Mayor Ras Baraka’s Statement on the Murder of Imam Hassan Sharif
MAYOR RAS J. BARAKA’S STATEMENT
ON MURDER OF IMAM HASSAN SHARIF
“This murder investigation is in the hands of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and our public safety ecosystem is supporting their efforts in every way possible. We will bring the perpetrator to justice, no matter how long it takes, and we encourage him to turn himself in through Newark’s Safe Surrender program.
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.
None of us has to know the details about this shooting to condemn it. Any act of violence, any killing or harming of any person, is never okay – no matter what precipitates or motivates such a depraved act.
Today we mourn a fellow Newarker and a member of our city’s multi-faith clergy community. I am disgusted that a gun has made its way through our community to kill one of us.
I mourn the death of Imam Hassan Sharif and know any expression of condolence and comfort for his family and loved ones is inadequate. Our hearts are broken.
As a city, we mourn so much today, but we must refuse to mourn our capacity to love each other and to embody our ideals for tolerance and understanding, acceptance, and equality. We must continue to build a Newark that serves as a safe refuge for all – and where justice is served to those who act out in violence. We must refuse to mourn our capacity to reach out to each other before difficulties become crises. And we must tighten our embrace of each other with full and tender compassion.”
In the name of Allah the beneficent, the most merciful, and the most gracious. RIP IMAM Hassan Sharif.
Whatever good, (O man!)
happens to you, is from Allah; but whatever evil happens to you, is from your (own) soul…
Syrah An-Nissa 4:79
Note: The evil soul who took our beloved IMAM from us will suffer on this earth and the hereafter. Only Allah give life and death. I hope that they have cameras to catch the killer. (JINN).
In a time of great conflict in the Middle East it would not be presumptuous to think that an Imam’ murder could more than likely be connected to intolerance or a hate crime of some sort. Unless that crime was committed in the City of Newark, ( instantly one begins to ponder other scenarios was this someone the victim knew and had conflict with) ?Research conducted by a local criminologist would support that theory in our city. Unfortunately if you are black person living in a particular ward within the City of Newark, even one bordering on the latest development fueled renaissance ;the truth is you may see this act of violence resulting in murder very differently. A man of God unfortunately is not left unscathed when it comes to the “seemingly randomness” of being a crime victim on Newark Streets for some of our residents in certain areas of the city. For some across our State, 6:15am would be too early for crimes of any nature to take place ( the morning is filled with endless possibilities for the new day);but crime statistics in winter months within our city for working class folks within predominantly black wards over many decades would say differently (no matter the season each brings familiar types of crime prevalent to occur at the particular time of year) . In a city where murder rates were recently reported at an all time low, one can still become a victim of a mugging with a weapon, car theft, property theft or sexualt assault at a disturbing rate to the citizenry. Newark is a safer place for most but 20% of city residents in certain wards are still in a battle to remain safe consistently year after year . A battle that our public officials and law enforcement professionals must remain empathetic towards, no matter the identity of the victim. Crime unfortunately is not solely the tax payers “perception”; the death of a beloved Imam in the black community who attempted to be part of the solution, says its still our reality .