MUSLIM Mayor of Paterson, NJ declares his city to be “the capital of Palestine in the US”

Insulting to all the non-Muslims in Paterson, this Muslim mayor, Andre Sayegh, of Syrian-Lebanese descent, believes that Paterson is one of the four holiest cities in the world, after Jerusalem, Mecca, and Medina, referring to Paterson as “The Mecca of New Jersey.”

World Israel News What’s more, Main Street in Paterson has been renamed  “Palestine Way,” and the city government actively promotes anti-Israel BDS legislation.

The city’s Muslim presence is evident through its many Palestinian flags and signs in Arabic. Paterson enforces Islamic policies, such as closing schools on Muslim holidays, serving halal food in public schools, and broadcasting the Adhan (Muslim call to prayer) on loudspeakers several times a day throughout the city.

The Hilal lighting ceremony, where Sayegh made these remarks, was supported by the Palestinian American Community Center (PACC) and the Islamic Center of Passaic County (ICPC), two organizations that have faced strong condemnation for their vile anti-Israel rhetoric.

Last spring, a survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center among 12,693 respondents, found that 49% of American Muslims believe Hamas’s reasons for fighting against the Jewish state are valid. In contrast, just 18% of American Muslims believe Israel is justified in its fight against Hamas.

Twenty-one percent of American Muslims said the October 7th invasion of Israel and massacre of Jews were acceptable, compared to 5% or less among all other religious groups surveyed.