While visiting Morocco, Farhan Memon noticed something startling. Guards stood watch over mosques, churches, and synagogues because the congregations often faced threats. He noticed the same thing at a mosque in France.
Mr. Memon, who serves on the board of a mosque and Islamic community center in Norwalk, Conn., never thought places of worship in America would need to do anything similar.
But in recent years, attacks on mosques have spiked, including at least three cases of arson so far this year. (All are still being investigated.) Meanwhile, Jewish community centers across the nation have faced dozens of bomb threats, and three Jewish graveyards have been defaced in recent weeks.
To Mr. Memon, beefed-up security now seems critical. “There are threats that are coming from people who are not welcoming of the fact that America is a diverse place.”
But the high expense of some security measures can be a significant burden, especially for small charities, and there are few sources of grants to help pay for it.
Last summer, Mr. Memon and other officials at the Al Madany Islamic Center of Norwalk started to consult with the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and local police about the mosque’s security. Last month, mosque officials installed a $30,000 high-definition security-camera system. They also plan to have volunteers monitor who is entering the grounds during Friday prayers and other large gatherings.
“I think our community is both concerned and appreciative that we’ve taken these actions,” says Mr. Memon, who also is the board chair for the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The Al Madany center is just one of many houses of worship that have enhanced security over the past several years, as the nation’s toxic political environment has inspired acts of violence. Many nonprofits that work on contentious issues like immigration, abortion, civil rights, and combating bigotry are also investing in security.
“As the depth and intensity of our political discord intensifies, so does the risk that someone is going to take action,” says Steven Sheinberg, general council of the Anti-Defamation League, who also leads the organization’s privacy and security team.
ADL offices in several states were targeted Tuesday in the latest wave of bomb scares against Jewish organizations, bringing the number of such incidents to more than 120 since January 9, according to an Associated Press report.
Mr. Sheinberg says all nonprofits, particularly those working on controversial issues, should review their security plans regularly and enhance them when needed.
Scarce Funding
Charities have few options to help pay for security. A Department of Homeland Security program offers grants to vulnerable organizations in certain urban areas, but the funding only goes for security infrastructure, equipment, and planning efforts — not for staffing. Most of the funding under the program, which started in 2005, has gone to Jewish organizations, and only a limited amount is disbursed annually.
“It’s not many tens of millions [of dollars], and it’s only once a year” as opposed to a rolling grant process, says Jay Tcath, executive vice president of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, which has received grants from the program and has helped organizations and places of worship apply for them.
It’s also difficult to get funds from donors and private foundations. Security costs are usually considered administrative expenses, which are hard to raise money for, says Mr. Tcath. “The more we spend on security, the less discretionary dollars to put elsewhere.”
Mr. Memon’s mosque is outside of urban areas covered by the Department of Homeland Security grant program, so it’ll need to bear the full costs of its new security system. “The question is: Will our congregation help make that up or will it come out of our operating budget?” he asks.
His mosque will be able to handle such expenses either way, Mr. Memon says, but he worries about smaller places of worship. Some organizations may simply need to do without much protection. “Churches, mosques, and synagogues aren’t places where there’s excess cash lying around,” he says. “This is not part of the programming that they signed up for.”
Calls for Action
Some organizations say they’re confident donors will come through if they’re approached correctly.
“People understand that when it comes to security of our institutions, that’s a major priority,” says Marc Terrill, president of The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, a network of a dozen Jewish organizations. When speaking with donors, Mr. Terrill says, nonprofits must demonstrate that they have a plan to address their security vulnerabilities — they just need money to do so. He says he’s had success with donors by showing them how his organization will use the money.
Mr. Tcath says he hopes larger foundations will add “security grants” to the lists of items they support. He’s unaware of any large grant makers that do so currently. He estimates his organization, which oversees and supports nearly 70 Jewish groups in the Chicago area, spends about $5 million a year to pay guards and maintain and operate security systems for its network — and that’s on top of millions in expenses to build up security infrastructure in the first place. It relies on the Department of Homeland Security program for additional money. “We hope we can get out of this business,” he says of the need to pay for affiliate’s’ security costs.
As they call on donors and foundations to help, nonprofits can also lobby state and local governments for funding, says William Daroff, director of the Washington office of the Jewish Federations of North America.
“Given the climate that we’re in and the heightened state of alert, this might be precisely the right time for people to knock on the doors of their local elected officials to tell them about their risks and the need for funds,” Mr. Daroff says.
Politicians at all levels have decried the recent threats against Jewish groups. All 100 U.S. senators signed a letter delivered Tuesday to top federal law-enforcement officials asking the Trump administration to do more in response to the threats against Jewish groups.
Don’t Make a Fortress
In its push to increase security, Mr. Memon says it’s important for his mosque to resist the temptation to lock itself down so much that it appears uninviting. He hopes other groups won’t go overboard, either.
Mr. Tcath says his federation tries to combat the impulse to go too far, too. “It’s a very delicate balance between an armed fortress and a warm, open, welcoming environment,” he says.
At the same time, it’s vital to take all perceived threats seriously, says Lisa Navarrete, an adviser to the president at the National Council of La Raza, who assists with the organization’s security. About 10 years ago, the council — the nation’s largest advocacy group for Hispanics — started to upgrade security protocols for its Washington office and its six field offices around the country — often consulting with the Anti-Defamation League on what steps to take. Since the election of President Trump, Ms. Navarrete says, La Raza has received more angry messages — some of them racially tinged — about its work, particularly regarding its advocacy against mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. A staff member monitors online communications, including social media, and reports anything that appears threatening. The organization hasn’t had any major scares recently, although in the past its employees have asked police to watch over certain buildings after threatening call or email has come in.
La Raza officials are “cognizant that 99 percent” of the negative messages they receive are just people venting, Ms. Navarrete says. But they still need to be vigilant in ensuring that threats don’t go unnoticed. “We take this very, very seriously because the safety of our organization, our staff, and our families is very important to us — paramount,” she says.
Quelling Supporters’ Fears
For some organizations, demonstrating that they can keep their facilities secure is the only way some people will keep participating in their programs.
Two of the Jewish community centers operated by the Jewish United Fund were the targets of recent bomb threats, says Mr. Tcath. He’s heard that some people have said they are afraid to visit, and parents fear sending their children back to preschool programs run by the centers. Some families, he says, have refused to return until they have been assured that the centers’ security is strengthened.
Worshipers will continue visiting mosques despite the threats, Mr. Memon says, but many want similar guarantees on security. The recent cases of arson, threats, and vandalism have left Muslims worried that their mosques could be next. In January, a gunman killed six people and wounded others in a mosque in Quebec City, Canada.
Says Mr. Memon: “Certain people have taken actions that are more than just idle threats.”
Correction: This article has been updated to correct an erroneous identification of Farhan Memon as the board chair of an Islamic community center in Connecticut.
