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8.30.2010

stabbed new york cab driver can't work, needs help

Ahmed Sharif, the New York cabbie who survived a vicious anti-Muslim hate crime stabbing, spoke to reporters at a press conference on Friday: Stabbed cabbie out of work, worries about feeding family.

Sharif is now unable to work due to his injuries. He'll receive a partial salary from worker's compensation, but he's worried that he won't be able to provide for his wife and four children without a job:
There's been so little money raised over the past few days for Sharif that it would "barely cover baby formula," said Desai who, along with Sharif, held a widely publicized press conference Friday announcing the union was creating a fund for the family. The union's website indicates how to mail a donation or give online.

We're pretty shocked that it's been such a low amount," Desai said.

At the press conference, stitches running along the deep gash in his neck, Sharif implored taxi drivers to look out for each other. A Bangladeshi who emigrated to the United States 25 years ago, Sharif told reporters, "I feel like I belong here, [like] I was born here."

His household's sole breadwinner, Sharif, his wife and children, ages 10 months, 5, 9 and 11, live in a small apartment, Desai said.

His 9-year-old son thinks his father fought a villain and won. "He keeps taking Ahmed's hand and saying, 'My dad is Superman,'" she said.
The New York Taxi Workers Alliance has started a fund for Sharif's family. If you can help them out, you can mail a donation or give online here. Be sure to note that your donation is for "Ahmed Sharif Family." More info here: Action Item: The Stabbed NYC Taxi Driver Needs Our Help.