Was the Attack on a Muslim NYC Cabbie a Sign That the Mosque Debate Is Getting Out of Hand?
'World News' wants to know what you think. Share your comments below.
Aug. 26, 2010— -- Mayor Michael Bloomberg will meet today with a New York City cab driver who police say was stabbed because he is Muslim.
Driver Ahmed Sharif was slashed five times, apparently after answering yes to the question, "Are you Muslim?"
"I said, 'Please do not kill me,'" said Sharif. "He started yelling, 'This is a checkpoint. This is a checkpoint motherf***r. I have to put you down."
Sharif's alleged attacker, 21-year-old Michael Enright, now faces a charge of attempted murder. He's a college student who recently returned from a trip to Afghanistan, where he shot a documentary and volunteered with a group that promotes religious freedom and peace.
Mayor Bloomberg and New York City police say this was an isolated, alcohol-fueled incident, saying it is not related to the contentious debate surrounding the proposed Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero. But others aren't so sure.
"The level of anti-Muslim sentiment is at an all-time high," said Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of MPAC.
Our question to you today: Was the attack on a Muslim NYC cabbie a sign that the mosque debate is getting out of hand?