Suffolk Police Hate Crime Unit Investigating Anti-Islam Graffiti at Site of Major New Islamic Center in Shirley

SHIRLEY, NY – Suffolk County Police are investigating an apparent hate crime after anti-Islam graffiti was discovered on a banner at the construction site of a major new Islamic center in Shirley, a project that has been years in the making and is intended to serve a growing Muslim community across eastern Suffolk County.

Police said the graffiti, which contained hateful comments about Islam, was reported Saturday afternoon at the construction site for the Islaamic Center of Mastic-Shirley. The Suffolk County Police Department’s Hate Crimes Unit is investigating.

No arrests had been announced as of Monday.

The precise wording written on the banner has not been publicly disclosed by police or reproduced by local news organizations reporting on the incident.

The vandalism occurred as the religious organization is undertaking a substantial expansion along William Floyd Parkway near Tudor Road, replacing the much smaller facility from which it has served the community for more than two decades.

A Multimillion-Dollar Project Years in the Making

The Islaamic Center of Mastic-Shirley, also known as Masjid Umar Bin Khattaab, says it has served the Shirley area since 2002. According to the organization, what began as a prayer space serving approximately 40 families has grown to serve more than 200 families.

That growth eventually prompted plans for a much larger mosque and community center.

The center has assembled several neighboring properties for the project over a period of approximately a decade.

According to financial and project information published by the organization, it purchased 503 William Floyd Parkway for $235,000 in March 2016, followed by 510 William Floyd Parkway for $365,000 in June 2019 and 516 William Floyd Parkway for $385,000 in February 2022.

The expansion continued in December 2025 when the organization says it purchased 8 Tudor Road for another $300,000. Those four acquisitions represent approximately $1.285 million in property purchases alone, according to figures published by the Islamic center. The center says another $80,000 was spent during an earlier phase on land development, fencing, engineering, legal work, testing and government fees.

Project Originally Estimated at More Than $5 Million

When the development was moving through the Town of Brookhaven review process in early 2025, plans called for a two-story, approximately 10,500-square-foot Islamic center on a roughly 1.6-acre site near William Floyd Parkway and Tudor Road.

At the time, project officials said an undertaking initially expected to cost approximately $3 million was instead likely to exceed $5 million, according to Greater Long Island’s reporting on the project.

Plans described a facility substantially larger and more versatile than the center’s existing home, including a large prayer area, libraries and a full-size basketball court.

The Town of Brookhaven scheduled a Planning Board public hearing concerning the Islamic Center of Mastic-Shirley site plan and variances in February 2025.

More recent descriptions surrounding the project’s 2026 groundbreaking have put the overall development at approximately 34,000 square feet, indicating that the scope or measurement of the project has changed since the earlier plans were publicized.

The center itself describes the future facility as including spacious prayer halls, a dedicated basketball court, expanded parking and community event spaces designed for classes, gatherings and other activities.

Construction Now Well Underway

The project reached another major milestone in June 2026 with a groundbreaking in Shirley. The center’s own fundraising and construction information shows that substantial work and fundraising continued beyond the land purchases.

It says a $1 million foundation phase was fully funded, including approximately $500,000 for foundation concrete and steel reinforcement, $110,000 in government fees, $50,000 for engineering, legal, insurance and testing costs, and approximately $40,000 for land development, fencing and demolition.

The organization currently describes the project as being in Phase 2, focused on the structural framework of the building.

That phase carries another $1 million fundraising target for steel fabrication, beams, roofing joists, equipment and other structural-steel expenses. The center’s website recently reported approximately $550,000 raised toward that phase.

Overall, the organization says the community has raised nearly $2.3 million toward the development.

Serving Communities Across Eastern Suffolk

The Islamic Center’s reach extends beyond Shirley and Mastic. Members have been reported as coming from communities including Mastic Beach, Patchogue, Bellport, Moriches, Manorville and East Moriches.

In addition to daily and Friday prayers, the organization provides Islamic education, youth and family programs, counseling and chaplaincy, marriage services, charitable assistance and community outreach.

The center says its imams have also served as chaplains for the Suffolk County Police Department and correctional facilities.

The organization is a federally recognized tax-exempt religious nonprofit under the name Islaamic Center of Mastic Shirley and has held tax-exempt status since 2003, according to ProPublica’s nonprofit database.

The vandalism therefore comes at a particularly significant point for the congregation: after years spent purchasing adjoining properties, securing approvals, raising millions of dollars and beginning construction on a permanent facility intended to accommodate a community that has outgrown its longtime home.

Suffolk County Police have not publicly identified a suspect or announced an arrest. The Hate Crimes Unit investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information concerning the vandalism should contact Suffolk County Police.