Long Island Mosque Sues Town Over Expansion Denial

The Hillside Islamic Center alleges anti-Muslim sentiment behind North Hempstead's refusal to allow renovation and expansion.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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The Hillside Islamic Center, a mosque in New Hyde Park, New York, has filed a federal lawsuit against the Town of North Hempstead, accusing town officials of bowing to anti-Muslim sentiment and obstructing the mosque's efforts to expand its facilities to accommodate growing congregations during Ramadan. The mosque claims the town has repeatedly blocked its plans to demolish the existing building and rebuild a larger, code-compliant structure, despite the plans overcoming regulatory hurdles.

Why it matters

The dispute between the Hillside Islamic Center and the Town of North Hempstead is the latest in a series of legal and cultural battles between mosques and suburban towns on Long Island, as the region has shifted politically to the right in recent years. The obstacles faced by mosques, often in the form of zoning regulations, are seen by many as reflecting underlying anti-Muslim sentiment in the community.

The details

The Hillside Islamic Center, founded in 2005, serves thousands of congregants primarily of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian descent. During Ramadan, the mosque's services are so crowded that congregants spill out into the parking lot to pray. The mosque submitted a plan in 2021 to expand to a three-story building, along with upgrades to landscaping, drainage and paving. The plan overcame several regulatory hurdles, but was ultimately denied by the town board in 2024 after residents voiced opposition, citing concerns about threats to their quality of life and making Islamophobic comments on social media.

  • The Hillside Islamic Center submitted its expansion plan in 2021.
  • In early 2024, the Town of North Hempstead denied the mosque's initial application.
  • The mosque has appealed the town's ruling by suing in New York State Supreme Court, and that suit is still pending.

The players

Hillside Islamic Center

A mosque in New Hyde Park, New York, that serves thousands of congregants primarily of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian descent.

Town of North Hempstead

The town in which the Hillside Islamic Center is located, which has repeatedly blocked the mosque's expansion plans.

Abdul Aziz Bhuiyan

The chairman of the Hillside Islamic Center's board and a plaintiff in the lawsuit against the Town of North Hempstead.

Jennifer DeSena

The town supervisor for North Hempstead.

Masjid Al-Baqi

Another mosque in the nearby hamlet of Bethpage that sued the Town of Oyster Bay over a dispute regarding its planned expansion.

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What they’re saying

“The ideal way to pray is so you can concentrate. Under current conditions, there's no way you can concentrate.”

— Abdul Aziz Bhuiyan, Chairman of the Hillside Islamic Center's board (New York Times)

“Our primary goal here is to coexist peacefully.”

— Abdul Aziz Bhuiyan, Chairman of the Hillside Islamic Center's board (New York Times)

What’s next

The Hillside Islamic Center's lawsuit against the Town of North Hempstead is still pending in New York State Supreme Court.

The takeaway

This dispute highlights the ongoing tensions between mosques and suburban communities on Long Island, where anti-Muslim sentiment has been on the rise in recent years, often manifesting in the form of obstructive zoning regulations that target minority religious groups.