Security for Ramadan Increased in Response to Recent Attacks on Religious Institutions

Security for Ramadan Increased in Response to Recent Attacks on Religious Institutions

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has directed State Police to increase their presence near houses of worship across the state as Muslims prepare for the holy month of Ramadan.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has directed State Police to increase their presence near houses of worship across the state as Muslims prepare for the holy month of Ramadan. Cuomo’s move is part of a larger effort to increase security and safety at houses of worship following multiple attacks on synagogues and churches recently.

Abu Islam, trustee of the Islamic Center of Rochester, said that congregants are worried about their safety while celebrating Ramadan.

“This year with everything that’s happening around the world, they’re worried that, when I’m praying, facing The Qibla, what’s happening at my back?” Islam said.

According to Islam, recent attacks on religious institutions, such as the synagogue shootings in San Diego and Pittsburgh and the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka, have members of the Islamic Center of Rochester concerned.

“It’s unfortunate that we’re even discussing this," Islam said. "Not only mosques, any place for worship, people want to come there for some peace, some tranquility, so they can worship their creator and when they leave become more rejuvenated.”

Ramadan, which begins Sunday, May 5, is an Islamic holy month involving fasting, prayer and charity.

“It’s a month where we train ourselves to avoid bad things, and do good things," Islam said. "And the goal is if you can do it for a month, it ingrains a habit so you can do it for the rest of the year.”

The ICR is working with the Brighton Police Department to provide a sense of security for worshippers.

“We just want people to feel safe," said Chief Mark Henderson of Brighton PD. "We want people to feel protected when they’re in their house of worship.”

According to Henderson, the department has been doing a lot of outreach with faith-based communities after last year’s Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. The outreach includes training and response planning.

The department has also been meeting regularly with the ICR to put plans in place for security during Ramadan, though Henderson declined to go into detail.

“From a perspective of wanting the members of ICR to feel safe, they’ll see a Brighton police car driving through the parking lot," Henderson said. "There’ll be a Brighton police car that’ll be parked there.”

Islam said the police presence will give worshippers the feeling of security and peace of mind to be able to focus on holy month activities.

“It’s the message we try to propagate to our worshippers that we are in a friendly place and we have neighbors and law enforcement that are looking over us, so don’t feel scared to come,” Islam said.

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

New Products

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.