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With the debate going on about the Islamic center near ground zero, I would love everyone's opinions on if this is related, or your opinions in general.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/cabbie-attacked/?ref=nyregion
Man Is Held in Anti-Muslim Stabbing of Cabdriver
By KAREN ZRAICK AND ANDY NEWMAN
A cabdriver was attacked by a knife-wielding passenger who made anti-Muslim remarks on Tuesday evening, the police said.
The passenger, Michael Enright, 21, of Brewster, N.Y., hailed the cab at Second Avenue and East 24th Street around 6 p.m. Tuesday, the police said. Twenty blocks north, they said, he slashed and stabbed the 43-year-old driver in his throat, face and arm.
The driver, identified by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance as Ahmed H. Sharif, 43, stopped the cab and approached a police officer on Third Avenue near 42nd Street. Mr. Enright was arrested at the scene.
According to the taxi workers alliance, Mr. Sharif’s fare started out the ride asking him in a friendly way if he was Muslim, whether he was observing Ramadan, and how long he had been in the United States.
After falling silent for a few minutes, the passenger began cursing and screaming, and then yelled, “Assalamu Alaikum. Consider this a checkpoint,” and slashed Mr. Sharif across the neck, then on the face from his nose to his upper lip, the alliance said.
Both men were taken to Bellevue Hospital Center. The driver, whose name was not released, was in stable condition. A law enforcement official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, said Mr. Enright was “very drunk” at the time of the attack.
“I feel very sad,” Mr. Sharif said in a statement released by the taxi workers alliance. “ I have been here more than 25 years. I have been driving a taxi more than 15 years. All my four kids were born here. I never feel this hopeless and insecure before.” He added that “right now, the public sentiment is very serious” because of tensions over Park51, the so-called “ground zero mosque.”
The police charged Mr. Enright with attempted murder as a hate crime, assault, aggravated harassment and criminal possession of a weapon. He was awaiting arraignment on Wednesday.
Full release from the New York Taxi Workers Alliance
+ Show Spoiler +
Ahmed H. Sharif, 43, a yellow taxi cab driver slashed across the neck, face and shoulders by a passenger during an anti-Muslim hate crime will stand with fellow New York Taxi Workers Alliance members, and community, immigrant and Muslim organizations to call for an end to the bigotry and anti-Islamic rhetoric in the debate around the Park 51 Islamic Cultural Center, referred to as the Ground Zero Mosque. "I feel very sad. I have been here more than 25 years. I have been driving a taxi more than 15 years. All my four kids were born here. I never feel this hopeless and insecure before," said Mr. Sharif. "Right now, the public sentiment is very serious (because of the Ground Zero Mosque debate.) All drivers should be more careful."
On Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 Mr. Sharif picked up the perpetrator at 24th Street and Second Avenue, his first fare for the shift, and headed toward Times Square. The man, 21, started out friendly, asking Mr. Sharif about where he was from, how long he had been in America, if he was Muslim and if he was observing fast during Ramadan. He then first became silent for a few minutes and then suddenly started cursing and screaming. There, at about 6:15pm at Third Avenue between 40th and 41st Streets, he yelled, "Assalamu Alaikum. Consider this a checkpoint," and then slashed Mr. Sharif across the neck. As Mr. Sharif went to knock the knife out, the perpetrator, continuing to scream loudly, cut the taxi driver in the face (from nose to upper lip), arm and hand.
"While a minority of has-been politicians spew ignorance and fear, it's the working person on the street who has to face the consequences," said NYTWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai. "This kind of bigotry only breeds more violence and makes taxi drivers all the more vulnerable on the streets where there are no bully pulpits or podiums to hide behind." The US Department of Labor reports taxi drivers to be thirty times more likely to be killed on the job than other workers.
The 13,000-member NYTWA called on the District Attorney to be vigilant in its prosecution of the attempted murder and hate crime and urged the Governor to sign the Taxi Driver Protection Act, passed by the state legislature on June 26th, 2010, increasing penalties on crimes against taxi drivers and requiring a sign in all taxis, "WARNING: Assaulting a Taxi Driver is Punishable by Up to Twenty-Five Years in Prison." "Maybe if the warning sign was there, this kind of stranger who comes to us with hatred would have to think twice," said Anwar Hossain. "At least we could feel safer and not alone. No matter what political issue is going on, at least we could be treated as equal Americans and feel protected."
Other links to this story:
+ Show Spoiler +
#Edit for even more links#
+ Show Spoiler +
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United States24779 Posts
"The driver, identified by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance as Ahmed H. Sharif, 43, stopped the cab and approached a police officer on Third Avenue near 42nd Street. Mr. Enright was arrested at the scene."
"Both men were taken to Bellevue Hospital Center. The driver, whose name was not released, was in stable condition. A law enforcement official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, said Mr. Enright was “very drunk” at the time of the attack."
I'm very confused by this articleblog?.
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This is getting freaking ridiculous. STOP SPREADING HATE!
That includes you foxnews 
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I honestly wish this hadn't taken place during a debate over a nonsense issue such as "Should we allow Muslims to build a community center 2 blocks away from a site where some unrelated Muslims attacked two buildings". A non-newsworthy story has been overhyped by conservative news organizations and inadvertently almost killed a man as a result.
On August 26 2010 02:48 micronesia wrote:
I'm very confused by this articleblog?.
Police did not release his name. It was determined through another means (likely the statement issued by the taxi drivers association).
