Paterson's Eid Season Carries Gaza Grief as Mohammed Akhtar Pursues Historic Mayor's Race

Paterson's Eid al-Fitr this year was marked by both celebration and sorrow, as the city's vast Muslim community gathered for prayers and festive meals while keeping the Israel-Hamas war firmly in mind. On the streets, protesters carried signs declaring solidarity with Palestinians, and in City Hall circles, businessman Mohammed Akhtar is drawing attention for a mayoral campaign that could make Paterson history.

🪔 Eid in Paterson: Celebration and Sorrow Side by Side

Paterson's Muslim community came together this Eid al-Fitr for prayers and festive meals, but the holiday carried a heavy emotional undercurrent for many. As one of the largest Muslim communities in the United States, Paterson saw its mosques and gathering places full of worshippers who found it difficult to fully celebrate given the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. South Asian Muslims — members of the city's substantial Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities — participated in traditional Eid observances, yet conversations throughout the day circled back to the war and its toll on those affected by it. Many community members expressed open sorrow, sharing their concerns even as they exchanged Eid greetings and shared meals with family and friends. The gathering illustrated how deeply intertwined religious observance and global awareness are within Paterson's Muslim population. For this community, Eid is never purely a local holiday — it is a moment that connects them to Muslims worldwide, and this year that connection brought grief alongside joy. The day served as a reminder of the broad humanitarian consciousness that defines the South Asian Muslim experience in New Jersey's third-largest city, where faith and solidarity with distant communities have long gone hand in hand. [4]

🤝 Protesters March Through Paterson: 'No Eid While Gaza Has No Eid'

During Eid celebrations, a contingent of Paterson residents chose to channel their grief into public action, marching through the city with a clear and striking message: 'No Eid while Gaza has no Eid.' The protest unfolded as the rest of the community observed the holiday, reflecting the depth of feeling among residents about the situation facing Palestinians. Paterson, home to one of the largest Muslim communities in the entire United States, has long been a city where South Asian and other Muslim communities live and organize together, and this demonstration was a natural extension of that shared civic identity. The protesters made clear that for them, the spirit of Eid — a celebration of faith, family, and community — could not be fully honored while others in the global Muslim community were suffering. The march drew attention to how political events overseas can reverberate powerfully in tightly-knit American immigrant communities. For Paterson's Muslim residents, the ability to take to the streets in peaceful protest is itself an expression of the civic participation that defines their presence in this New Jersey city. The demonstration stood as one of the more visible signs of how the war has shaped the emotional and spiritual life of the community during what is ordinarily a joyful season. [3]

🗳️ Mohammed Akhtar's Mayoral Run Could Make Paterson History

Mohammed Akhtar, a Paterson businessman, is running for mayor of the city — and if elected, he would become the first South Asian Muslim to hold that office. The campaign is being watched closely in a city that has a large and established Bangladeshi and Pakistani community, making Akhtar's candidacy a significant moment in the political evolution of Paterson's South Asian population. Akhtar has centered his campaign on issues of crime reduction and economic development, two concerns that resonate across Paterson's diverse neighborhoods and have long been priorities for residents seeking a safer, more prosperous city. His run reflects a broader trend of South Asian Americans stepping from community participation into elected leadership in cities where their communities have grown large enough to shape electoral outcomes. Paterson's Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities have been part of the city's social and economic fabric for decades, building businesses, establishing mosques, and raising families, and Akhtar's candidacy represents the next step in that civic journey. Whether or not he prevails, his presence in the race signals that Paterson's South Asian Muslim community has reached a new level of political confidence and institutional engagement. The race is drawing national attention as a potential milestone in South Asian American political history. [6]

William Paterson University Signs Academic Partnership with Kerala Institution

William Paterson University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Rajagiri Centre for Business Economics University in Kerala, India, establishing a formal framework for student exchange and research collaboration between the two institutions. The agreement covers faculty exchange programs, joint research projects, and expanded student opportunities — creating pathways for both Indian and American students to experience cross-cultural academic environments. For William Paterson University, which serves a student body that includes many students of South Asian origin from the surrounding North Jersey region, this kind of partnership carries particular resonance. The MOU aligns with WPU's broader strategic goal of developing meaningful global academic partnerships that can enrich the educational experience of its students and connect the university to institutions abroad. Kerala has a strong tradition of academic achievement and international educational engagement, making Rajagiri Centre for Business Economics a fitting partner for an institution like WPU. The agreement is expected to open new avenues for collaborative research and give students from both countries the chance to broaden their academic and cultural horizons. For South Asian students at WPU who may have family ties to Kerala or broader India, the partnership offers a welcome sign that their university is actively building bridges to their ancestral homeland. [2]

Sources: [4] CBS News · [3] ABC7 New York · [6] Bergen Record · [2] Insider NJ