The US state’s attorney general announced the death of imam Hassan Sharif, who was shot on Wednesday outside a mosque in New Jersey. He added that at first, it did not seem as though “bias” or domestic terrorism was the motive for the killing.
According to Matt Platkin, the attorney general for New Jersey, Sharif was shot several times close to a mosque in Newark, a city just west of New York, before being transported to the hospital, where he eventually passed away.
“There are many in New Jersey right now who are feeling a heightened sense of fear,” he continued, “especially in light of global events and with a rise in bias that many communities are experiencing across our state — particularly the Muslim community.”
He estimated that 300,000 Muslim Americans reside in the state.
There has been a rise in anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents in the US since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Sharif was shot multiple times, as Essex County prosecutor Ted Stephens acknowledged, but added that “it does not appear the imam was the victim of a bias crime or that this is related to terrorism.”
“We are dedicated to bringing justice for the imam’s family,” said Stephens, who called it a “dastardly crime.”
The United States Transportation Security Administration earlier confirmed that Sharif had worked as a security screener at Newark Airport since 2016.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing and send our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues,” said a TSA spokeswoman, Lisa Farbstein.
Pictures from the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ New Jersey chapter showed police cars parked outside the two-story Masjid Muhammad-Newark, a building with yellow and green exteriors.
In a statement, CAIR described Sharif as “a beacon of leadership and excellence.”
“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,” the organisation said.