Imam who criticised Syria’s Assad shot dead in London

LONDON — British police said Wednesday they were keeping an open mind about the motive behind the killing of a Syria-born Muslim cleric who was shot dead in London.

The Metropolitan Police said a man in his late 40s was found in a car in the Wembley area Tuesday with gunshot wounds to his chest. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Police did not identify the victim, but family named him as Abdul Hadi Arwani, former imam at the An-noor Mosque in west London.

A statement posted at the building Wednesday read: "We have with great sadness heard of the unfortunate death of Sheikh Abdulhadi Arwani... He will be sadly missed."

The police force said that "detectives retain an open mind regarding the possible motive”.

His daughter, Elham Arwani, told the Evening Standard newspaper that Arwani had been critical of Syria's President Bashar Assad, but the family did not believe that was the motive for his killing.

Son Morhaf Arwani said: "We are at a loss to understand what is behind this."