Reward offered in NYC imam slaying as families seek answers

Police say they have not yet determined a motive for the killings, but some in the Muslim community served by the mosque worry it could be a hate crime.

August 15, 2016 11:14 am | Updated September 20, 2016 02:14 pm IST - New York

This undated photo provided by Abdul Chowdhury, Imam Maulama Akonjee is shown.

This undated photo provided by Abdul Chowdhury, Imam Maulama Akonjee is shown.

A Muslim advocacy group is announcing a reward for information leading to the arrest of the gunman who killed a New York City mosque leader and his associate.

Police say 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and 64-year-old Thara Uddinwere were shot near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Queens as they left afternoon prayers on Saturday.

The Council on American—Islamic Relations will announce on Monday a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter.

Police say they have not yet determined a motive for the killings, but some in the Bangladeshi Muslim community served by the mosque worry it could be a hate crime.

Muslim community members will gather in Brooklyn on Monday to hold Islamic funeral prayers for the two men.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.