Ahmed Sharif, the Muslim taxi driver whose neck was slashed Tuesday night, allegedly because of his religion, spoke out on the steps of City Hall this afternoon surrounded by dozens of supporters from The New York Taxi Workers Alliance and other groups.
Sharif described how his assailant made jokes about Ramadan and yelled before the attack. He says he is still shaken up by the incident.
"The attack come from the back," Sharif said. "It was a shock. It still has me scared. I mean, still I have a view of the knife when I close my eye."
Inside City Hall, with dozens of camera shutters clicking, Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters that New York City will not stand for hate crimes against any resident regardless of religion.
"This should never have happened and hopefully won't happen again," Bloomberg said. "Hopefully people will understand that we can have a discourse. That's what the First Amendment is all about. That's what America is all about."
Sharif was stabbed at 6 p.m. Tuesday as he drove through Midtown along Second Avenue. His alleged assailant, Michael Enright, remains jailed without bail, on charges of attempted murder, assault as a hate crime, and weapons charges.
