Imam is shot outside a mosque in Newark, N.J., officials say
NBCDec 30, 2023
New Jersey Imam Dies After Being Shot Outside Mosque
Image copyright: Spencer Platt/Getty Images News via Getty Images [2012]
The Facts
Imam Hassan Sharif from Masjid Muhammad-Newark mosque succumbed to his injuries and died at University Hospital in New Jersey on Wednesday afternoon, about eight hours after a shooter opened fire outside the religious building on South Orange Avenue and Camden Street.
Police officers reportedly found Sharif in the parking lot with bullet wounds in his abdomen and left arm. Authorities rushed him to hospital in critical condition. The victim was also a transportation security officer at Newark Liberty International Airport for nearly two decades.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Though authorities may claim that this fatal shooting isn't a hate crime, it seems too much of a coincidence that a New Jersey imam has been killed outside a mosque just weeks after three Palestinian students were shot in Vermont on their way to a family dinner. It's a matter of fact that Islamophobia and hate crimes against the Muslim community have soared in the US since Israel's bombardment in Gaza.
Pro-establishment narrative
It's legitimate that Muslim Americans feel concerned about their safety in the wake of a shocking incident like this one, especially as reports of threats, violence, and hate speech against them — as well as against Jewish Americans — have indeed increased since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. Yet, evidence doesn't indicate that Imam Sharif was a victim of a biased crime.