During morning prayer, an imam in the US state of New Jersey was attacked.
Sayed El-Nakib, imam of the Omar Mosque in Paterson, was stabbed by an attacker who hid in the congregation while leading the morning prayer on Sunday, April 9.
Serif Zorba, 32, was recorded on security video climbing over the congregation and stabbing the 65-year-old imam with a knife.
The believers apprehended Zorba and brought him over to the police. He was also observed threatening others who attempted to stop him.
El-Nakib was transferred to Saint Joseph Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
“Zorba is charged with First Degree Attempted Murder, Third Degree Possession of a Weapon for an Illegal Purpose, and Fourth Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon,” according to a statement from the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.
Zorba stated that he is from Istanbul and just moved to the United States, where he interacted with the court through a Turkish interpreter.
But there’s more to it than that: the administration’s motivation for mentioning the mosque did not end there.