New Jersey Police Search for Man Who Killed Imam Outside Newark Mosque

by TMO Staff

New Jersey police officials were on the look for the killer of a Muslim leader who was shot outside his mosque before morning prayers, offering cash to anyone who can help them make an arrest.

Authorities said they had no evidence that religious hate motivated the imam’s slaying, but vowed to protect people of faith amid soaring reports of bias attacks across the U.S.

The killing of Imam Hassan Sharif as he prepared to open the Masjid Muhammad-Newark mosque on Wednesday has generated an intense law enforcement dragnet. The state’s attorney general pledged to assist county and local officials, and the Essex County sheriff announced a $25,000 reward.

Sharif’s shooting comes amid intensifying bias incidents against Muslims and Jews since Israel declared war on Gaza on Oct. 7.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, recorded more than 2,000 bias incidents against U.S. Muslims in the first two months since the Mideast attacks began, up from nearly 800 in the same period last year.

The council on Thursday said it was offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction in the imam’s death.

“Due to the unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim bigotry and violence we have witnessed in recent weeks, local, state and national law enforcement authorities must thoroughly investigate the shooting of Imam Hassan Sharif and keep the Muslim community safe,” CAIR national executive director Nihad Awad said.

Attorney General Matt Platkin said Wednesday there’s no evidence yet that Sharif’s killing was a hate crime, but he and other officials didn’t detail how they determined that, or offer more details beyond saying Sharif was shot more than once in his car at about 6 a.m., and was quickly taken to the adjacent University Hospital, where he died in the afternoon.