An Imam has been shot dead in Newark city of New Jersey state of America.
The imam was shot outside a mosque in Newark around 6am on Wednesday (local time).
According to CNN, the Imam was rushed to the hospital by mosque officials in an injured condition, where he died during treatment.
At this time, it is not clear what caused the shooting, but New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has promised to do everything possible to protect the mosque.
The slain Imam was identified as Hasan Sharif. According to a statement from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Sharif had been working as a Transportation Security Officer (TSO) at Newark Liberty International Airport since 2006. “We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing and we extend our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues,” TSA said.
Newark is one of the most populous cities in New Jersey. Sharif was shot outside the Muhammad-Newark Mosque at 6 a.m., Fritz Frage, the director of public safety there, said in a statement. Even hours after this incident, the police could not take anyone into custody.
It was unclear what prompted the violence and whether the imam was targeted because of his religion, officials said.
Frage said the shooting remains under investigation and no other information was available. A message seeking more information was left with the mosque.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations in New Jersey (CAIR-NJ), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is collecting information and encouraging individuals to reach out to local law enforcement.
Police have announced a reward of $25,000 for anyone providing information in the case.
This incident has happened at a time when incidents of prejudice against members of the Muslim community are increasing in America. Ever since the war broke out between Hamas and Israel, cases of hate violence against the Muslim community have increased in America. Last month, three Palestinian students were murdered.