‘Turn Yourself In’: Sorrow, Anger In Newark After Imam’s Slaying

NEWARK, NJ — Hassan Sharif was a community activist. He worked as a transportation security officer. He was a spiritual leader at Masjid-Muhammad mosque in Newark.

Now – as a city mourns the imam’s tragic slaying – many are left wondering how the beloved community leader could have been cut down by the very thing he’d become known for battling against: gun violence.

On Wednesday morning, a shooter gunned down Sharif, 52, outside Masjid Muhammad-Newark Mosque, which is located at the corner of South Orange Avenue and Camden Street.

Sharif – who is an imam at the house of worship – was transported to University Hospital with multiple bullet wounds. He later died from his injuries.

According to authorities, there is no information at this time suggesting that the shooting is a bias crime or an act of domestic terrorism. However – as a precautionary measure – police will be increasing security around religious institutions throughout the state.

The shooter or shooters remain at large as of Thursday. Read More: NJ Imam Shot Dead Outside Mosque In Newark; No Signs Of 'Bias,' Authorities Say

The Essex County Sheriff's Crime Stoppers Program is offering up to a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. Anyone with information can contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432.

Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Frage said Sharif was the imam of Masjid Muhammad mosque for five years, and that he advocated for non-violence in Newark.

“He was a community activist who protested against gun violence,” Frage said. “He supported efforts to keep our city safe. His is a deep loss that the city will mourn.”

Hundreds of bereaved community members gathered for a vigil on Wednesday in honor of Sharif, who was reportedly attending predawn prayers at the mosque at the time of the shooting, The New York Times stated.

Tragically, it wasn’t the first time that Sharif has faced the ugly end of a gun, according to a social media post he made in August.

“Every morning as my daily routine, I go to the masjid to offer Fajr salat (prayer),” he wrote. “This morning out of all was a definite test.”

According to Sharif, as he got out of his vehicle and went to enter the mosque, someone came up behind him and put a gun to his head.

“As I fought him off, I did what I do, I managed to remove the gun from his hand and pull the trigger to stop him dead in his tracks … the gun wouldn’t fire though as he fled,” Sharif recalled.

“Allah definitely showed mercy toward him this morning, and I pray he take heed of that mercy and turn his life around, cause next time, maybe not with me, whomever he does it to again, he may not make it through the [onslaught],” the imam wrote.

MOURNING FOR AN IMAM

Since the news of Sharif’s death broke, an outcry of support has risen in New Jersey.

An official video statement from Masjid Muhammad-Newark has seen more than 1,000 comments of condolence. “We are hurting – and that’s the reality of what we’re facing,” a mourner at the mosque says.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its New Jersey chapter has offered a $10,000 reward (in addition to the county's reward offer) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Sharif's killer or killers.

“Imam Hassan was the glue that held his community together and it is evident that he was deeply loved,” CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Dina Sayedahmed said. “We are shattered by the news and concerned for the New Jersey Muslim community’s safety and especially the Newark Muslim community.”

Sharif’s death has seen statements of mourning from other religious leaders in North Jersey, including Cardinal Joseph Tobin of the Archdiocese of Newark.

“Imam Sharif was a revered faith and community leader in our city who spoke out against the violence in our streets and neighborhoods,” Tobin wrote. “I share the grief of all who mourn the death of this faithful leader and join my prayers with those of his family and friends and our sisters and brothers in the Muslim community.”

Some community members expressed shock that Sharif will no longer be a part of their lives.

A’Dorian Murray-Thomas, a Newark native who lost a family member to gun violence, said Sharif was planning to come support her at the swearing-in ceremony for her recent election victory to the county board of commissioners.

“My heart is so heavy right now,” she wrote on social media, sharing a photo of herself and Sharif. “I am hurt and at a loss for words. This was a good brother. I will miss our conversations and all of his love and support.”

Another Newark native, U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (NJ-10), said he was "shocked and saddened" to hear about Sharif's murder.

"Imam Sharif was a kind man and a pillar of the greater Newark community," Payne said. "He was always there to help those in need. I was impressed with his strong work to help and feed the homeless and give second chances to people who suffered from drug and alcohol addiction."

"While law enforcement officials have said this is not a hate crime or domestic terrorism, it is another horrible example of America’s gun violence epidemic," Payne said. "I hope his murderer is brought to justice quickly and I would encourage anyone with information about Imam Sharif’s death to contact law enforcement officials immediately."

Other Newark residents have had different reactions, with anger and outrage taking the lead among the emotions they're expressing.

The Rev. Louise Scott-Roundtree, coordinator of the Newark Interfaith Alliance, shared a message to the killer at Wednesday night’s vigil, TAP Into Newark reported: “Turn yourself in.”

“We’ll take you through it because if the street gets you, we’ll never find your ass,” said Scott-Roundtree, a city council member. “And that’s the real truth. The brother was so good to me. We’ve got to stop with the guns.”

Bashir Muhammad Ptah Akinyele, a high school history teacher in Newark, said he is "outraged" by Sharif's slaying.

"Imam Sharif was unapologetically pro-Black and a warrior for social justice in the African American community," Akinyele said. "But he was also a principled leader for the unity and peace of all Muslims and all human beings."

"May Allah bring his killer(s) to justice," Akinyele said.

The massive outpouring of support for the departed imam hasn’t been lost on local authorities.

“We know that in light of global events, and with a rise in bias directed at many communities across our state but particularly the Muslim community, that there are many in New Jersey right now experiencing a heightened sense of fear or anxiety at the news of this slaying,” Attorney General Matthew Platkin said.

Mayor Ras Baraka encouraged the shooter to turn themselves in through the city's Safe Surrender program. Authorities will "bring the perpetrator to justice," no matter how long it takes, he said.

"We don’t yet know all the details, but here is what we do know: Imam Hassan Sharif stood with the people of this city, and we will stand with him and his family," Baraka said.

"None of us has to know the details about this shooting to condemn it," Baraka continued. "Any act of violence, any killing or harming of any person, is never okay – no matter what precipitates or motivates such a depraved act."

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