Muslim Society of Jersey Shore

The mosque operates a Sunday school and after-school programs for children, as well as a summer camp. ⁴ A planned expansion will include the construction of a larger Islamic school. ⁵

Opposition to ISIS

In 2015, Muslim Society of Jersey Shore chairman Mohamed Nabeel Elmasry told the Asbury Park Press that the mosque opposed Islamic terrorist groups such as ISIS and that it was “a constant watchdog” against radical Islamist propaganda among its students and members. ⁶

Federal Grant

In 2019, the Muslim Society of Jersey Shore received a grant from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which supports “target hardening and other physical security enhancements and activities to nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack.” ⁷ The amount of the grant, which was awarded on a competitive basis, was not publicly announced. ⁷

North American Islamic Trust

The Muslim Society of Jersey Shore is affiliated with the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT), a nonprofit endowment that assists in the financing of American mosques and frequently holds the title to the facilities it finances to ensure their perpetual use for Islamic religious purposes. ^{8 9 10} NAIT has controversial ties to the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist organization, and in 2007 was characterized as an “unindicted co-conspirator” by the U.S. Department of Justice in its prosecution of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) for funding the terrorist group Hamas. ^{10 11 9}

Expansion Controversy

In 2017, the Muslim Society of Jersey Shore caused local controversy over its plan to build a school and massively expand its mosque, increasing the total facility footprint from 3,900 square feet to more than 51,000 square feet on a 5.5-acre property. ¹² It attempted to have some of its property rezoned and get a waiver from local zoning rules that require at least 10 acres of property for houses of worship, but was unsuccessful and withdrew its application. ¹²

In 2021, the Township of Toms River settled a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit instigated by the local Orthodox Jewish community charging that its religious zoning laws violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. ^{13 14} In the settlement, Toms River agreed to reduce the required size of a synagogue, church, or mosque parcel down to two acres. ¹⁴

In 2022, the mosque received zoning approval for a downsized 21,320 square foot project and started a $1.5 million capital campaign to fund its construction. ²