Let's ensure every New Yorker is able to pray in peaceMohammad Razvi and Matthew Cutler |
For generations, New Yorkers have sought solace, guidance and connection at houses of worship. Churches, synagogues, mosques and temples are sacred spaces where people mark life’s most meaningful moments and find strength in times of uncertainty.
But a rising tide of intolerance and hate threatens to prevent parishioners from praying in peace. What should be a routine act of faith has for some become an experience marked by anxiety, hesitation and fear. From antisemitism to Islamophobia, the rise in religiously motivated hate underscores the urgent need for policies that protect the right of all communities to worship safely and in peace.
Across New York and the nation, incidents targeting people of faith have increased in both frequency and severity. According to the FBI’s Hate Crime Statistics Act, or HCSA, data religion-based hate crimes remain one of the most persistent categories of bias-motivated offenses nationwide.
National and local reporting continues to show a sustained rise in antisemitic incidents, as well as a parallel increase in anti-Islam incidents — particularly those targeting visibly observant individuals and houses of worship. Given that many incidents go unreported, particularly within immigrant and visibly Muslim communities, the true scope of these crimes is likely even greater.
Increasingly, houses of worship are also being targeted. In December 2023, dozens of Jews — including 61 preschoolers — were terrorized when a man fired shotgun rounds outside Temple Israel of Albany just hours before Hanukah. In December 2021, a Brooklyn mosque was vandalized with politically charged graffiti, sending a message of intimidation to congregants on one of the holiest days of the Muslim calendar. In March 2024, demonstrators interrupted a Holy Saturday Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
These experiences are unfolding across different corners of New York state, but they point to the same troubling reality: places that are meant to offer refuge are instead becoming sites of confrontation, intimidation and, at times, violence.
Albany lawmakers can act. Let's create buffer zones in NY
A practical solution to protect houses of worship statewide is under consideration right now in Albany. A proposal included in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budget would establish a 25-foot buffer zone around entrances to houses of worship, helping to ensure that people can come and go without interference or fear.
This proposal does not limit demonstrations. It simply draws a clear line at the threshold of religious buildings, recognizing that exercising one’s right to worship — enshrined in the First Amendment alongside the right to free speech — should not come with the risk of harassment or obstruction.
Communities across our state are asking for this kind of clarity. A February poll commissioned by UJA found that 70% of New Yorkers support creating buffer zones around houses of worship in all regions of the state. That support was bipartisan and equally strong among Jews, Christians and Muslims.
When activity at the entrance of a house of worship crosses the line from expression into disruption, the impact is immediate and personal. It changes how people move through their neighborhoods. It makes families reconsider long-standing routines and traditions. It erodes the sense of safety that these institutions are meant to provide.
We have heard from members of our respective congregations who now weigh whether to attend services to avoid the possibility of facing a tense or hostile environment. These developments undermine our ability as faith leaders to fulfill our responsibilities and foster community.
Creating a small, clearly defined space around entrances is a measured step that addresses a real and growing problem. It respects the presence of demonstrations while making clear that access to a place of worship must remain unobstructed.
Including this provision in the final state budget currently being negotiated in Albany would ensure that these protections are in place as soon as possible. It would also send a strong signal that New York is committed to preserving the integrity of its religious institutions and the well-being of those who rely on them.
This is not about privileging one group over another. It is about upholding a basic expectation shared across faiths: that people should be able to gather, reflect and worship in peace.
At a time when divisions can feel pronounced, safeguarding these spaces is one way to reaffirm our shared values. Respect, dignity, and the ability to live out one’s beliefs peacefully should not depend on circumstance or location.
New Yorkers deserve to approach their houses of worship with a sense of calm, not concern. Taking this step now will help ensure that they can.
Chaplain Mohammad Razvi is the founder and CEO of Council of Peoples Organization, or COPO, in New York City; Matthew Cutler is rabbi of Congregation Gates of Heaven in Schenectady.