US: New Jersey imam shot dead outside mosque

Hassan Sharif, a 52-year-old imam, was shot dead outside a New Jersey mosque on Wednesday just before pre-dawn prayers. 

Sharif was shot outside the Masjid Muhammad mosque where he had been the resident imam, or prayer leader, for over four years, The New York Times reported.

The gunman remains at large and the motive remains unclear but New Jersey's attorney general, Matthew Platkin, said there was no indication that the attack was motivated by bias or an act of terrorism. 

“We also know that Imam Sharif is just the latest casualty in the senseless gun violence epidemic that plagues our state and our country,” Platkin said.

Law enforcement is searching for the shooter and asking for any information that can help identify the gunman.

“We don’t yet know all the details, but here is what we do know: Imam Hassan Sharif stood with the people of this city, and we will stand with him and his family,” Newark Mayor Ras Jua Baraka said in a press release on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, a large crowd gathered to protest and push authorities to bring the perpetrator to justice and a vigil was held outside the mosque for the imam. 

Violence against Muslims and Jews has experienced a steep rise since the start of the war in Gaza in October. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair) reported 2,171 requests for help and reports of bias just within two months of the war starting. 

FBI director Christopher Wray said antisemitism in the US reached "historic levels" after the war in Gaza, saying 60 percent of all religious-based hate crimes targeted Jewish people.

Wahy-ud Deen Shareef, the leader of the Council of Imams in New Jersey, said the imam was known for being progressive and deeply invested in his community, The New York Times reported.

Sharif was shot multiple times and succumbed to his injuries the same afternoon he was shot. Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said a $25,000 reward was being offered to anyone with information about the shooting. 

The shooting was not the first time Sharif had been attacked, according to a Facebook post he made in August 2023. 

"Every morning as my daily routine, I go to the masjid to offer Fajr salat( prayer) this morning out of all was a definite test, as I get out of my vehicle heading inside I was approached by an unwanted guess who thought it was a good idea to come behind me and put a gun to my head."

Sharif said he was able to pull the gun away from the attacker and tried to fire a shot to warn the attacker, but the gun misfired, and the attacker fled. 

Cair-New Jersey said on Thursday it was joining the Newark Interfaith Alliance in demanding the imam's shooter turn themselves in. 

"Imam Hassan was a beacon of leadership and excellence. We are devastated at the news of his killing. We are praying for the imam, his family and loved ones, and his congregation, and we ask everyone to do the same.

"While the perpetrator’s motive remains unknown 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," Cair said in a statement.