Big Names Expected At South Brunswick Vigil For New Zealand

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — South Brunswick police already beefed up patrols at the area's local mosque on Rt. 1 following last week's New Zealand terror attack. And now on Thursday, March 21, the Islamic Society of Central Jersey is holding a solidarity event with victims in New Zealand.

Organizers at the mosque are calling this "an evening of real action to combat Islampophobia and hate." Last Thursday, a white New Zealand man opened fire on two mosques in that country, killing 49 Muslims while they were attending their Friday prayers. Earlier, suspect Brenton Tarrant had written an online manifesto where he talked about his "dislike" for Islam, people who converted to Islam and described Muslims as "most despised group of invaders in the West.”

“Even if we were to deport all Non-Europeans from our lands tomorrow, the European people would still be spiraling into decay and eventual death,” he wrote. “In the end we must return to replacement fertility levels, or it will kill us.”

The event will go from 6-8:30 p.m. tomorrow evening, and people of all faiths are invited. They will be writing letters to the families of the victims, having a special prayer service for those who died and then an interfaith panel discussion about the current political climate. The Islamic Society of Central Jersey is located at 4145 Rt. 1 in South Brunswick, right by the turn off for Promenade Blvd.

Planning to be in attendance Thursday are:

Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D)

South Brunswick Chief of Police Raymond Hayducka and members of the police department

Department of Health Commissioner Shereef Elnahal

State Senator Linda Greenstein (D)

South Brunswick Mayor Charlie Carley

Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert

South Brunswick schools Superintendent Scott Feder

South Brunswick School Board Members

Clergy Leaders

"The attacks at mosques in New Zealand have led us to enhance our presence at our mosque since late last night," South Brunswick police said last Friday. "There is no information of any concerns or threats related to our community. Our efforts to ensure our houses of worship are the safest possible is an ongoing collaborative effort."