Muslim Community Members React to New Zealand Shootings Muslim Community Members React to New Zealand Shootings

By Natalie Dascoulias SYRACUSE, NY (NCC News)

Following an attack on a Mosque in New Zealand, Governor Andrew Cuomo called for state police to increase security around mosques and other houses of worship around the state. On Friday March 15, there were police present at the Islamic Society of CNY, according to a spokesperson.

There has been a varied reaction to this increased security across the mosque’s community. Sadia Mohamed says that she has felt unsafe since moving to Syracuse from New York City almost two years ago.

“New York City was much more accepting of diversity than Syracuse is,” she says. “After a year I took off the hijab because of racial slurs I got around the community.”

Mohamed says this was a difficult decision for her because her religion is so important to her, but her family ultimately supported the decision, telling her to do what would be best for her mental health.

She says that an increase in security is a step in the right direction to help Muslims feel safer, but it isn’t doing anything to combat Islamophobia.

Youssef Amir doesn’t see the need for increased security around mosques. Amir attends the Islamic Society of CNY three to four times a week and says that he feels the same sense of security he always does following any major attack on Muslims.

“You would need to put a police officer on every corner to keep these kinds of things from happening,” Amir says. “There are so many places where you are exposed potentially to terroristic attacks.”

“These events happen too often and at this point it is always a fear, but I don’t feel unsafe at the mosque,” he said.

Amir says that the Muslim community in Syracuse is loving and supportive.  He says he feels a sense of security and love when he is at the mosque.