An imam from Newark, near New York, was seriously injured by bullets this morning and is in critical condition, police in the Newark, New Jersey, city said.

According to the Newark public safety press office, police were called in the early hours after a man was shot outside the mosque in this industrial, multicultural city. “The victim was taken to University Hospital and, based on initial reports, is in critical condition,” said Fritz Frazee, director of public safety. He did not specify what might have been the motive for the attack.

Frazi’s spokeswoman confirmed to AFP that the man is the city’s imam and that he was shot outside the mosque.

“We are deeply concerned about this incident and pray for the speedy recovery of the imam,” said the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an organization that advocates for the rights of American Muslims.

Since the start of the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, there have been many demonstrations in the US – and especially in and around New York City – and there have been sporadic incidents of violence and tensions between different communities. In New York City alone, which has a population of 8.5 million, there are nearly 2 million American Jews and hundreds of thousands of Muslims.