AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Muslim Center of New Jersey filed a complaint against the officials of the township of "Marlboro" in the US state of New Jersey for rejecting the mosque construction request and emphasized that the five-year process of reviewing this request was accompanied by religious discrimination and anti-Islamic pressures. This complaint was filed the day before yesterday, Tuesday, in the Federal District Court of New Jersey.
Five Years of Delay and Finally Rejection of the Mosque Request
According to the text of the complaint, the Muslim community of Marlboro has been trying since 2021 to build a mosque on a five-hectare plot of land, and during this time, it has repeatedly amended its proposed plan, including regarding the building's capacity and parking space, according to the request of the zoning board. However, the review sessions of the request were repeatedly canceled or postponed, and the zoning board opposed the mosque construction in June 2026.
The plaintiffs say that during the review sessions as well as on social networks, anti-Islamic statements were made against the mosque construction plan, and some city council members had also expressed opposition to the mosque construction during their election activities. According to the complaint, this atmosphere of opposition ultimately influenced the zoning board's decision-making process; statements that will now be examined in federal court.
Muslims of Marlboro Still Without a Mosque
Mohammad Tahir, the head of the Muslim Center of New Jersey, said the Muslim community of this area wants equal treatment with other residents and a permanent place for worship. He announced that about 300 Muslims in Marlboro have been holding Friday prayers in a former fire station since January 2024, but space and time limitations have reduced the possibility of holding social activities and more gatherings.
In the official documents of the city of Marlboro as well, the mosque construction request is registered at the address 449 Tennent Road, and the presented plan included a mosque of about 13,127 square feet with 107 parking spaces. This request was examined in special sessions of the zoning board in 2026.
Muslims' Lawyers: The Right to Worship Should Not Be Dragged into Court
Ronak Patel, a lawyer for the Asian Americans Advancing Justice Legal Defense and Education Fund, who represents the Muslim Center, emphasized that the process of reviewing this case in New Jersey is an example of a process in which mosque construction requests face long delays and special scrutiny, and ultimately the Muslim community turns to court to defend its rights. This legal institution and the OTM Law firm are representing the plaintiffs.
The federal complaint considers the rejection of the mosque request to be a violation of the legal and constitutional rights of Muslims and has cited laws protecting religious freedom and religious land use, including the US "Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act" (RLUIPA). The plaintiffs are calling for the annulment of the zoning board's decision, the possibility of continuing the mosque construction process, and receiving damages.
This case has been raised as other cases of dispute over mosque construction in New Jersey have also been reported. According to US media reports, in 2025 as well, a mosque in the city of "Sayreville" sued local officials after the planning board rejected the construction plan, and in 2011, the township of "Bridgewater" was ordered to pay five million dollars and provide the possibility of building a mosque after a legal case.
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