A 21-year old film student charged with a hate crime for stabbing a New York cab driver after learning the driver was Muslim was described Thursday as someone who worked to build bridges across religious and ethnic boundaries. The man is held without bail and his attorney request he be kept in isolation to avoid harm coming to him.

Ironically the attacker had volunteered with a nonprofit group, and it partially funded his trip to Afghanistan in the spring, where he shot a film on American soldiers serving there for his thesis. The New York-based organization is aimed at promoting peace across faith and racial boundaries.

Regardless, the cab driver, 43 has been stabbed five times in the neck, head and shoulder.

The attacker is facing charges of second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime, second-degree assault as a hate crime, second-degree aggravated harassment as a hate crime and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Bleeding heavily, the driver escaped his attacker and flagged down a police officer who arrested the knfe wielding man. Reportedly an empty liquor bottle was discovered in the attackers possessions.

At the news conference, the cab driver will call for an end to anti-Muslim rhetoric that has followed the proposed construction of an Islamic cultural center and mosque.
The center is planned two blocks from the site of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.

"Right now, the public sentiment is very serious because of the Ground Zero mosque debate," he said.

The taxi workers alliance said iots 43-year-old driver is a practicing Muslim originally from Bangladesh, has four American born children.