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Residents urge reversal of borough display ban after crescent lighting blocked
Summary
Several residents asked the council to reconsider a borough policy adopted January 1 that prohibits third‑party displays on public property after the annual crescent (Ramadan) lighting was denied sponsorship; the borough administrator said the policy was adopted to manage park use and legal exposure.
Three residents — Mustafa Kamal, Zahab Khan and Awad Hilal — spoke during the hearing of citizens to ask the council to allow the crescent lighting event in Rutherford or to sponsor the display.
Mustafa Kamal, who said he lives on Jackson Avenue, described the lighting as both a religious and cultural occasion and said it brings visitors and economic activity: “For the past thousand 400 years, we've been celebrating Ramadan as a cultural event ... it brings a lot of business to Rutherford itself,” he told the council.
Zahab Khan, a Rutherford High School student who said his brother Usman secured approval for a crescent lighting last year, said a new policy effective January 1 prohibiting third‑party displays on public property “has rendered the crescent lighting unable to move forward” and asked the council for sponsorship so the tradition could continue.
Awad Hilal, who also lives on Jackson Avenue, said he found last year’s lighting “a special moment” that showed Rutherford was welcoming. “We accept everyone,” he said, and asked the council to reconsider the ban.
Borough Administrator Bob said the borough adopted a policy earlier this year to stop permitting third‑party displays on public property. He said the decision was not a reaction to the displays themselves but a response to management challenges and a small number of people with “ill intentions” attempting to exploit the borough’s generosity. He explained legal limits on selectively permitting displays and said the borough must apply the policy uniformly.
“I take the hard line and the position, that at this time it's probably not in our best interest to, move forward with these displays,” Bob said, and encouraged organizers to continue events at places of worship and private venues.
A councilwoman who said she has been in close contact with Usman and with the borough’s EAD committee acknowledged the personal and community value of the event and said she attended the lighting last year. She explained the council’s position is driven by consistent application of the new policy and by park usage volume, and said she did not expect the policy to change soon. She invited the organizers to share details of where they will hold a private or off‑site celebration so council members can attend.
No change to the borough policy was proposed or voted on at the meeting; council members and staff encouraged organizers to continue the tradition in private or institutional venues while the borough applies its new display policy.
