Imam, considered a 'beacon' in New Jersey community, fatally shot outside mosque
A shooting suspect remains at large after an imam was fatally shot Wednesday outside the New Jersey mosque where he led prayers, authorities said.
Hassan Sharif was in his vehicle when he was shot more than once outside Masjid Muhammad-Newark at around 6 a.m., Essex County Prosecutor Ted Stephens said at a news conference. Sharif was taken to University Hospital and was later pronounced dead in the afternoon.
Sheriff Armando Fontoura said Essex County Crime Stoppers is offering a $25,000 reward for information on the shooting.
The incident remains under investigation, said Catherine Adams, a spokesperson for the city's public safety department, who added that no one has been taken into custody in connection with the shooting. The motive remains unclear.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin in a statement Wednesday said "at this time we do not have any information suggesting the crime was motivated by bias." He said his office was working with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and the Newark Police Department to identify one or more suspects in the case.
"At a time when bias incidents against members of the Muslim community are on the rise, we know that this act of gun violence will heighten fears and concerns in our State," he said. "Every possible angle will, of course, be explored and every lead will be fully investigated to bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice."
Sharif was previously attacked outside the mosque
Sharif was shot twice in the parking lot of the mosque on Wednesday, said Imam Wahy-ud Deen Shareef, convener of the Council of Imams in New Jersey.
The motive is still unknown, but Shareef said that the imam had been attacked at gunpoint outside the mosque several months ago, also after morning prayers. In that incident, the imam wrestled the gun away from the suspect, who ran and was not caught, he said.
Sharif, a former boxer who worked as an officer for the Transportation Security Administration, was recently elected as resident imam, Shareef said.
Shareef knows the imam personally. "When he got elected, he and I had a discussion about the roles and responsibilities of imams. I gave him a history of the masjid he was imam of, where I embraced Islam many years ago," Shareef said.
"We are making prayers for him, and at the same time, we are following up with the police," he added.
Imam was 'a beacon of leadership'
Dina Sayedahmed, communications director for the Council on American Islamic Relations in New Jersey, said in a statement, "We are shocked by the news of the shooting." She called Sharif "a beacon of leadership in his community."
"As always, and irrespective of this specific incident, we advise all mosques to keep their doors open but remain cautious especially given the recent spike in anti-Muslim bigotry," Sayedahmed added.
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker said he was “heartbroken” by the shooting.
“I am closely following updates as Newark and county police investigate and I’m hopeful justice will be served swiftly. My heart is with the members of Masjid Muhammad and the entire NJ Muslim community,” Booker said.
Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé remembered Sharif for his interfaith efforts and community advocacy work against gun violence.
"It is with deep loss that the city will mourn his absence," Fragé said at the news conference. "Let's keep his family in our prayers."
Rising concerns over attacks against Muslim Americans
The shooting comes amid concerns over attacks against Muslim Americans since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October. In early December, CAIR said the group received 2,171 complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate over the last two months – a 172% increase over same period in the previous year.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he was praying for Sharif, and said he is aware the Muslim community has raised concerns about an increase of "bias incidents and crimes."
"I want to assure the Muslim community and people of all faiths that we will do everything in our power to keep all residents safe, especially in or near our houses of worship," Murphy said.
Law enforcement officials in New Jersey vowed to increase patrols at mosques and synagogues following the start of the war.
"While there is no credible threat to safety, law enforcement will be increasing patrols in sensitive areas, particularly houses of worship for both the Jewish and Islamic faiths, and taking other steps out of an abundance of caution," Platkin, the New Jersey attorney general, said in October.
New Jersey has more than 320,000 Muslim American residents, Platkin said in a post on X Wednesday morning, which commemorated Muslim Heritage Month.
Contributing: Manahil Ahmad and Hannan Adely, Bergen Record