Editor’s Note: The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition.

Imam Darul Ahnaf of New York recently shared details of a Go Fund Me campaign through which the Bronx Muslim community is fundraising to build a new, second mosque in the Norwood section of The Bronx, to be located at a newly purchased building at 3091 Decatur Avenue. A nearby location at 3041 Hull Avenue is currently being used by the community until such time as the new building is ready, Ahnaf told the Norwood News.  

 

“Alhamdulillah, with the help of generous donors, Darul Ahnaf New York has taken a major step forward by securing a permanent space to serve our community,” an extract from the GoFundMe page post reads. “What was once a dream is now a reality, a home for salah [worship], Qur’an education, and future generations.”

 

The post went on to describe how there is still critical work left to be done, and that the funding was needed to carry out essential renovations so the space “becomes safe, functional, and welcoming for daily prayers, classes, and community programs.” Ahnaf said final steps include installing a “proper prayer hall carpet, a sound system, wudu facilities, washrooms, and air conditioning.” A total of $55,000 is needed according to the post.

He said the Masjid is more than a building. It is a place where Salah is established, children learn the Qur’an, families gather, and faith is strengthened. “Without these basic facilities, the space cannot properly serve the community, especially with Ramadan and busy prayer times approaching,” Ahnaf wrote. During large Islamic feast days in recent years, local Bronx Muslims have been seen praying outdoors in the Williamsbridge Oval park, as it seems to be the only space large enough to facilitate communal prayer for the community. The founder of the new mosque is Muhammad Hamidur Rahman Ashraf.

 

Norwood, home to a substantial Bengali Muslim community, is already the location of the four-story, 15,000 square-foot North Bronx Islamic Center, located at 261 East 206^th Street, completed in 2018. Meanwhile, Bengali women’s empowerment group, Laal, was founded in 2019, becoming a crucial network for the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

It offers five daily prayers, Jummah prayer on Friday, and funeral and other Islamic services. We reached out to the Ahnaf to ask how many Muslims it serves, and he estimates it at around one thousand. We also reached out to Laal, a local Bengali, women’s empowerment association to ask if they had estimates on demographics for local Muslim women as according to Laal’s website, no clear local, numbers are available. We will share any feedback we receive.

The Census does not collate religious data and the latest estimates for the Muslim population in New York City (NYC) vary. Recent figures by advocates and local analysts suggest around one million residents, with significant populations in Queens and Brooklyn.

 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued the first ever proclamation declaring January as Muslim American Heritage Month across New York State on Jan. 2, directing that 16 state landmarks be illuminated green that evening in observance and celebration.

 

“Home to the largest Muslim American population in the nation, New York is proud to join in this month-long celebration, recognizing the values, faith, and traditions of our Muslim American communities,” Hochul said. “New York remains committed to being a beacon of hope, tolerance, and inclusivity that celebrates the diversity of its Muslim American population and protects them from Islamophobia, hate, bias, and harm.”

 

The governor’s office said the designation recognizes the significant contributions Muslim Americans have contributed to society throughout history including in the arts, sciences, mathematics, technology, literature, music, medicine, and philosophy, and encourages the people of New York to take the opportunity to better appreciate, recognize, and understand the rich cultures, histories, and principles of the Muslim American community.

A special ceremony hosted by the New York City Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes (OPHC) to celebrate the city’s first public observance of Muslim American Heritage Month was held on Jan. 28, in partnership with the Muslim Community Network (MCN), at the Rotunda of New York County Supreme Court at 60 Centre Street in Manhattan. Various Muslims and allies were honored at the event.

 

Many were from Brooklyn, Queens, or other boroughs but seemingly none were from The Bronx. They included Marwa Janini, execuctive director of the Arab American Association of New York, Imam Safraz Bacchus, chaplain and community builder, Imam Muhammad Shahidullah, peace ambassador and multifaith scholar, the Rev. Dr. Chloe Breyer, executive director of the Interfaith Center of New York, and Husein Yatabarry, executive director of the Muslim Community Network.

Muslim American Heritage Month is celebrated at New York County Supreme Court, Manhattan 1/28/26 Video 2 Video by Síle Moloney

Speakers at the event highlighted NYC OPHC’s “HeARTwork Against Hate Contest,” which involves young New York City voices spreading “love through art that unites and heals.”  Visit https://www.nyc.gov/site/stophate/initiatives/heartwork-form.page for more information about the contest, and to enter.

 

Norwood News arrived after the event had started but was informed that neither the governor nor New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the City’s first Muslim mayor, attended. The same evening, the mayor had joined Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to update the public on an apparent attack at the Jewish Chabad World HQ in Brooklyn, as reported.

 

Police said the man arrested for ramming his car against the building several times denies the hate crime charge and told police he lost control of the car as he was wearing “clumpy boots.” Police said the man knew the building was a synagogue as he had attended it for a social gathering 10 days prior to the attack. They said he has no criminal history in New York City. The investigation continues. The mayor joined Tisch in condemning the attack.

Muslim American Heritage Month is celebrated at New York County Supreme Court, Manhattan 1/28/26 Video 1

As reported, Bronx Muslims previously shared with Norwood News their thoughts on how they believed Islamophobia impacted the recent mayoral race. on Feb. 4, the mayor wrote, “I am outraged by the despicable, cowardly attacks against Muslim New Yorkers in Bay Ridge last week—one of which was on a 12-year-old girl. This violence is unacceptable, and we know that all too often visibly Muslim, hijab-wearing women and girls bear the brunt of it.”

 

He added, “Muslim New Yorkers deserve to live with safety and dignity, and to be able to walk our streets free from harassment, threats, or harm. Islamophobia has no place in our city, and violence or intimidation against Muslim New Yorkers is unacceptable.”

 

Meanwhile, in the context of Holocaust Remembrance Day, marked on Jan. 27, Council Member Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11) said he was proud to stand with City Council Speaker Julie Menin in announcing a 5-point plan to combat antisemitism “rooted in policy, not rhetoric.” He added, “Standing up for New Yorkers takes more than words – it takes action.”

 

The Anne Frank exhibit closes at the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan on Feb. 12. For more information, click here.

 

For some related stories on this topic, click here, here, here, here, here, here, and here