MCNY Addresses Worshipper Safety

NYN Desk Report:
The Muslim Center of New York, known as MCNY, held a community safety briefing on July 6, 2026, following a frightening incident that disrupted Friday prayers and left hundreds of Muslim worshippers concerned about their safety.
The meeting took place from 5 to 6 p.m. at the mosque, located at 137-58 Geranium Avenue in Flushing, Queens. Community leaders organized the gathering to address the fear and uncertainty caused by the incident and to discuss the security needs of the congregation with New York leaders.
During the weekly Friday sermon two days earlier, an individual appeared among the congregants with what seemed to be a firearm. The sight of the weapon created immediate panic inside the mosque, where hundreds of people had gathered peacefully for worship. Published reports later described the object as a BB pistol and reported that the individual was arrested by the New York Police Department.
In an invitation distributed before the briefing, mosque representatives expressed the congregation’s concerns in direct terms: “We feel unsafe.” The statement emphasized that the incident had occurred inside a place of worship and called on public officials and community leaders to recognize the seriousness of the situation.
The briefing provided an opportunity for community members to raise concerns about safety, emergency preparedness and the protection of religious institutions. It also allowed mosque representatives to communicate the emotional impact of the incident on worshippers, many of whom had entered the center expecting a peaceful religious gathering.
For MCNY, the meeting represented an important step toward restoring confidence and strengthening cooperation between the mosque, public officials and law enforcement agencies. The incident highlighted the vulnerability that worshippers may feel when a threat enters a sacred and normally peaceful environment.
Br. Abdel Ghani, director of the Muslim Center of New York, served as the principal community contact for the event. Through the briefing, the mosque delivered a clear message: Muslim New Yorkers must be able to worship freely, peacefully and without fear, supported by effective and dependable security measures.