Following the stabbing of an imam leading morning prayers, a guy was detained in New Jersey.
At the Omar Mosque in Paterson on Sunday morning, Serif Zorba, 32, is accused of stabbing Imam Sayed Elnakib, 65, and is charged with attempted murder and possession of a weapon.
On Sunday around 5.30 a.m., the incident took place before daybreak.
Security footage from the mosque’s building caught some of the horrifying attack.
Zorba walked forward holding a knife as the other worshipers bent over to pray.
After the stabbing, members of the mosque were able to grab and subdue Zorba while waiting for police to arrive.
‘The suspect has been apprehended because of the heroic actions of Omar Mosque’s congregants,’ the mosque’s spokesperson Abdul Hamdan said. ‘They apprehended the individual swiftly and immediately.’
Authorities said Zorba had worshipped at the Paterson, New Jersey mosque before, but is not a member of the congregation.
Paterson City Councilmember Al Abdel-aziz reported that Elnakib was in stable condition at St Joseph’s University Medical Center and is expected to fully recover.
‘My heart goes out to everyone affected by this tragic event,’ Abdel-aziz said. ‘While it is unclear what motivated the attacker, there is no justification for violence of any kind, especially in a sacred space.’
Investigators are still working to determine a motive for the stabbing.
Zorba was arraigned in court on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty with the help of a Turkish translator. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Paterson, the third-largest city in New Jersey, is also home to one of the largest populations of American Muslims.
Police in Paterson announced that they would be adding enhanced security at each of the city’s 12 mosques through the rest of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.