Anti-Muslim Violence in NYC

by Dick Mac

A young man gets into a cab, a little drunk. He starts chatting-up the driver, asks the same questions cabbies get all the time: where are you from, where do you live, etc. As they approach his destination, the young man becomes agitated, reaches through the safety partition and starts stabbing the driver who he has learned is Muslim.

Is this incident an indication that hate speech like we are hearing about the Islamic community center in Lower Manhattan can incite individual violence against Muslims?

Again, New York City is invaded by an out-of-towner, this time a suburbanite from Brewster, who wants to spew his hate and behave in a completely uncivilized manner. No matter what excuse he has for his behavior, his actions are reprehensible, illegal, incendiary, and unfortunate.

I agree with Mayor Bloomberg who says:

This attack runs counter to everything that New Yorkers believe, no matter what God we may pray to.

Please note that by "New Yorkers" he refers to residents of New York City, not suburbanites and other out-of-towners who abuse our city on a regular basis.

Citizens of the world need to know that people who live in New York City do not, by and large, share the attitudes of most suburbanites, rural folks, Southerners, and tea-baggers. New York City is the world's ultimate melting-pot and we live, generally, in harmony. Residents of the city who are unable to accept those who are different from them usually move to the place that all bigots move: the suburbs. This is not to say that all suburbanites are bigots, but that most bigots make their way to the isolation of the suburbs where they are free to stew in their hate.

There is a price to be paid by Mr. Enright and I am curious to see how low a price he'll pay.

Rider Asks if Cabby Is Muslim, Then Stabs Him