COLLEGE honours student Michael Enright, 21, a volunteer for an organisation called Intersections International, faces charges of attempted murder and hate crime assault following an attack on Tuesday on cabbie Ahmad Sharif, who suffered a serious neck and face wounds.
Michael Enright, right, confers with his attorney Jason Martin, during his arraignment in a New York City courtroom on charges that include attempted murder as a hate crime
According to this report, Enright hailed Sharif’s cab, then asked the driver if he was a Muslim. He replied yes.
After a few moments of silence, Enright, according to a statement issued by the Taxi Drivers’ Alliance:
Suddenly started cursing and screaming. He yelled ‘Assalamu Alaikum. Consider this a checkpoint,’ 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.
Enright volunteered with Intersections International which is
A New York-based global initiative dedicated to promoting justice, reconciliation and peace across lines of faith, culture, ideology, race, class, national borders and other boundaries that divide humanity.
The group’s executive director, the Rev Robert Chase said in this report:
I am deeply distressed if this is the Mike Enright that we know. Especially, or sadly, ironic, is that our work is about building bridges between different faiths, different ethnicities, different cultures. This is exactly the opposite of what we stand for.”
If this is the Michael Enright who has worked with Intersections, this is totally out of his character and it’s really, in many ways, unfathomable to me.
Chase said he believes Enright “absolutely” held the same values as Intersections.
That’s why this is so out of character. He worked hours with us as a volunteer and I don’t think he would have done that if he didn’t believe in the mission.
Chase also described Enright as:
Cordial, very helpful, and he’s a really good guy.
In a statement, Intersections expressed condolences for the cab driver and called the violence “unacceptable”.
Grand Imam Sayyed Mohammed Musawi speaking last year in praise of the late 'human rights champion and man of justice' Ayatollah Khomeini
Intersections International is not to be confused with Interfaith International, the co-founder of which is the dotty UK-based “His Eminence” Sayyed Mohammed Musawi, President of the World Islamic League (WABIL) who has some pretty quirky views of human rights:
Human rights in Islam, as far as the Qur’an and the hadiths are concerned, cover all areas of life. If the government sets the rights, then they can be changed, be amended, be modified. The real human rights have been granted and given by the Creator of life, and these rights cannot be changed.
When these rights come from Allah as a religious responsibility, then the enforcement and implementation of them take root in the heart of every believer. In that case, we don’t need the police or the military or the government to en force them because they are already in the heart of every believer.
In 1998 Interfaith International received “special consultative status” with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
August 26th, 2010 at 11:25 am
“The real human rights have been granted and given by the Creator of life, and these rights cannot be changed”.
If you believe the constitution of the US this is what the “founding fathers” thought too. However they also saw a need for government to protect those rights from the likes of Sayyed Mohammed Musawi and other religio-fascists who would define those rights in the context of their own personal religious beliefs and would force them on everybody else – even at the point of a gun.
August 26th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Ya know if I was an alien (space type) and studied this planet, one basic conclusion I would come to is that the majority of males belong to various groups that allow them to beat the schite out of other males they feel as inferior and dominate and beat the schite out of the female members.
Its no wonder so many men like these religions as it basically gives then permission to be hateful bigots and dominate any they think they can. The main attraction isn’t the g0d thing its the beat the schite out of others they like.
But then as an alien I would not be able to see the sutler aspects of the peaceful & loving religions.
August 26th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
We should just put Michael Enright and every other loon like him in a room with Sayyed Mohammed Musawi and his bunch of scary fuckwits and don’t open the door until the screaming stops. It would make the world such a better place.
August 26th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Marcus – Unfortunately, one side would likely still be standing. I say don’t open the door. Put it on pay-per-view instead. It’d be like robot wars, only better.
August 26th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Fundie Wars. I like it. My money’s on Abu Hamza…
Seriously though, this just goes to show that a nutter is a nutter, whatever the creed. They talk about love and freedom, but it all boils down to hatred of anyone who thinks differently from those in their own narrow little clique. And their belief in life after death leads to a profound lack of belief in the importance of any harm they cause in this one.
August 27th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
I’m so glad that Ahmed is ok and that he survived. Peace be with you Ahmed… Let’s hope the cab-driver gets justice and Enright the punishment he deserves.
August 27th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
I think there is a mistake as to the organization to which Mr Enright belonged. Your first link to Intersections International leads to the web site of Interfaith International, a different organization. Enright belonged to Intersections, a christian group, rather than Interfaith.
August 27th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Whoops Annnie, our mistake. Correct link has been inserted. Thanks.
August 28th, 2010 at 12:21 am
Barry, are you sure Intersection’s co-founder is Sayyed Mohammed Musawi? I think he is related to Interfaith, not Intersections.
August 28th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Violence is and always was an offence. That’s simple enough.
All this stuff about “hate” is merely bigotry, tho. No-one should be prosecuted for what they feel, or say.