A Bridgeport mosque is criticizing local police for their reaction to an alleged bias incident that occurred in late April.
Members of the Masjid An-Noor mosque on Fairfield Avenue said someone made threatening comments to members of the mosque on April 26. -The person in question called them terrorists and threatened their lives, said Farhan Memon, the Council on American- Islamic Relations’s Connecticut chair.
Memon said the incident comes during a time of heightened tension in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas in Israel.
"At a time of heightened global tensions, particularly concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, such incidents can escalate quickly,” Memon said.
More mosques in Connecticut are stepping up security measures. The federal government reports 14 applications for security grants were filed by mosques in Connecticut so far this year. That’s compared to only three in 2023.
Bridgeport police said the incident was an argument between a driver and a pedestrian. But Memon said the police are relying on out-of-date information and said two people involved in the altercation have since made statements to police.
Memon also reported another potential bias incident at the mosque to police in March.
He said they had to call police twice, calling a detective one of the members knew personally a second time, in order for police to arrive. According to Memon, it took 25 minutes for police to respond. Police have not released the police report yet but say the incident is being investigated.
Memon said police have told them the call was downgraded because the suspect made statements then drove off. But he said houses of worship need more consideration.
“I think that any call that comes in from the house of worship these days deserves a heightened response," he said.
