Holy day brings Muslims and others to vandalized mosque in Ronkonkoma

Leaders of a mosque in Ronkonkoma that was damaged over the July Fourth weekend in a possible hate crime were worried fearful congregants would not show up Saturday for one of the holiest days of the year.

Instead, the Eid al-Adha services attracted a crowd of more than 1,000, including supporters from other religions, along with public officials and law enforcement leaders.

One Jewish-led group said they had set up a GoFundMe appeal to help pay to fix a crescent-shaped sign damaged in the attack at the Masjid Fatima Al-Zahra mosque. They handed over a check for $500 to start. Others said they were standing in solidarity with the Muslim community, and wouldn’t allow the incident to be forgotten.

“I think it’s really unfortunate what happened,” said Zaynab Mossolem, 25, of New Hyde Park, whose parents helped found the mosque. “It’s 2022, so you would think that regardless of where you come from or how you look or what religion you practice, that you’d see more acceptance.”

But “at the end of the day, it’s so great to see that the community prevails nonetheless. We’re still celebrating the holiday.”

Suffolk police say the sign, which cost $10,000 to build and install, was damaged by an “ignited device” between 10 p.m. and midnight on July 3.

They are offering a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information, including given anonymously, that leads to an arrest in the case, which they are investigating as a possible hate crime. (Suffolk County Crime Stoppers 800-220-TIPS).

The hillside mosque, which occupies a former VFW Post overlooking Lake Ronkonkoma and Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Park, was visited last week by Gov. Kathy Hochul and other officials who denounced the attack.

Vandalism shakes community

Hassan Mossolem, chairman of the mosque's board of trustees, said the incident had left the community shaken, including many children.

“The trauma that happened, I cannot explain it to the kids,” he said. “ ‘Hey Dad, why do they hate us? What did we do?’ I can’t tell you how to answer, but we try.”

He added, though, that interfaith gestures such as the GoFundMe were “beautiful.”

Still, the mosque is putting on hold a $3 million senior housing project it was hoping to build on its property, since it must now devote about $250,000 more a year to enhanced security with cameras and 24/7 guards, he said.

Eid al-Adha, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice, is a three-day festival marking the end of an annual pilgrimage known as the Hajj that many Muslims make to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam.

The festival is celebrated around the world, including by those who don’t make the pilgrimage. Islam is the world’s largest religion after Christianity, with 1.8 billion followers, and the fastest growing.

Morning services

At the mosque in Ronkonkoma and others around Long Island, the faithful — many dressed in colorful traditional garb — attended morning services, and then went home to enjoy festive meals with relatives and friends.

At the Centereach High School football field, some 2,000 people gathered for a service held by the Islamic Association of Long Island mosque based in Selden, said Nayyar Imam, a leader of the mosque.

In Uniondale, more than 9,000 people attended services held at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale, said Dr. Isma Chaudhry, co-chair of the board of trustees at the Islamic Center of Long Island in Westbury.

She said a strong Nassau County police presence made worshippers feel safe following the incident in Ronkonkoma.

In Ronkonkoma, Eric Post, regional director of AJC Long Island, a Jewish organization, said he delivered the check for $500 to Hassan Mossolem partly to signal that most people support the Muslim community.

“Too many of our communities have been affected by hate, and we need to stand side by side,” Post said.

Shoshana Hershkowitz, a South Setauket resident who founded Suffolk Progressives, a community advocacy group, said she came with a carload of people to support the mosque members.

“There is more that connects us than divides us,” she said. “We have to build community together — that’s how we overcome this type of hate.”