Queens Imam and His Assistant Executed in Broad Daylight
By Megan McGibney, Georgett Roberts, Larry Celona and Stephanie Pagones
August 13, 2016 | 3:18pm
An undated photo of Imam Maulama Akonjee. Photo: AP
A beloved imam and his assistant were gunned down execution-style in broad daylight Saturday as they walked home in their traditional robes after prayers at a Queens mosque — and some members of the community believe it was a hate crime.
Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, both died at Jamaica Hospital, police said.
The son-in-law of Akoniee — who had seven children and three grandchildren — told The Post he was shocked by the cold-blooded killings.
“This is 100 percent a hate crime. My father-in-law was an imam, he wore traditional garb all the time,” said Momin Ahmed.
Police confirm the victims were not robbed when they were shot in the back of their heads by a lone gunman on foot, but stressed it was premature to call it a hate crime.
“There is nothing in the preliminary investigation that would indicate that they were targeted because of their faith,” NYPD Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said.
Nonetheless, Mayor de Blasio sent his senior community affairs adviser to ease the fear the murders sparked in the neighborhood.
Sarah Sayeed tried to calm a group of about 2,000 people who gathered Saturday night at an Ozone Park mosque and shouted, “We want justice!”
“We are committed to a full investigation of any crime against any individual and we want you to know that the NYPD is looking at all angles,” said Sayeed.
The NYPD confirmed its Hate Crime Task Force was assisting in the investigation. A source said every precinct was also ordered to beef up patrol at all mosques in the five boroughs.
The men never saw their killer, who approached from behind and shot them on Liberty Street just before 2 p.m., police said.
They were walking home from the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque at 77th Street and Glemore Avenue to their apartments — the men were also neighbors — on 102nd Avenue.The shooter, a man in a dark-colored polo shirt and shorts, was caught on video, police said. Witnesses saw a man with a gun fleeing.
The married imam hailed from Bangladesh, and was beloved in the community.
“He’s like the pope for this neighborhood,” Johnny Patwary, 28, told The Post.
Uddin’s brother Mashuk saw him before ambulances arrived. “His eyes were closed . . . his body is shaking. I am very scared,” Mashuk said.
The younger Uddin said he had no idea who would want to hurt his sibling.
“I don’t even know, nobody knows what’s going on,” he said, throwing up his hands. “This broke my heart. I miss my big brother.”
Uddin’s nephew Rezwan Uddin, 27, stumbled across the bloody scene as his uncle lay dying.
“I was going to work and saw my uncle on ground. His body was shaking, eyes closed,” he said. “Why were two guys shot? There’s no reason.”
One resident heard two shots, then more.
“First it was two, and then he goes, ‘Boom! Boom! Boom!’ ” said the resident, who didn’t want to be identified by name.
He looked out to see a man with a gun running down the street.
It appeared the shooter picked his targets, the resident said.
“There was a carload of people across the street, and a girl across the street, and he just targeted these two guys,” the resident said.
Donna Jag, 49, at first thought the shots were a car backfiring until she left her house to find a huge crowd of distraught people on the street.
“It was chaos,” she said. “I was nervous. The neighborhood is quiet, but now it’s kind of scary, right at my doorstep in broad daylight.”
People of different faiths have long gotten along peacefully in the neighborhood, Jag said.
August 13, 2016 | 3:18pm
An undated photo of Imam Maulama Akonjee. Photo: AP
A beloved imam and his assistant were gunned down execution-style in broad daylight Saturday as they walked home in their traditional robes after prayers at a Queens mosque — and some members of the community believe it was a hate crime.
Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, both died at Jamaica Hospital, police said.
The son-in-law of Akoniee — who had seven children and three grandchildren — told The Post he was shocked by the cold-blooded killings.
“This is 100 percent a hate crime. My father-in-law was an imam, he wore traditional garb all the time,” said Momin Ahmed.
Police confirm the victims were not robbed when they were shot in the back of their heads by a lone gunman on foot, but stressed it was premature to call it a hate crime.
“There is nothing in the preliminary investigation that would indicate that they were targeted because of their faith,” NYPD Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said.
Nonetheless, Mayor de Blasio sent his senior community affairs adviser to ease the fear the murders sparked in the neighborhood.
Sarah Sayeed tried to calm a group of about 2,000 people who gathered Saturday night at an Ozone Park mosque and shouted, “We want justice!”
“We are committed to a full investigation of any crime against any individual and we want you to know that the NYPD is looking at all angles,” said Sayeed.
The NYPD confirmed its Hate Crime Task Force was assisting in the investigation. A source said every precinct was also ordered to beef up patrol at all mosques in the five boroughs.
The men never saw their killer, who approached from behind and shot them on Liberty Street just before 2 p.m., police said.
They were walking home from the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque at 77th Street and Glemore Avenue to their apartments — the men were also neighbors — on 102nd Avenue.The shooter, a man in a dark-colored polo shirt and shorts, was caught on video, police said. Witnesses saw a man with a gun fleeing.
The married imam hailed from Bangladesh, and was beloved in the community.
“He’s like the pope for this neighborhood,” Johnny Patwary, 28, told The Post.
Uddin’s brother Mashuk saw him before ambulances arrived. “His eyes were closed . . . his body is shaking. I am very scared,” Mashuk said.
The younger Uddin said he had no idea who would want to hurt his sibling.
“I don’t even know, nobody knows what’s going on,” he said, throwing up his hands. “This broke my heart. I miss my big brother.”
Uddin’s nephew Rezwan Uddin, 27, stumbled across the bloody scene as his uncle lay dying.
“I was going to work and saw my uncle on ground. His body was shaking, eyes closed,” he said. “Why were two guys shot? There’s no reason.”
One resident heard two shots, then more.
“First it was two, and then he goes, ‘Boom! Boom! Boom!’ ” said the resident, who didn’t want to be identified by name.
He looked out to see a man with a gun running down the street.
It appeared the shooter picked his targets, the resident said.
“There was a carload of people across the street, and a girl across the street, and he just targeted these two guys,” the resident said.
Donna Jag, 49, at first thought the shots were a car backfiring until she left her house to find a huge crowd of distraught people on the street.
“It was chaos,” she said. “I was nervous. The neighborhood is quiet, but now it’s kind of scary, right at my doorstep in broad daylight.”
People of different faiths have long gotten along peacefully in the neighborhood, Jag said.
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