An imam was shot and critically injured outside a New Jersey mosque Wednesday morning, Newark police said.
The shooting happened outside the Masjid Muhammad-Newark mosque around 6 a.m., Newark Public Safety said.
The victim, identified as an imam – a mosque’s cleric or prayer leader – was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, the agency said.
The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear. The incident is under investigation and no further information was immediately available, police said.
The New Jersey branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations urged anyone with information about the shooting to contact police.
“We are deeply concerned about this incident and pray for the speedy recovery of the imam,” CAIR-NJ spokesperson Dina Sayedahmed said.
“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 group said.
