Dhaka, bishops condemn murder of imam and his assistant in New York
The two killed on 13 August were both natives of Bangladesh. They were gunned down in Queens while they were returning from the mosque. Msgr. Gervas Rozario, Bishop of Rajshahi: "We condemn the murder in the strongest possible way. Those who spread hatred against religion must be stopped".
Dhaka (AsiaNews) - On August 13 last, an imam and his assistant, both from Bangladesh, were shot dead in New York. After afternoon prayer, the two were approached by the murderer near Ozone Park, Queens. The man shot both in the ead at point blank range.
The victims, Maulana Alauddin Akonjee (55 years) and Thara Uddin (64), were dressed in religious clothing. Akonjee was carrying $ 1,000, but the murderer did not steal the cash. On August 14, the New York police arrested a suspect in the murder. He is Oscar Morel, 35 from Brooklyn. Officers reportedly found a revolver and some clothing similar to those which appear in the surveillance video, in his home.
The motive of the double murder is yet to be verified. Some of the city's Muslims have demonstrated to demand more security, accusing the Republican candidate for the presidency Donald Trump, of inciting hatred towards Islam during his election campaign.
Msgr. Gervas Rozario, Bishop of Rajshahi and president of the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace, has strongly condemned the murder of the two Bangladeshi Muslims in New York: "We are very shocked and sorry for the incident, which we condemn in the strongest terms. We condemn in the same way all those who spread hatred and discrimination against other religions. They must be controlled by authorities".
According to the prelate the murder could have been caused by "racial hatred”.
In a tweet, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh expressed sorrow for "a cowardly act committed against peaceful people”.
On August 14 hundreds of faithful gathered at the mosque in Ozone Park - frequented mostly by people originating from Bangladesh - to remember the victims.
Yesterday the Akonjee relatives spoke of the grief that struck their family, asking: "How can you kill because of religion in a civilized country like the United States?".
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