CAIR-NJ Denounces Islamophobic Lawn Signs in Mansfield Township

(NEWARK, NJ – 10/02/2026) – The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today denounced a highly visible display of explicitly anti-Muslim and anti-Islam messages displayed near the intersection of New Jersey Route 57 and Airport Road in Mansfield Township, Warren County, NJ.

In a statement, CAIR-NJ Public Affairs Director Naureen Akhter said:  

“The signs displayed in Mansfield promote the tired old stereotype that conflates an entire religion with the perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attack. It is incredibly offensive to the Muslim families in the area who have to drive by daily and be reminded of the hate harbored by their neighbors. If these signs were directed at any other community, you would have seen swift action by now.

“We call on the mayor and Township Committee of Mansfield to investigate whether these signs are on public property, and if so, to denounce and remove them at once. Public spaces should not be used to promote hate and bigotry. ”  

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.  

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CONTACT: Public Affairs Director Naureen Akhter, nakhter@cair.com, 908-921-1238 

CAIR-NJ Supports Marlboro Muslim Community’s Federal Lawsuit To Build Mosque 

(NEWARK, NJ, 09/29/26) – The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), today joined the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) and the law firm of Omar T. Mohammedi at a press conference announcing a federal lawsuit against Marlboro Township for its denial of the town’s first mosque. 

Over the course of five years, members of Marlboro’s Muslim community have tried to obtain the necessary approvals to build their mosque. They were met with delayed and cancelled hearings, anti-Muslim rhetoric and ultimately a denied application. And that denial came only after a state judge ordered the township to hold the required hearings. 

In June, CAIR-NJ denounced the decision by the Marlboro Zoning Board of Adjustment to deny the establishment of a Muslim community center at 449 Tennent Road in Marlboro Township. 

In his statement at the press conference, CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said:  

“A house of worship – a mosque, a temple, a church, a synagogue – any sanctuary, is a place where people come together to build community, to offer services, charity work, family services, help children, grow the youth, develop leaders. It is a place that inherently brings benefit to the community. Any municipality should welcome the opportunity for a house of worship to be established on their land. No minority community should be subject to this much difficulty. Muslims are asking for nothing more but fair treatment. 

That is what our American values call for. That is American – to be fair and balanced for all communities. But what the Muslim community of Marlboro has experience is the most un-American thing. The difficulty that they have been subject to is unfair. We are outraged.” 

In AALDEF’s press release, Omar Mohammedi, Managing Partner of OTM Law said of the denial:  

“The decision raises significant concerns regarding religious freedom, equal treatment, and the protections afforded under the Constitution and New Jersey’s antidiscrimination laws.” 

Ronak Patel, staff attorney at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) said: 

“New Jersey has seen this exact playbook before: delay a mosque application for years, subject it to extraordinary scrutiny, invoke Islamophobic tropes to justify a denial, and force the Muslim community to go to court to vindicate its rights. From Bridgewater to Basking Ridge to Sayreville, Muslim communities have repeatedly had to turn to the courts simply to seek the same opportunity to build a house of worship that other faith communities enjoy. No faith community should have to litigate for the right to have a place of worship in their own hometown.” 

Mohammed Tahir, one of the plaintiffs, and leader of the masjid said: 

“The Marlboro Muslim community has never had a permanent place to gather and pray. […] All our community has ever wanted is a house of worship and to feel part of this town.”  

CAIR-NJ supports the rights of New Jersey’s Muslim communities to establish houses of worship and strongly opposes the weaponization of local land use regulations to restrict the development of mosques.  

CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Public Affairs Director Naureen Akhter, nakhter@cair.com, 908-921-1238 

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims. 

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MEDIA ADVISORY:

CAIR-NJ to Support Activist Asma Elhuni in Trenton Court for Documenting ICE Activity

(NEWARK, NJ, 09/29/26) – On Tuesday, September 29, the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), will join community advocates in support of Asma Elhuni, a longtime organizer and human rights advocate as she faces charges in Trenton Court simply for documenting ICE activity in her community and informing community members of their rights.

On August 20th, 2025, Asma Elhuni, a rapid responder with Resistencia en Acción NJ, was observing her first amendment right in documenting ICE activity in the community when Trenton Police arrested her upon ICE’s request. New Jersey state law bars local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE’s enforcement activities.

CAIR-NJ has previously supported passage of the Immigrant Trust Directive among other measures to keep New Jersey’s immigrant community safe.

SEE: CAIR-NJ Welcomes Signing of Immigrant Protection Bills into Law as a Major but Partial Victory, Urges Stronger Action

WHAT: Press Conference in Support of Asma Elhuni Ahead of Trenton Court Appearance

WHEN: Tuesday, September 29, at 5:30 p.m. ET

WHERE: 225 N Clinton Ave, Trenton NJ, 08607

See Media Advisory here.

CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Public Affairs Director Naureen Akhter, nakhter@cair.com, 908-921-1238

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

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MEDIA ADVISORY:

CAIR-NJ to Join AALDEF, Marlboro Muslim Community’s Press Conference on Efforts to Build Mosque

(NEWARK, NJ, 09/28/26) – On Tuesday, September 29, the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), will join the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) and the law firm of Omar T. Mohammedi for a community press conference on next steps in efforts to build a mosque in Marlboro Township.

After years of delays and unequal treatment toward the Muslim community by Marlboro Township, this press briefing will announce an important next step in the legal fight to establish a mosque.

In June, CAIR-NJ denounced a vote by the Marlboro Zoning Board of Adjustment to deny the establishment of a Muslim community center at 449 Tennent Road in Marlboro Township.

SEE: AALDEF Media Advisory

WHAT: Press Conference on Efforts to Build Mosque in Marlboro Township

WHEN: Tuesday, September 29, at 10 a.m. ET

WHERE: 1979 Township Dr, Marlboro Township, NJ 07746

RSVP: Ananya Bhasin, AALDEF, media@aaldef.org

Livestream will be available on AALDEF’s Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aaldef

CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Public Affairs Director Naureen Akhter, nakhter@cair.com, 908-921-1238

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

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CAIR-NJ, Partners to Host 7th Annual Muslim Day of Advocacy at Trenton State House

(NEWARK, NJ, 09/22/26) – On Thursday, September 24, the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), along with a number of community partner organizations, will co-host the 7th Annual Muslim Day of Advocacy (MDA) at the New Jersey State House in Trenton.

This event brings together Muslim leaders, advocates, students and community members from across the New Jersey to engage directly with their state legislators.

WHAT: 7th Annual Muslim Day of Advocacy.

WHEN: Thursday, September 24, at 10 a.m. ET

WHERE: 145 W. State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608 (State House Annex)

WHO: Council on American Islamic Relations NJ (CAIR-NJ); CAIR Action NJ; ICNA Council for Social Justice; Emgage Action NJ; Muslim Civic Coalition NJ; Palestinian American Community Center; American Muslims for Palestine NJ; Indian American Muslim Council; New Jersey Muslim Voters League; Muslim Ummah of North America

LEGISLATIVE AGENDA:

• Divesting New Jersey pension funds from Israeli bonds
• Updating New Jersey Learning Standards to require a Muslim Studies Curriculum to counter Islamophobia in schools
• Ranked Choice Voting in Municipal and School Board Elections
• New Jersey Reparations
• Accommodations for Fasting Students
• Yes In God’s Backyard

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Public Affairs Director Naureen Akhter, nakhter@cair.com, 908-921-1238

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(CAIR-NJ) is proud to announce the publication and statewide distribution of new Know Your Rights educational materials aimed at equipping members of the Muslim community with essential information about their civil rights. 

The Material  

These resources provide practical information on a range of issues, including interactions with:  

• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); 

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); 

• Airport and travel encounters with Department of Homeland Security (DHS); 

• Other situations involving law enforcement and government agencies  

Reaching Communities Across New Jersey 

As part of this proactive community education effort, CAIR-NJ has mailed and hand delivered approximately 20,000 individual guides, dozens of law enforcement posters, and numerous packages containing these Know Your Rights pamphlets and other educational literature to more than 275 locations across New Jersey, including mosques, Muslim-owned businesses, nonprofits, and other community centers that serve the state’s Muslim population.  

Available in Multiple Languages 

To ensure these resources are accessible to New Jersey’s diverse Muslim population, the materials are available in English, Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, Turkish, Spanish, and Urdu. 

Proactive Community Education 

“Educating our community about their rights before they encounter a difficult situation is one of the most important things we can do,” said CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut.  

“This statewide distribution allows us to put reliable, accessible information directly into the hands of community members. Whether someone is confronted by ICE, questioned by the FBI, stopped while traveling, or encounters another situation involving law enforcement or government authorities, we want our community to know their rights and understand where they can turn for help.” 

CAIR-NJ encourages mosques, businesses, nonprofits, and community centers that receive these materials to make them readily available to the people they serve. Community members can access and share these resources through CAIR-NJ’s website.

CAIR-NJ also continues to offer Know Your Rights trainings at mosques, universities, and community centers across the state.

Support for the Project 

This project is made possible through funding from the IOLTA Fund of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation. For more information on the Foundation’s law-related education initiatives, visit www.njsbf.org. 

Disclaimer: The information contained in these materials is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, laws may change and are subject to interpretation. Individuals seeking legal guidance should consult with a qualified attorney or appropriate legal services provider.