Muslim Institutions Expand Across Long Island

A series of major Muslim religious development projects is reshaping Long Island, with new mosques, cemetery proposals and multimillion-dollar fundraising campaigns reflecting what organizers describe as the growing needs of the region’s expanding Muslim community.

Among the most visible is the Islaamic Center of Mastic-Shirley, where groundbreaking recently took place on a new mosque along William Floyd Parkway. At the same time, the organizers behind the project are asking supporters to help finance the next stage of construction while separately pursuing plans for a Muslim cemetery in East Moriches.

The Shirley mosque project follows Brookhaven Town’s recent approval of the Beaverdam Islamic Cemetery in Bellport, a separate nonprofit project that will eventually provide more than 10,000 Muslim burial plots on 13.5 acres along Beaver Dam Road.

Proponents say the cemetery will help address what they describe as a shortage of Islamic burial space in New York while preserving natural buffers around the property and creating local jobs. The Bellport project is not affiliated with the proposed East Moriches cemetery.

The East Moriches cemetery plan for Montauk Highway is connected to the Islaamic Center of Mastic-Shirley and represents another phase of the organization’s long-term vision for serving Muslim families from birth through burial.

While details remain under review, the proposal has generated discussion among residents as it moves through the local approval process.

Meanwhile, Nassau County is seeing similar expansion efforts.

In New Hyde Park, the Hillside Islamic Center recently secured approval to expand its mosque after a lengthy legal dispute with the Town of North Hempstead. The settlement allows the center to move forward with a long-delayed project after litigation over the town’s earlier denial of its site plan. Supporters described the resolution as an important milestone for the congregation.

In Bethpage, Masjid Al-Baqi is pursuing construction of a new 15,000-square-foot facility to replace its aging buildings. Plans include expanded prayer halls, classrooms, a library, conference space, an indoor multipurpose recreation area, a kitchen, improved parking and accessibility features. Mosque leaders say the project is intended to better serve their existing congregation rather than dramatically increase attendance.

The Mastic-Shirley mosque has likewise outlined an ambitious, multi-phase fundraising campaign.

According to the center’s website, the congregation has already raised nearly $2.3 million through two completed fundraising phases.

The first financed property acquisition and site preparation, while the second paid for foundation work, demolition, engineering and infrastructure improvements. The congregation is now seeking another $1 million for the building’s structural steel, with about 55 percent of that goal reportedly achieved.

The campaign describes the project as an investment in future generations, saying donations will help create space for daily prayers, Friday worship services, Qur’an classes, youth programs, charitable activities and community events.

When completed, the approximately 13,000-square-foot mosque will include classrooms, community gathering space and an indoor basketball court.

Brookhaven Town approved the project after a series of public hearings during which nearby residents raised concerns about parking, traffic and the building’s proximity to neighboring homes. Mosque officials responded with design changes, including additional fencing, landscaping and other site modifications.

Supporters have said the new center will serve not only as a place of worship but also as a community resource offering educational, charitable and recreational programs.

Taken together, the projects in Shirley, East Moriches, Bellport, New Hyde Park and Bethpage illustrate the continued expansion of Muslim institutions across Long Island.