- Imam Hassan Sharif has been fatally shot outside Masjid Muhammad mosque in Newark, prompting shock and mourning in the community.
- The incident highlights rising Islamophobia, prompting investigations and calls for increased security at places of worship.
إِنَّا ِلِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
“Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Allah we shall return.”
In the early morning hours of Wednesday, at the time of Fajr prayer (dawn), officials reported the tragic shooting and subsequent death of our brother, Imam Hassan Sharif outside Newark’s Masjid Muhammad mosque in New Jersey. Police responded to the incident that occurred shortly after 6 a.m., as stated by Newark’s public safety director, Fritz Fragé.
As news of the assault circulated, a vigil in honour of our brother Sharif drew hundreds of mourners outside the mosque, whilst the Adhan (call to prayer was being amplified through the speakers).This exemplified the profound affection he garnered within his local community. Mayor Ras J. Baraka expressed the city’s commitment to bring the perpetrator to justice. He declared, “Imam Hassan Sharif stood with the people of this city, and we will stand with him and his family.”
This attack on a Muslim leader reverberates as a shocking event within the community, especially considering the prevailing Islamophobia across America. Matthew Platkin, New Jersey’s attorney general, addressed the public during a news conference, stating that while there was no immediate evidence of bias or terrorism, heightened anxiety permeated the state’s Muslim population.
“We also know that Imam Sharif is just the latest casualty in the senseless gun violence epidemic that plagues our state and our country,” he remarked. “Tragedies like what we’ve experienced today, regardless of their motivation, should not happen.”
Platkin’s reluctance to label this incident as an act of terror has been a source of distress for the Muslim community, highlighting the evident double standards in reactions to such crimes.
Governor Philip D. Murphy acknowledged the surge in bias incidents and crimes, assuring the state’s commitment to ensuring residents’ safety, particularly around places of worship. Wahy-ud Deen Shareef, leader of the Council of Imams in New Jersey, described Imam Sharif, 52, as a progressive leader deeply invested in his community’s well-being. He highlighted Masjid Muhammad’s historical significance, calling it the “birthplace” of his own experience with Islam.
Mr. Shareef noted that Imam Sharif was attending predawn prayers at the mosque when he was shot. “There are many evils that come out in the dark,” Imam Shareef said. The acting Essex County prosecutor Theodore Stephens confirmed that Mr. Sharif was shot more than once and succumbed to his injuries around 2 p.m. Essex County sheriff Armando Fontoura announced a $25,000 reward for information on the shooting.
Imam Sharif had been a transportation security officer at Newark Liberty International Airport since 2006, according to Lisa Farbstein, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration, expressing the agency’s deep sorrow over the shooting. Serving as the resident imam of Masjid Muhammad for over four years, Imam Sharif was also an avid boxer, as mentioned by Mr. Shareef.
Mr. Sharif faced a similar attack at the mosque in August, while en route to morning prayers. He recounted the incident on his Facebook page as a “definite test,” where he managed to wrestle a gun away from an assailant who fled the scene. “Allah definitely showed mercy toward him this morning, and I pray he takes heed of that mercy and turns his life around,” Mr. Sharif wrote, adding: “I will die trying to see our people change in this world.”
Previously known as Temple No. 25, Masjid Muhammad witnessed the tragic death of its Imam, James Shabazz, in 1973. Dina Sayedahmed, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, hailed Imam Sharif as “a beacon of leadership in his community” and advised mosques to remain cautious amid the recent spike in anti-Muslim bigotry.
Local residents seeking information about the shooting visited the mosque on Wednesday. Lateef Murphy, 53, a periodic visitor for prayers, noted that the killing would have ripple effects throughout Newark’s Muslim community. “It’s a shame, our religion is not about violence,” Mr. Murphy said. “It’s about how to live your life without hatred.”
Kuthbah (Friday sermon) delivered by Imam Hassan Sharif a fortnight ago:
Salahuddin Muhammad, a former New Jersey resident and Masjid Muhammad member, drove from Philadelphia upon hearing the news. Surveying the scene with tears in his eyes, he expressed a personal connection, stating, “This is personal. From Allah, we come, and to Allah, we return. The imam is now on his way to paradise.”
