After nearly five years of debate, a Monmouth County town has denied an application to build a mosque — a decision that some advocates have called discriminatory.
On June 23, the Marlboro Zoning Board of Adjustment unanimously rejected the 13,000-square-foot Muslim community center at 449 Tennent Road.
The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the decision in a news release last Thursday, saying years of delays caused “financial hardship” and an “emotional toll” on Marlboro’s Muslim community.
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The group also alleged the board canceled multiple hearings on the application, though six hearings have been held over the past two years.
The applicant, Mohammad Tahir, initially filed the application in 2021. In October 2025, he filed a lawsuit against the zoning board and the municipal clerk, asking a judge to declare the application approved after the board failed to grant or deny it.
In March, a Monmouth County Superior Court judge ordered the zoning board to vote on the application by July.
Following the vote, Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik said in a letter to residents that he agreed with the board’s decision and that the proposed use was not an appropriate fit for the property.
“The Board’s decision was made in accordance with the Township’s zoning ordinances and was based on the applicable regulations and land-use considerations established to ensure that development remains consistent with sound planning principles and community needs,” Hornik said.
Hornik also condemned hateful speech surrounding the application.
“How we disagree is a reflection of us as a community, and I wholeheartedly reject anyone resorting to hate, anger and violence in expressing their opinions,” he said.
Hornik did not return a request from NJ.com for further comment.
The New Jersey Council on American-Islamic Relations alleged that some residents expressed anti-Muslim sentiments in person and online.
The group also argued the denial was part of a ‘troubling pattern’ of opposition to mosques in New Jersey.
In November 2025, Sayreville faced a federal lawsuit after the borough’s planning board denied approval for the construction of a mosque.
Earlier this month, 30 Clifton residents filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn planning board approval of a major expansion at the Islamic Center of Passaic County, alleging bias and procedural violations.
In Wayne, a group of residents hired an attorney to oppose a proposed 53,300-square-foot mosque in a residential neighborhood, Patch.com reported.
“As we have seen in Wayne, and in several other municipalities across New Jersey, anti-Muslim and not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) types try to shut down the development of mosques across our state,” Naureen Akhter, the state council on American-Islamic Relations’ public affairs director, said in a statement.
Akhter cited federal law, including the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which protects individuals, houses of worship and other religious institutions from discrimination in zoning and landmarking laws.
Donna Jennings, an attorney representing Tahir, said she was “profoundly disappointed” by the decision, which she called discriminatory.
“Throughout this application, our client sought only the opportunity afforded to every religious institution under federal and state law — to have its application evaluated fairly and without discrimination,” Jennings said.
”Instead, the process was marked by unnecessary delays, shifting standards, and an atmosphere of hostility and antagonism that burdened our client’s exercise of its religious rights," she added.
Jennings said they would seek a court order requiring the zoning board to comply with the law and provide a fair review.
“We are committed to pursuing every available legal remedy to address what we believe has been an abuse of governmental authority and a violation of our client’s civil rights,” Jennings said.
“I have no doubt that with the laws on our side, the Muslim community of Marlboro will be successful in constructing this mosque,” Akhter said.