City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and community and faith leaders unveiled a street sign co-naming Liberty Avenue and 127th Street in South Richmond Hill as “Masjid Al Abidin Way” on Friday, Sept. 5.
Established in South Richmond Hill in 1977, Masjid Al Abidin was founded by Muslim immigrants from Guyana and the Caribbean as the spiritual home and hub for Islamic learning, worship and cultural preservation.
“For nearly five decades, Masjid Al Abidin has served as a spiritual home for Islamic worship, learning, and neighborhood support in our Southeast Queens community,” Adams said. “”I’m proud to officially unveil a new street sign at the corner of 127th Street and Liberty Avenue in honor of the rich and enduring history of this institution of faith. The contributions of this religious center will be remembered and uplifted for generations.”
Masjid Al Abidin is led by President Aziz Madeen and Imam Shaykh Safraz Bacchus and has served Muslims of all ethnicities, languages, and walks of life in the community for nearly half a century.
“Masjid Al Abidin is so much more than one of Queens’ most important religious institutions. It’s a spiritual and cultural home for thousands of our Muslim neighbors in need of guidance, support, food and more,” Richards said. “I’m honored to count President Madeen and Imam Bacchus as friends, and I’m proud of the integral role Masjid Al Abidin has played in the societal fabric of our borough for nearly fifty years. With this street co-naming, we celebrate the countless lives this institution has changed for the better.”
Masjid Al Albidin provides space for daily prayers, celebrations during holidays like Ramadan and Eid, interfaith engagement, community outreach, and dedicated programs for youth, older adults and families.
“This is a significant achievement, and a meaningful recognition of our community and the work we do as a place of worship committed to service,” President Madeen said.
Imam Bacchus serves as a community partner with the NYPD’s 106th Precinct, a chaplain at two major healthcare facilities in the borough, and is a member of Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz’s Clergy Advisory Council. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he provided emotional and spiritual support to grieving families, and he facilitated food and meal distributions for older adults in the community.
“By co-naming 127th Street and Liberty Avenue as ‘Masjid Al Abidin Way,’ we are affirming that this masjid is now woven into the fabric of New York City,” he said. “The act of worship, central to Islamic tradition and embodied in the architecture of this masjid, is now publicly embraced as part of the enduring legacy and diverse identity of all New Yorkers. It’s a recognition of the work and service and the history of our community.”
New York City Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes Executive Director Vijah Ramjattan said the street co-naming in honor of Majid Al Abidin is a powerful symbol of recognition, inclusion and pride.
“Masjid Al Abidin has long been a cornerstone of this community =, and this honor reflects the values we hold dear in New York City — diversity, equity, and unity,” Ramjattan said. “At a time when visibility and representation matter more than ever, this celebration reminds us that every community belongs and deserves to feel seen and respected. Congratulations to the Masjid Al Abidin community on this well-deserved recognition.”
