As usual, the story of the Muslim cab driver stabbed by a passenger is more complicated than first appeared. At the Village Voice, Foster Cramer has learned that the alleged attacker, Michael Enright of Brewster, New York (about an hour’s drive north of Manhattan, assuming light traffic) works for an Internet media company and recently spent time in Afghanistan filming military exercises. He was also visibly drunk when he got in the cab. So this may not have anything to do with the “mosque.” The guy may just be way screwed up.

Still, as Steve M. says, if the Muslim cabbie had stabbed Enright rather than the other way around, by now the righties would be calling it an act of “jihad” or “terrorism,” because when a Muslim does something, it’s always assumed to be a political act. Muslims don’t get the benefit of just being screwed up. And by now the Right would also be loudly demanding that every Muslim, liberal, and Democrat on the planet be loudly denouncing the act. “Being non-Republicans, you see, we’re partly responsible for all non-right-wing acts of political violence,” Steve says.

I’d add that these days we’re also held responsible for right-wing acts of political violence, because whenever a right-winger does something ugly, he is instantly tagged as a liberal infiltrator. Anyway, Steve continues,

So shouldn’t the press be demanding statements of condemnation from Pam Geller? Sarah Palin? Newt Gingrich? Rick Lazio? Rupert Murdoch? Roger Ailes? Debra Burlingame? Rick Scott? Can’t we say they’re condoning vigilante violence if those statements aren’t forthcoming by sunset?

Well, we can say that, but they’d just deny it. And in their minds, they are always right.

Be sure to read “Muhammad Comes to Manhattan” by Mark Jacobson in New York magazine. Some high points —

The Park Place property already is a mosque, if we’re calling any space dedicated to Muslim worship services a mosque. I’m sure you’ve seen the exterior photos showing that the building looks pretty shabby, but New York has photos of the interior that show it’s been fixed up, painted, carpeted, etc., and Muslims go there for prayers and to listen to sermons. So it’s already a “mosque,” and I’m sure will continue to be a “mosque” even if the community center plans are blocked somehow.

The guy who arranged to purchase the building, Sharif El-Gamal, was born in Brooklyn and graduated from a public New York high school. He takes his daughter to swimming lessons at a Jewish community center in his neighborhood, and that center gave him the idea of a Muslim commnity center. Also, the congregation’s current mosque can only hold 70 people at a time, and they needed more room. About the money to finish the project, he said,

Asked about the money issues, Sharif El-Gamal, with an exasperated sigh, said, “I don’t know where the money is going to come from. I don’t have it. I have to raise it. We will hire private auditors and cooperate with all governmental authorities and not take a penny from any group flagged by them.”

Not that any of that will penetrate the blockheaded bigots.

September 11 falls on a Saturday this year, and I’m afraid every crazy in the country is going to show up and demonstrate against the “mosque.” It could get ugly. I can’t find any group who is organizing a formal counterprotest, but if someone is I would probably show up for it.