As Ramadan approaches, Southern California Muslim communities take extra security precautions following string of attacks

Beginning Sunday, armed guards will be stationed at the Islamic Center of Northridge. The mosque, one of the largest serving the San Fernando Valley Muslims, have hired guards over the month-long Ramadan observance for several years. The guns, however, are a new addition.

In the wake of a spate of deadly attacks on all Abrahamic places of worship that span from Pittsburgh, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and San Diego, Muslim communities aren’t alone in harboring a heightened concern for safety in holy spaces.

But ever since 50 people were killed in the March attacks on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, mosques around Southern California have been actively redoubling security precautions as Ramadan approaches – a recently attempted attack in Long Beach made in the name of a warped version of Islam, leaders say, only adds to their feelings of insecurity.

“Since the New Zealand attacks we have decided to keep armed guards, just in case,” said the Islamic Center of Northridge Religious Director Ibrahim Qureshi, who praised the level of local interfaith coordination between mosque, synagogue and church leaders who meet regularly to discuss security concerns and exchange ideas.

Yet events like the FBI’s arrest of Reseda man Mark Domingo, who had recently converted to Islam and was attempting to plant bombs ahead of a white supremacist rally in Long Beach, casts a shadow on Islam and its adherents, leaders say.  

“This kind of sets us back. Ever since 9/11, we’ve been working hard to be more active members of society that give back and work with other faith communities. But unfortunately we can’t control every single person, and sometimes we take 10 steps forward only to take a couple steps back every time something like this happens and we strongly condemn it,” said Qureshi.

The heightened security conversation is one that mosques around the region have had since the New Zealand attacks, with the holy month of Ramadan around the corner. Ramadan commemorates the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad and is observed by fasting from sunrise to sunset. It also includes frequent gatherings at the mosque for Iftar, evening meals to end the daily fast.

Salam Al-Maryati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, is convening a June forum on security at houses of faith in Washington, D.C. to address these issues on a national scale.

“Our main concern is that after New Zealand, and now San Diego, is preparing for heightened security during the month of Ramadan. We’re organizing a call with federal, state and local officials to discuss security at houses of worship,” he said Tuesday.

In the wake of Christchurch, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti hosted a series of workshops to help faith leaders apply for federal grants to boost security. Gov. Gavin Newsom also said he supports the allocation $15 million in grants for security at places of faith in the wake of the shooting this past weekend at Chabad of Poway near San Diego.

Ahmed Soboh, chairman of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, said that increasing security measures has been the number one topic of conversation over the past month at the 78 mosques and organizations he represents from San Diego to the San Fernando Valley. Yet it’s by no means a new problem.

“This isn’t the first time a mosque was attacked,” he said of Christchurch. “Arson and fire is something we see all the time at mosques in America. And we’re always on high alert for retaliation when some guy does something in the name of Islam. But this is the first time something happened, with it being recorded on camera and the magnitude being very, very high.”

He has been consulting with security firms and looking at other places of worship like synagogues for guidance on how to equip mosques for a potential attack – from guards and camera surveillance to cyber security, trauma-related mental health resources and federal funding opportunities like FEMA or new state grants. He’s also exploring opportunities for more workshops with local law enforcement.

Yet when it comes to the case of Mark Domingo, Soboh had critical words for law enforcement. As described in an affidavit released Monday, undercover FBI agents tricked the 26-year-old veteran into thinking they were his accomplices in planning an attack after weeks of communication.

“There is definitely a sentiment that this has been a kind of case that was pushed by a sting operation, but we believe this is the wrong person to encourage to do something bad because he was not going to do it in the first place, while we see the other guy who killed a worshipper in the San Diego synagogue with no one paying attention to him or watching him.”

Dr. Heather Laird, who directs the Center for Muslim Mental Health & Islamic Psychology in Los Angeles, said there’s only so much places of worship can do to prevent violence.

“We can’t really control too much where there’s an attack. We can work together as a community to try to prevent it, by having relationships with key stakeholders like the police and state and city government,” she said.

And in some ways, she added, the kind of Islamophobia created by a potential attacker’s surface-level association with Islam has the potential to cause more mental and emotional harm to Muslims than the threat of a physical attack at a mosque.

“But at the end of the day we can’t prevent if someone hates badly enough to do something about it. What is more affecting is the Islamophobic actions of people … that’s the sort of sustained problem that people have to live with day in and day out.”