Taxi Driver Attacked In Anti-Muslim Hate Crime - NYTWA & Ahmed Sharif Speak Out! скачать в хорошем качестве

Taxi Driver Attacked In Anti-Muslim Hate Crime - NYTWA & Ahmed Sharif Speak Out!

  / nytwa     / nytwa   On August 26th, 2010, a Press Conference was held on the steps of City Hall in New York City following the brutal 8-24-10 attack of Mr. Ahmed Sharif, a yellow taxi cab driver. "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." Mr. Sharif picked up the perpetrator at 24th Street and 2nd Ave. The man, 21, started out friendly, asking 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 3rd Ave between 40th and 41st St, he yelled, "Assalamu Alaikum. Consider this a checkpoint", and 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. 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." --------------------------------------------------- Ahmed Sharif Family Support Fund On behalf of the Sharif family, we would like to express our gratitude for the heart-warming support from our fellow New Yorkers and to our neighbors across the country. Many of you have generously sent in donations to the family through NYTWA. We thank you for this kindness and ask for further support. Online: http://www.nytwa.org/membership/event... (Please write "Ahmed Sharif Family" in the memo) Checks and money orders can be made payable to "Ahmed Sharif". Mail to: Ahmed Sharif c/o New York Taxi Workers Alliance 250 Fifth Avenue, Suite 310 New York, NY 10001 We will deliver the monies immediately to the family as they come in and send you a receipt signed by Ahmed for acknowledgment. Thank you. -------------------------------------------------- No More Ahmed Sharifs! Support Taxi Workers Struggle for Protection! Join Ahmed and the countless other driver victims of violence on the job and call for the state to enact the Taxi Driver Protection Act! The bill was passed with overwhelming support in the NYS Assembly and Senate, and is now awaiting the signature of the Governor. Call on Speaker Silver to send the bill to the Governor's desk for signing and call on the Governor to sign NOW! Contact Governor Paterson to sign NOW! 518-474-8390 http://www.state.ny.us/governor/conta... Contact Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver 212-312-1420 http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=6... -------------------------------------------------------------- Build Justice & Rights for Taxi Workers! Support the Work of NYTWA! NYTWA is a membership-based not-for-profit organization. Our funds are derived from membership, private foundation support and individual supporters. To make a donation, please visit http://www.nytwa.org/donate