Family Who Posted Sign 'Did Nothing Wrong,' Wayne Mayor Says

WAYNE, NJ — The family who erected an Arabic sign outside their Packanack Lake house "did nothing wrong," Mayor Chris Vergano said.

Dr. Mahmoud Elsanaa and his family erected the Arabic sign on the Lake Drive West house they are renovating. It says, "What God has willed. God bless."

"I am glad that they decided to live in Wayne," Vergano said. "We are a township of almost 55,000 residents, made up of many nationalities and cultures. We should celebrate our diversity and welcome everyone who wants to move into our great community."

An anonymous handwritten letter purportedly written by a neighbor has been distributed around the neighborhood in opposition to the sign. The letter claims that the sign "will affect all of us."

Related: Islamophobic Flier Draws Ire In Wayne

The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations called the flier "Islamophobic" in a statement earlier this week.

Vergano called the flier "troubling."

"It is a zoning and planning issue, not a Packanack issue," Vergano said.

The Packanack Lake Community Association's by-laws do not allow them or the board to restrict homeowners' "use of their own property," said Marilyn Ludwig, the association's manager.

The township's zoning officer could not be immediately reached for comment.

Vergano attended a semi-annual meeting of the Packanack Lake Board of Directors Wednesday as he has done for 12 years as mayor. The sign was not on the meeting's agenda and the meeting was not open to the public.

The writer of the anonymous flier said the sign is "un-American," but several people have pointed out that an American flag hangs next to the sign.

Vergano said the family will be moving into the house soon.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com