Truck With Anti-Muslim Photos Drove Past Edison Mosque, Group Says

EDISON, NJ — The same truck that drove in circles through the parking lot of a Piscataway mosque on Nov. 26 was also seen at three more mosques in Central New Jersey that same day, each time broadcasting the same graphic photos and video from the 2008 Islamic terror attacks in Mumbai.

The truck was seen at mosques in Edison, North Brunswick and in the Fords section of Woodbridge, according to the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an Islamic advocacy group.

The truck was seen at circling the parking lot of the Masjid Al-Wali located at 10 Olsen Ave in Edison, CAIR said.

The group said it has been tracking the incidents and speaking with members of New Jersey mosques.

The truck was seen at all four mosques the same day, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and each time displayed what CAIR said was "anti-Muslim messaging."

"We’ve confirmed that four Islamic centers were visited by this truck displaying hateful, anti-Muslim messages on November 26," said Dina Sayedahmed, CAIR-NJ spokeswoman. "Though we are still awaiting official police findings, it is clear that these incidents are deliberate and well-coordinated."

Edison Mayor Sam Joshi said the Township's law enforcement will assist County and state agencies in investigating the matter.

“There is absolutely no tolerance for hatred or discrimination of any kind in Edison.," Joshi told patch. "The State division of criminal justice and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office have a joint investigation for bias intimidation on this matter, and Edison will assist however necessary."

The incident at the Piscataway mosque — the Muslim Center of Middlesex County on Hoes Lane — was widely condemned, with Gov. Phil Murphy calling it an "anti-Muslim intimidation tactic of bigotry" that is "utterly unacceptable and downright shameful."

Piscataway Mayor Brian Wahler said it was "religious-based harassment" that "deeply disturbed him." He met with members of the Islamic Center in a well-publicized press conference to discuss their safety.

"The perpetrator designed several anti-Muslim posters, rented a truck with an electronic billboard to display them, and then drove to at least four Islamic Centers in New Jersey, displaying these vile and anti-Muslim messages both at the (mosques) as well as on the road," said Sayedahmed.

In November 2008, a Pakistani Islamic terrorist organization carried out a series of coordinated shooting and bombing attacks that lasted for four days across Mumbai, India. In total, at least 174 people were killed.

"To demand that Muslims in New Jersey answer for Muslims oceans away is not only unreasonable, but also dangerous," said the CAIR spokeswoman.

Tension between Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India has remained extremely high since then.

Here is the truck seen Nov. 26 when it drove up and parked outside a mosque in the Fords section of Woodbridge:

The same truck outside the Masjid al-Wali in Edison that same day:

And the truck seen outside the New Brunswick Islamic Center in North Brunswick, also Nov. 26:

Today, many Indians and Pakistanis live in New Jersey.

However, Pakistani-Indian tension surfaced this past August in Edison and Woodbridge, when a bulldozer was included in the India Independence Day parade.

Some say the bulldozer symbolizes anti-Muslim sentiment and the destruction of Muslim homes by the Indian government. The specific bulldozer used in the Edison/Woodbridge parade featured large photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, both Hindu nationalist figures.

Adityanath specifically has been known for making inflammatory anti-Muslim comments in the Indian press.

Gov. Murphy and both U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker all condemned the use of the bulldozer in the August parade, calling on parade organizers to apologize.

After several weeks of declining to comment, the Indian Business Association, which organized the parade, apologized.

On this topic: Anti-Muslim Imagery Paraded Around Piscataway Mosque, Members Say (Nov. 30)

Organizers Apologize For Including Bulldozer In Edison Parade (Sept. 1)