An imam was stabbed while leading the Fajr prayer at a mosque in Paterson, New Jersey, in yet another act of Islamophobia, according to a mosque spokesperson.
According to local authorities, the prayer leader was being treated for a “punctured lung” and was in stable condition.
At around 5:30 a.m., as the congregation was bowing for prayer at the Omar Mosque in south Paterson, Imam Sayed Elnakib was stabbed, according to Abdul Hamdan.
According to information provided by Hamdan, the alleged attacker, who was also participating in Sunday morning prayer with more than 200 other worshippers at the mosque, repeatedly stabbed Elnakib.
Imam Sayed was stabbed numerous times, at least twice, by the perpetrator, according to Hamdan.
He claimed that the suspect was caught by the worshippers as he attempted to flee and was kept in custody “until the police arrived.”
Mayor of New Jersey Andre Sayegh reported that upon his visit, Imam Elnakib was “in better spirits than before.”
Elnakib was being treated for a perforated lung, according to Sayegh. The mayor claimed that a suspect had been detained, but the reason why is unclear.
One of the incidences spurred by the rise in Islamophobia in the West involves a stabbing that occurs during Ramadan, the holiest month for Muslims.
A “hate-motivated attack” on a mosque in Markham, Ontario, Canada, last week stunned the entire nation.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Andre Sayegh praised the congregation for catching the perpetrator and promised greater protection at Paterson mosques.
The safety of those who are simply arriving to pray is a priority for us, and we take this situation very seriously, he continued. “This is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar year,” he said.
We want to assure everyone who comes to worship that they can do so without fear of attack, he continued.
Al Abdel-aziz, a local area representative, expressed his sadness over the occurrence and his support for everyone touched by it.
