New Jersey Imam stabbed during prayers, accused held
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An imam at the Omar mosque in Paterson, New Jersey was stabbed early Sunday as he led congregants in prayer.
Imam Sayed Elnakib, 65, was stabbed at least twice as he knelt during a prayer service around 5:30 a.m., reports said. Elnakib is now stable.
Prosecutors said that the imam sustained “nonfatal stab wounds” and was transported to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center.
The congregants subdued the alleged attacker who tried to flee but failed. The accused, identified as Serif Zorba, a native of Istanbul, was handed over to the police.
Surveillance video of the incident shows a group of worshippers at the mosque positioned in five long rows. As they knelt down in prayer, a person wearing a hoodie in the third row moved to the front of the room, in the middle of a prayer to stab the imam.
Zorba, 32, was taken into custody on charges of attempted murder in the first degree, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in the third degree and unlawful possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.
The motive behind the attack is not yet clear.
"We expect that once the investigation is concluded that this will be an isolated incident. However, we have heightened our security in the mosque, along with Paterson police and Passaic County Sheriff's Department," mosque spokesperson Abdul Hamdan said, according to CBS New York.
Councilman Al Abdel-aziz wrote on Facebook, "While it is unclear what motivated the attacker, there is no justification for violence of any kind, especially in a sacred space."
Zorba, pleaded not guilty to the unlawful weapon possession charges. His plea was entered Monday by a public defender on Zorba’s behalf.
He is being held on pretrial detention. His next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.
The prosecutor’s office said they could not provide any further details on Zorba’s possible motive, citing the ongoing investigation.
New Jersey has the highest Muslim population per capita in the US. The state is home to many mosques and Islamic centers, and the community is an integral part of the state’s social fabric.