Imam stabbed during service at New Jersey mosque

PATERSON, N.J. — An imam at a New Jersey mosque was stabbed during an early morning service on Sunday, authorities said.

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Imam Sayed Elnakib was wounded by the suspect at Omar Mosque, the Paterson Press reported. Officials said that the imam was stabbed twice in the back, according to the newspaper. He is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery, the Press reported.

Elnakib was stabbed during the first prayer of the day, at around 5:30 a.m. EDT as the congregation was kneeling for prayer, mosque spokesperson Abdul Hamdan told CNN. The attacker, whose identity has not been released, was quickly restrained by worshippers in the mosque, according to the cable news network. Approximately 200 people were in the mosque at the time of the attack, officials said.

The suspect was also praying and “lunged forward with a knife and stabbed Imam Sayed multiple times -- at least twice,” Hamdan told CNN.

The attack occurred during Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic year. The holiday runs through April 20.

“I was deeply saddened to hear about the stabbing incident that took place during prayer at Omar’s mosque earlier this morning, and my heart goes out to everyone affected by this tragic event,” Paterson Councilman Al Abdel-aziz, who represents the city’s 6th Ward where the attack occurred, wrote in a Facebook post. “While it is unclear what motivated the attacker, there is no justification for violence of any kind, especially in a sacred space.”

At a news conference, officials said the alleged attacker was not a member of the mosque.

During a news conference, Paterson mayor Andre Sayegh thanked the people who stepped in to subdue the alleged assailant.

“This is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar year and we want to make sure that the safety of those that are just coming to pray is a priority for us and that we take this situation very seriously,” Sayegh said. “We want to let anyone who is coming to worship know that they can do this in peace without any fear of being attacked.”

It is unclear what led to the stabbing, or the motive of the attacker, WABC-TV reported.

Hamdan called the attack an “isolated incident” and a “senseless crime,” according to the Press.