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On August 26 2010 02:48 micronesia wrote:
"The driver, identified by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance as Ahmed H. Sharif, 43, stopped the cab and approached a police officer on Third Avenue near 42nd Street. Mr. Enright was arrested at the scene."
"Both men were taken to Bellevue Hospital Center. The driver, whose name was not released, was in stable condition. A law enforcement official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, said Mr. Enright was “very drunk” at the time of the attack."
I'm very confused by this articleblog?.
Yeah I noticed, that is why I included links to other sites that posted the story. I believe he has not been identified by the police or the hospital or something, but has been identified by other sources. But that is just my guess.
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I love America's speed of justice system. This kind of things happening in Ontario would take 4 years to get to arraignment and another 4 years to get to trial. LOL.
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Definitely related.
Mosque developers need to take a hint and stop the construction. If the mosque is constructed, I anticipate that there will be more anti-Islam violence, eg the mosque makes the situation of Muslims in NYC much worse.
Republicans are going to use this mosque issue as ammunition for the coming elections. Given that over 60% of Americans are against the mosque, this is going to bad news for the Obama administration.
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I find it ludicrous that these Christians (local and abroad) who mutilate Muslims in the name of their God are allowed places of worship in Islamic countries. Tear down all their churches I say.
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oh my. this is ridiculous
at least the guy was drunk. that KINDA makes it a bit better.
i hate how people judge. i've flown quite a bit this summer and many middle easterns are flagged. its more a random brown passenger check.
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crazy person + strong islamophobic tendencies atm = was only really a matter of time
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the arraignment happens pretty fast, but then going to trial can still take months and months.
People are going batshit crazy over this mosque thing, seriously chill the fuck out. Attacking them is only giving them reasons to attack us, lets just hope they dont stoop as low as us.
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added an edit to the original post, included a few more links and the release from the NY taxi workers alliance.
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On August 26 2010 02:52 thesighter wrote:
Definitely related.
Mosque developers need to take a hint and stop the construction. If the mosque is constructed, I anticipate that there will be more anti-Islam violence, eg the mosque makes the situation of Muslims in NYC much worse.
Republicans are going to use this mosque issue as ammunition for the coming elections. Given that over 60% of Americans are against the mosque, this is going to bad news for the Obama administration.
Or give democrats the obvious ammunition that republicans are hateful bigoted pricks who think the freedoms of speech and religion only apply to white people.
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The only problem with the mosque is that it is insensitive, we really have no problem with it, just move it away. Im glad that the driver lived and is ok. It's sad to see such hate and anger
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On August 26 2010 02:58 Offhand wrote:Show nested quote +On August 26 2010 02:52 thesighter wrote:
Definitely related.
Mosque developers need to take a hint and stop the construction. If the mosque is constructed, I anticipate that there will be more anti-Islam violence, eg the mosque makes the situation of Muslims in NYC much worse.
Republicans are going to use this mosque issue as ammunition for the coming elections. Given that over 60% of Americans are against the mosque, this is going to bad news for the Obama administration.
Or give democrats the obvious ammunition that republicans are hateful bigoted pricks who think the freedoms of speech and religion only apply to white people.
The poll numbers indicate otherwise. Contrary to your assumptions, many of the people against the mosque are not "bigoted Republicans". A good number of democrats and independents are against the mosque as well. Most New Yorkers are against the mosque (and they're primarily Democrats).
Americans are against the building of the mosque becuase it is offensive to the 9/11 families .
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On August 26 2010 02:52 thesighter wrote:
Definitely related.
Mosque developers need to take a hint and stop the construction. If the mosque is constructed, I anticipate that there will be more anti-Islam violence, eg the mosque makes the situation of Muslims in NYC much worse.
Republicans are going to use this mosque issue as ammunition for the coming elections. Given that over 60% of Americans are against the mosque, this is going to bad news for the Obama administration.
I see. When protesters were attacking blacks and police to oppose school desegregation in the '70s, would you have said that the black community should have taken the hint and stopped trying to attend white schools?
If you want this kind of violence to end, the way to do it, historically, is to eliminate it by integrating the hated group with the majority, and waiting for new generations to grow up without prejudice. The way not to eliminate it is to continue to discriminate out of fear.
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On August 26 2010 03:02 Taniard wrote:
The only problem with the mosque is that it is insensitive, we really have no problem with it, just move it away. Im glad that the driver lived and is ok. It's sad to see such hate and anger
It's only insensitive if you hold the false assertion that Islam as a religion of approximately 1-1.8 billion practitioners is connected to the atrocities committed by a few in the name of Islam.
Some muslims also fell victim to 9/11, and from what it seems every muslim living in america is an indirect victim even today.
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On August 26 2010 02:52 thesighter wrote:
Republicans are going to use this mosque issue as ammunition for the coming elections. Given that over 60% of Americans are against the mosque, this is going to bad news for the Obama administration.
It's also bad news for the intelligent citizens of America, who realize that you don't piss all over the given rights of a community just because you disagree with them. And those that realize that Obama doesn't have a thing to do with the mosque or the stabbing
On August 26 2010 03:03 thesighter wrote:
Americans are against the building of the mosque becuase it is offensive to the 9/11 families .
Is it that? Or is it that many were led to believe that this thing was literally right on top of GZ, that a Greek church was delayed so that this could be built, or that this thing is entirely backed by terrorists??
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On August 26 2010 03:03 thesighter wrote:
Americans are against the building of the mosque becuase it is offensive to the 9/11 families .
How is it offensive to 9/11 families? It's a mosque, there's others like it in and around New York.
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EPT
