The imam of a New Jersey mosque was stabbed Sunday morning as he led his congregation in prayers, reports say.
The attack happened just before 6 a.m. at the Omar Mosque on Getty Avenue in South Paterson, according to Paterson Press. Around 200 people were attending prayers at the time, which happened right as the prayer session began.
Officials told the media the attacker was not a member of the congregation, but had been as the mosque before. The suspect's name has not yet been released, and authorities have not said what they believe prompted the stabbing.
The victim was identified by city Councilman Al Abdel-aziz on Facebook.
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"I am relieved to hear that Imam Sayed Elnakib is in stable condition, and wish him a full and speedy recovery. Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family during this difficult time," Abdel-aziz wrote.
Elnakib was apparently taken to St. Joseph's University Medical Center for care after being stabbed twice in the back.
The suspect has been taken into custody, according to FOX 5 New York.
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The stabbing comes the day after the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) called for a hate crime investigation into vandalism targeting the Dr. Hani Awadallah public school in Paterson, according to a press release.
The word "Allah" in Dr. Hani Awadallah’s name on the sign in front of the school was defaced with an unknown dark substance. "Allah" is the Arabic word for "God."
"While the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unknown, the smearing of the word ‘Allah’ in Dr. Awadallah’s name is apparently intentional, with the remainder of the sign left untouched, making an immediate hate crime investigation into this incident necessary," CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said.
He continued on to say, "This incident is one of many throughout New Jersey. In 2022, we’ve recorded the highest number of complaints of anti-Muslim prejudices, at 152. Over the years, our records have shown that complaints increase around and during Ramadan, in part because Muslims are more visible and take up more space — physically and metaphorically."
Paterson is reportedly one of the largest Muslim communities in the state of New Jersey, which has more Muslims per capita than any other state in the nation.
