Who Is Michael Enright?

Wall Street Journal ^ | Aug. 26, 2010 | James Taranto

[La Enchiladita]

"It's not even Islamophobia, it's beyond Islamophobia," Daisy Khan, wife of Ground Zero mosque planner Feisal Abdul Rauf, told ABC's Christiane Amanpour Sunday. "It's hate of Muslims." As we noted yesterday, New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg, speaking to a Muslim gathering at Gracie Mansion, called critics of the mosque plan "un-American" and implied that they seek "to implicate all of Islam" for the 9/11 attacks.

Yesterday, an ugly crime occurred in New York that seemed to confirm this narrative. Michael Enright, a 21-year-old film student, allegedly stabbed taxi driver Ahmed Sharif, 43, in the throat. The Wall Street Journal has the details:

...The New York Times's account** of the crime presents it as fitting the narrative of anti-Muslim hatred. It opens with a crisply dramatic account of the incident, followed by some basic facts (Enright's attempt to flee, his arrest, Sharif's medical disposition, the charges, a quote from Enright's lawyer informing us that the suspect is "terrified," the poor baby).

...Mr. Enright is also a volunteer with Intersections International, an initiative of the Collegiate Churches of New York that promotes justice and faith across religions and cultures. The organization, which covered part of Mr. Enright's travel expenses to Afghanistan [to film a documentary], has been a staunch supporter of the Islamic center near ground zero. Mr. Enright volunteered with the group's veteran-civilian dialogue project.

[La Enchiladita]

**revealing the suspect's association with the pro-mosque left so low in the story shows atrocious news judgment. Rehearsing the America-hates-Muslims narrative first strongly suggests that the Times's reporting is driven more by an ideological agenda than by the facts of the case.

...A highly plausible theory of the case is that the attacker sought to advance the narrative that America is filled with anti-Muslim bigots whose hatred is behind the opposition to the Ground Zero mosque. Had Enright succeeded in fleeing the scene, there is little doubt that the propagators of that narrative would have seized upon the crime even more aggressively than they have in making their case.

Ahmed Sharif's attacker seems to have chosen him as a victim because of his religion--a factor that, if proved, makes the attack a hate crime under New York law. If our theory is correct, the motive for this alleged anti-Muslim hate crime was bigotry against Americans.

[I see my hands]

Who is Dr. Lyle Evans?

[SilvieWaldorfMD]

He’ll have his own Reality Show soon... sandwiched between The Real Housewives and The Kardashian Bimbos...

[nickcarraway]

Does Saudi Arabia hate Christians and Jews, since churches and temples can’t be built there?

[BenLurkin]

That's a good question. I'm pretty sure some FReepers have served, worked and/or lived in Saudi Arabia — do they hate Christians? Do they hate Jews?

[La Enchiladita]

Both Enright and Steven Slater (jetblue) will have reality shows that take place in a courtroom. Hah!

[jessduntno]

“Ahmed Sharif’s attacker seems to have chosen him as a victim because of his religion...”

Or because it was a setup and he was a volunteer ... hey, if they can get guys to blow themselves up, what’s a little cut?

[pacpam]

Could Enright have stabbed Sharif because he was against building the Mosque there and not the good Muslim he should be and support the Mosque.

[panthermom]

I thought the same thing! I wonder if they will use PTSD as a defense since he was with Marines in A’stan for 5 weeks?

[reformedliberal]

I believe that will be used as a win-win. Witness the ramped up media attention to PTSD for military veterans and the new PTSD payments that zerO announced a while back.

5 weeks. wow.

[Spok]

I’m sick of hearing this Newspeak term “Islamaphobic”. It’s not in the dictionary; it’s not a word nor a mental condition. When I hear it, I always demand that it be explained. A phobia, which IS a word, is an irrational fear of a thing or condition that may or may not be dangerous. The formal definition is “an exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation”. (See Mirriam-Webster.) I know how I feel about Islam, and it is neither exaggerated, illogical nor inexplicable. I’m not afraid of cars, but I don’t cross streets with my eyes closed. I also like snakes, but don’t handle rattlesnakes or puff adders. The left does seem, however, to have an illogical and inexplicable affinity for Islam when compared to their hostility to Christanity. They must be be phobic.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Be sure to read beyond the end of that story. This column is loaded with goodness.

[La Enchiladita]

Gee, how could anyone miss the MSM attention being given to PTSD, troop suicides, etc..... none of it anything new but just their way of continuously undermining our troops.

Also, the time Enright spent in Afghanistan was assisting in filming a documentary. He was probably the ‘gofer,’ LOL.

[La Enchiladita]

I didn’t have time to keep going and going, but will try to get back to it, thanks.