The sketch of the man suspected of shooting Imam Maulama Akonjee and his assistant Thara Uddin on Sunday. AJC condemned the “cold-blooded dual murder.” Photo: NYPD.

JNS.org – The American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) US Director of Muslim-Jewish Relations condemned the killing of Imam Maulama Akonjee and his assistant, Thara Uddin, shot in Queens, New York on Sunday afternoon.

“We are deeply pained by this cold-blooded dual murder of Muslim religious leaders,” Robert Silverman said, after visiting the Al-Furqan Jame Mosque, where Akonjee worked. “Our hearts go out to the families of the slain men, to their congregation, and to the Bangladeshi Muslim community in New York.”

Silverman will also represent AJC at the funerals of both victims. “Spending time, speaking with some of the men who knew and admired Imam Akonjee was especially heartbreaking. We stand with this traumatized community, and offer much support and understanding for healing,” he said. “Bringing the killer to justice must be an utmost priority.”

Though the New York Police Department has taken a suspect into custody, a motive for the crime has yet to be determined.