An Anti-Assad Imam Was Found Dead In North London After Allegedly Being Shot

(BuzzFeed News)- Shaykh Abdul Hadi al Arwani was the imam of the An Noor Mosque in Acton since 2012, and was known for his criticism of the Assad regime in Syria. His supporters told BuzzFeed News he was shot, though police have not yet confirmed the victim’s identity.

A Syrian-born An-Noor Mosque imam known for his outspoken views on Bashar al Assad was found dead in his car Tuesday in Wembley, North London, his supporters told BuzzFeed News.

Arwani was born in Syria but was based in the UK for the past three years, where he acted as an Islamic jurist and teacher.

According to the London College of Islamic Studies Arwani had studied at the Faculty of Shariah (Islamic law) in Jordan, and was a teacher in various Islamic seminaries in Slough and West London.

Arwani was considered an authority on Islamic marriage contracts and divorce law, working mostly in London.

However, Arwani was known by many British Muslims for his outspoken views on the Assad regime in Syria.

The Shaykh’s supporters have expressed their grief and condolences on social media.

While Arwani had a large following of supporters in the UK, he had also been criticised for “extremist” views and association with the An Noor mosque.

A blog written by the student activist group “Stand for Peace” accuses Arwani of having links to the militant group Jamaat -e- Islami, as well as his association with the An Noor mosque, which the group believes had hosted “the very worst hate preachers in Britain.”

While the An Noor Mosque has not made an official statement, a spokesperson told BuzzFeed News they were “shocked” to learn about the incident.

Mahmoud, a former student of Arwani, told BuzzFeed News that he was “well known among the Muslim community in West London, not just for his Syria activism, but also as a community leader.”

He added: “He was the type of person you’d go to if you had a problem, or if you had questions you needed to ask.”

When asked about accusations on extremism, Arwani also said that he was “outspoken on extremism, but a promoter of democracy.”

“He was a moderate guy, and was against all forms of violence and extremism. He was looking out especially for younger Muslims,” he said.