Mohamed A. Salim, a Muslim cabdriver who served in Iraq and at the U.S. military facility at Guantanamo Bay, claims a passenger he picked up last week in Northern Virginia attacked him for being a “jihadist,” comparing him to the two men that allegedly carried out the Boston marathon bombing.
“Because I’m a Muslim, he treated me like a piece of trash,” said Salim, who also happens to be an Army reservist, according to the Washington Post. “I love this country. I didn’t deserve this.”
Salim, a 39-year-old man from Great Falls, recorded an 11-minute video which he claims shows Ed Dahlberg spouting obscenities ahead of the alleged assault. Authorities have charged Dahlberg with misdemeanor assault.
“If you’re a Muslim, you’re a [expletive] jihadist,” the passenger says. “You are just as bad as the rest of them.”
The video ends with a blur of motion and audio of Salim asking, “Why are you punching me? Sir, why are you punching me?”
The passenger replies: “You’re a [expletive] Muslim.”
Dahlberg’s attorney denies that he struck Salim. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a rights group, has asked prosecutors to desginate the incident as a hate crime, according to the Post.
