FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sunnyside Muslim Center Hosts Community Safety Briefing, Calls for Stronger Protection of Houses of Worship

Sunnyside, Queens, NY — July 10, 2026 — The Sunnyside Muslim Center (SMC) hosted a Community Safety Briefing following Jumu’ah prayer, bringing together elected officials, law enforcement leaders, city agencies, faith leaders, and community members to address the urgent need for enhanced security at houses of worship following recent threats against the mosque.
The gathering reaffirmed a shared commitment to ensuring that every New Yorker can worship in peace, safety, and dignity, and sent a clear message that hate has no place in New York City, New York State, or anywhere in America.
Distinguished Guests and Speakers
The Community Safety Briefing welcomed the following distinguished guests and speakers:
Dan Wiley, District Director, Office of Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez
Tiffany Echevarria, Community Liaison, Office of Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez
Assembly Member Claire Valdez, New York State Assembly, District 37
Assembly Member Steven Raga, New York State Assembly, District 30
Council Member Julie Won, New York City Council, District 26
Farah Salim, Chief of Staff, Office of Council Member Julie Won
Shawn Clark, Executive Assistant District Attorney, Queens District Attorney’s Office
Rakiya Akter, Senior Community Coordinator, Queens District Attorney’s Office
Vijay Ramjattan, Executive Director, NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes
Detective Iftikhar Khan, QDA
Representatives of the NYPD 108th Precinct
Mohammed Al Harbi, Deputy Borough Director for Queens
Imam Yousuf Chowdhury, Sunnyside Muslim Center
SM Parvezur Rahman, President, Sunnyside Muslim Center
Imam Muhammad Shahidullah, representing Save the People
United Against Hate
Throughout the briefing, speakers delivered a unified message: hate has no place in New York. Every speaker reaffirmed that every New Yorker—regardless of faith, race, or background—deserves to live, work, and worship in safety.
The discussion focused on:
Strengthening security at houses of worship.
Increasing collaboration between faith communities and law enforcement.
Expanding access to state and federal security grants.
Enhancing emergency preparedness and public safety training.
Encouraging communities to report hate crimes and suspicious activity.
Building stronger partnerships to protect all New Yorkers.
Speaker Highlights
Dan Wiley, District Director for Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, reaffirmed the Congresswoman’s commitment to supporting the Muslim community and protecting every New Yorker’s right to worship safely.
Assembly Member Claire Valdez emphasized that every house of worship deserves protection and that public officials must continue working together to keep communities safe.
Assembly Member Steven Raga noted that Queens’ greatest strength is its diversity and reaffirmed that hate and violence have no place in New York.
Farah Salim, Chief of Staff to Council Member Julie Won, highlighted the importance of strong partnerships between local government and faith communities in building safer neighborhoods.
Shawn Clark, Executive Assistant District Attorney, emphasized that hate crimes are taken seriously and that justice and accountability remain essential to protecting every community.
Vijay Ramjattan, Executive Director of the NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, underscored the importance of education, prevention, and collaboration in combating hate and safeguarding New Yorkers.
Mohammed Al Harbi, Deputy Borough Director for Queens, spoke about the importance of unity, diversity, and cooperation in protecting every resident.
Imam Yousuf Chowdhury reminded attendees that mosques are places of worship, peace, compassion, and service, and stressed that violence, intimidation, and hatred have no place in a civilized society.
Remarks by Imam Muhammad Shahidullah
Serving as both moderator and speaker, Imam Muhammad Shahidullah thanked the elected officials, law enforcement representatives, and community leaders for standing with the Muslim community during a difficult time.
Reflecting on the recent threats against the mosque, he stated:
“Our mosque recently received serious threats, including death threats and threats to destroy our house of worship. No one should ever fear for their life simply because they are coming to pray.”
He respectfully called upon elected officials, law enforcement agencies, and government leaders to continue supporting faith communities by strengthening security measures, increasing patrols around houses of worship, expanding access to security grants, and providing additional resources to help protect vulnerable institutions.
Imam Shahidullah also expressed sincere appreciation to the New York City Police Department—particularly the leadership and officers of the 108th Precincts—for their professionalism, rapid response, increased patrols, and steadfast partnership with the Muslim community.
He concluded with a message of unity:
“Our message is simple: No hate. No fear. No violence. Every New Yorker deserves to worship freely, safely, and with dignity. Hate has no place in New York City, New York State, or anywhere in America.”
Special Appreciation
The Sunnyside Muslim Center extends its sincere gratitude to:
The New York City Police Department
The leadership and officers of the 107th and 108th Precincts
NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes
Queens District Attorney’s Office
Office of Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez
Assembly Members Claire Valdez and Steven Raga
Council Member Julie Won and her staff
Queens Borough President’s Office
All elected officials, faith leaders, community organizations, and residents who stood together in solidarity with our community.
Together, we reaffirm our shared commitment to protecting every house of worship and ensuring that all New Yorkers can practice their faith free from fear, intimidation, and violence.
Media Contacts
SM Parvezur Rahman
President
Sunnyside Muslim Center
Imam Muhammad Shahidullah
On behalf STPusa, NYC Imam and Queens community
Cell: 212-729-0610
Sunnyside Muslim Center
39-18 47th Avenue
Sunnyside, NY 11104