About two years ago my dad faced a similar incident, except no one had to to ask if he was Muslim. His name is Mohammed Islam and it was clearly displayed on his license in the back of the cab.
Luckily he stayed calm and mentioned his children, and all the attackers did was break the lights on the car exterior. The group of men got away on motorcycles (a couple of them had hailed the cab on foot) after yelling "go back to your country or you won't be lucky next time."
My dad, an ex-police officer and soldier, has faced armed cab passengers before (mostly they just demand to run away without paying), but he is still afraid of bikers to this day. He never filed the incident with police.
I can only imagine how many of these cases go unreported and I'm really starting to notice the fear in our community. Last Ramadan, two elderly Bangladeshi men from our mosque in the Bronx were beaten up for wearing prayer caps. Last week I briefly smiled at a sister in hijab on the street. She looked scared and started walking faster until I said Assalamu Alaikum, after which she returned my Salam and smiled back.
As for those bikers and the stabber in yesterday's incident- America is more my dad's country than it is theirs. He never took this country as a shallow birthright and hurt others in its "defense". He chose it, he gave up his own language for it and he patiently accepted being on TSA's no fly list for no reason other than his name.
Most importantly, he very proudly took an oath--part of which states: I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America.
I still remember the day and how happy he was in his old suit and new haircut, telling everyone that he was American. I just wish these people would treat him like one.
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