WASHINGTON — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the Thanksgiving Day shooting of a Muslim taxi driver in Pittsburgh, Penn., as a hate crime similar to a growing number of attacks targeting the nation’s Muslim community following the recent terror attacks in Paris.
CAIR said the 38-year-old driver, who is of Moroccan heritage, picked up a man early Thursday, and that during the trip, the passenger reportedly began asking the driver about his background, including asking whether he was a “Pakistani guy.” The passenger also allegedly asked the driver about the terror group ISIS and reportedly mocked the Prophet Muhammad.
When the taxi arrived at the man’s home, he went into the house reportedly because he told the driver he forgot his wallet inside. In a few minutes, the man allegedly emerged from the house carrying a rifle.
When the Muslim driver saw the weapon, he sped away, only to hear gunshots, one of which shattered the back window of his taxi and struck him in the upper back.
The Muslim driver, who remains hospitalized in stable condition, was able to flag down a passing car and have someone call the police. The bullet remains lodged in his back.
CAIR has been in contact with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police to ask that the alleged bias motive for the shooting be investigated. The FBI has also been made aware of the case.
(Photo source: Dominique Hildebrand/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
