Montclair Ends Police Chaplain Program After Imam's Posts About Israel

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Montclair has given the ax to its police chaplain program in the wake of a controversy involving the Israel-Palestine war.

The chaplain program was rolled out in 2017. Volunteer clergy members were tasked with working alongside the community service wing of the police department to offer advice and aid crime victims.

The decision to end the program – announced earlier this month by township manager Michael Lapolla – was made after Kevin Dawud Amin, an imam at Masjid al Wadud, shared social media posts that some community members alleged are antisemitic.

Amin has denied that the posts were antisemitic and has said they were meant to criticize the state policies of Israel and its ongoing military actions in Gaza – something his supporters have argued should be protected under the First Amendment.

On the flip side of the coin, Amin’s posts have seen stiff criticism from several Jewish clergy members and community leaders, who say they played on offensive stereotypes which are not defensible under the premise of “free speech.”

For his part, Amin says that he understands the decision to end the chaplain program, although he’s still upset.

“Under the circumstances, I think that’s the best thing,” Amin told Montclair Local. “Because really, you’re talking about possible litigation with something like that.”

People on both sides of the debate showed up at this week’s Montclair Town Council meeting during the public comment segment to make their voices heard (watch the video below, or view it online here).

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