppose the mosque for the simple belief that it will create parking problems on the block. Resident Susan Gerber said, "We’re not racist, we’re realists. We are entitled to traffic studies and noise studies and safety studies. People will be walking in the gutter to get around [the mosque]. They’ll be all kinds of fatalities."
But Anse and the Muslim American Society's project couldn't sound more harmless. Anse says that anyone parking illegally deserves to get a ticket, and that the mosque would see only 150 worshipers on the busiest days. In response to accusations that the mosques builders are connected to Islamic extremists, Muslim American Society executive director Mahdi Bray said, "Even when we talk about international matters, we do it from a Muslim-American perspective. We’re not a mouthpiece for any group outside the U.S....We’ve been across the street from a police station [the 62nd Precinct stationhouse] for 10 years. If we were up to something shady, they would have known about it."
Tagged
brooklyn
islam
mosque
muslim american society
sheepshead bay
Jaya Saxena
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC Council to consider earlier Legionella reporting after deadly outbreaks
A bill facing a hearing Monday would require cooling tower owners to notify city health officials when bacteria levels reach a much lower threshold.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 18, 2026 at 7:36 p.m. ET
Staten Island fire injures 2, but spares historic 'Godfather' church
Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze, which started in a vacant warehouse. It was contained within three hours.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
Staten Island fire injures 2, but spares historic 'Godfather' church
Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze, which started in a vacant warehouse. It was contained within three hours.
By
Giulia Heyward
Bail reform remains major issue in NY governor's race, 7 years after it became law
By
Gino Fanelli
NYPD identifies Bronx man, 26, killed in Midtown subway shooting
By
Ryan Kost
,
Elizabeth Kim
and
Phil Corso
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
By
Ryan Kost
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .