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Timing of Bethpage Mosque Closure Is Suspect, Mosque Leaders Claim

Posted September 7, 2010 by Ted Hesson

During the 11 years that Masjid al-Baqi, a mosque on Central Avenue in Bethpage, has provided religious services for area Muslims, there have been some tensions with community members: a few neighbors have complained about the cars that spill onto local streets during Friday services and religious holidays and, in late 2001, mosque leaders say that a drunken resident smashed some of the building’s windows with a baseball bat and damaged cars in the parking lot.

In general, however, interactions with the community have been more positive than negative, according to Syed Quadri, the secretary of Masjid al-Baqi. In over a decade, the mosque—despite never acquiring a valid occupancy certificate—has never had any problems with the Town of Oyster Bay, he says.

But that all changed at the start of Ramadan this year, when town officials closed the mosque, citing building code violations.

The two sides disagree over when exactly the mosque was shuttered: the town says it issued a July 29 summons; mosque leaders say they were turned away on August 10, the beginning of Ramadan. But both sides agree that the building inspection came about as a result of more than 100 calls or emails to the town from residents complaining about a second Bethpage mosque that is opening nearby. Some of those residents called for an investigation into Masjid al-Baqi.

The opposition to the new Bethpage mosque, and the ensuing backlash against the existing one on Central Avenue, can be traced back to a mass email that circulated before the closure, according to Quadri, who received a copy of the email from a congregant.

In the email, a resident identified as “Peter,” tries to rally residents against the new mosque:

This is not a Muslim neighborhood; we have no Muslim congregation in Bethpage. We do not want people being bused in from other communities. If you read the articles attached, many of these organizations are on the FBI watch lists. I DO NOT WANT THIS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY NEED TO GO ELSE WHERE. THIS IS THE MESSAGE WE NEED TO SEND.

The email included contact information for public officials and references to other mosque opposition efforts in Brooklyn, Staten Island, and at the much-discussed Park51 site, near Ground Zero in downtown Manhattan.

That email—amid the Park51 debate and the accompanying wave anti-Islamic discourse—played a major role in the shutdown, according to Quadri.

“That’s the only reason that influenced their decision,” Quadri said. “We’ve been there 11 plus years, an inspector has come to the property…you can’t say that the town didn’t know about the mosque being there before the email came out.”

Marta Kane, a spokesperson for the Town of Oyster Bay, did not respond to requests for comment, but Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto said that he supported the closure in an August 13 Newsday article:

Venditto defended the town’s actions. “It’s very fair to say that the proposed mosque brought attention to other mosques in the community,” he said. “But the fact that that’s the reason we’re there doesn’t change our responsibility.”

In the hopes that the building might reopen during Ramadan, which ends on Friday, September 10, attorneys for the mosque brought the case before the State Supreme Court in Mineola on September 1, but Judge Thomas Feinman denied the request. Another hearing is scheduled for September 13.*

In 2001, Quadri said that mosque leaders considered applying for a new certificate of occupancy for the building, which was formerly a restaurant, but were concerned about post 9/11 backlash. “We didn’t think that was the right time because we knew we had to get a variance,” he said. “We had to get neighbors involved.”

Quadri said that for the past three years, the mosque leaders have been working on obtaining a certificate of occupancy for the building, but, admittedly, he didn’t know how far along they were in the process.

Interviews with residents living near Masjid al-Baqi showed that after a decade of coexisting in close proximity, there was little interaction between congregants and neighbors, aside from concerns about street usage.

“Outside of the parking problem we have, none of the neighbors have had any conflict with them,” said Linda Ploth, a 54-year-old school bus driver. “As long as they don’t bother the neighborhood and keep to themselves, there’s really no problem if they want to worship where they want to worship.”

Tim Hart, 43, said that a few residents are annoyed by the parking situation, but that it hasn’t been a problem for him. As for his relationship with those at the mosque, he said, “They don’t bother me and I don’t bother them.”

According to Quadri, however, town inspectors have offered a shifting set of reasons for the closure since issuing the initial summons, giving the impression that officials are intent on shuttering the building.

Initially, town inspectors cited plumbing and electrical violations, but Quadri says that a licensed plumber and electrician have checked the building for problems, and say it’s up to code.

Town officials have also referenced a local ordinance that requires houses of worship to operate on at least an acre of property. The mosque, which moved into the building before that ordinance existed, currently occupies 0.6 of an acre. To comply with the ordinance, the mosque would either need a variance or to expand by purchasing an adjacent commercial property that isn’t currently in use.

Neither of those options will come in time for Ramadan, however, and Quadri said that the code violations likely won’t be addressed until the September 13 court date, at the earliest.

“Apparently the town will be respond to our petition, and the inspector has issued a report,” he said. “Hopefully they’ll come back and tell us exactly what they think is dangerous.”

*According to a representative from the mosque, the September 13 court date may be rescheduled for a later date.

Tags : bethpage, islam, masjid al-baqi, mosque, oyster bay, park51