Alleged anti-Muslim attacker works at pro-Park51 group

The apparent anti-Muslim assault on a New York city cabbie by a man shouting “Assalamu Alaikum. Consider this a checkpoint" produced an immediate round of recriminations over its connection to opposition to a New York Islamic Center and an apparent rising tide of Islamophobia.

But as often at the intersection of politics and violent crime, the story doesn't appear to fit any easy stereotype: The alleged assailant, Michael Enright, is — according to his Facebook profile and the website of the left-leaning media organization Intersections International — a student at the School of Visual Arts and a volunteer for Intersections, which recently produced a statement of support for the Park51 project and is funded by the mainstream, liberal Collegiate Church of New York.

Intersections did not respond to two messages, and the group does not appear to be picking up the phone. Enright did not respond to a message through his Facebook account.

But this appears to be the same man: Police described Enright as a resident of Brewster, 21 years old, and an employee of an "Internet media company who had recently spent time with a combat unit in Afghanistan filming military exercises until this past May."

His Facebook picture, above, appears to show him in Afghanistan. The page describes him as a cinematographer and photographer for Intersections.

Charles Johnson turns up a description of his work:

Michael Enright, a student at the School of Visual Arts and volunteer for Intersections’ Veteran-Civilian Dialogue program, was featured in The Journal News. Enright is working on his thesis film project about war’s effects on the soul, which includes excerpts of the Veteran-Civilian Dialogue. Enright’s film follows his former classmate Cpl. Alex Eckner, and Eckner’s army unit through basic training in Hawaii, deployment to Afghanistan and their return home.

The Village Voice first reported the connection.