chargement...
A New Jersey imam was fatally shot, Wednesday, outside his mosque by an individual who is still at large, Associated Press reported.
Imam Hassan Sharif was in his car, parked near Masjid-Muhammad Mosque in Newark, when a man with a gun shot him more than once.
Authorities, who are still looking for the suspect, say that they have found no evidence as of yet that the shooting would have been motivated by an anti-Muslim bias.
The shooting took place shortly before dawn at about 6 am, police say. Sharif was rushed to a nearby hospital but died of his wounds in the afternoon.
«I know that in light of global events and with a rise in bias directed at many communities we’re experiencing across our state — particularly the Muslim community — there are many in New Jersey right now who are feeling a heightened sense of fear or anxiety at the news of this slaying», Attorney General Matt Platkin said.
Masjid Muhammad, formerly known as Temple 25, was founded in Newark in 1957 as a foundation for Islam.
Imam Sharif worked as a Transportation Security Officer at Newark Liberty International Airport for 17 years, in addition to the work he did for the mosque.
