Christian Uber Driver Mistaken for a Muslim Attacked and Threatened by Passenger
A Christian Uber driver in North Carolina was attacked and threatened by a passenger who had mistaken him for a Muslim.
Uber driver Samson Woldemichael, who moved from Ethiopia to the United States eight years ago, said a passenger beat and threatened to shoot him after the latter thought he was a Muslim. The incident happened on Sunday morning after the Christian driver drove the man to his home, according to The Independent.
The incident comes in the wake of the coordinated Paris attacks last week. Many people have grown wary of Muslims and other religious minorities since then, the report explains.
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In an interview with WBTV-TV, Woldemichael said he picked up the passenger from a bar in Charlotte and drove 10 miles to the destination. When they were nearing their destination, the man threatened to shoot and strangle the Uber driver. In addition, the enraged passenger also pelted Woldemichael with anti-Muslim slurs, the report relays.
"He asked me if I was a Muslim, and I said I was not a Muslim," the Independent quotes Woldemichael's statement to WBTV-TV. "I was driving and he hit me while I was driving."
Fearing for his life, Woldemichael did not stop the car and continued to drive around the block. The passenger hit him hard on his forehead and did not stop doing so until they arrived at the man's home, Yahoo! News reports.
Woldemichael also narrated how the passenger was hiding his hand behind and acting as if he was armed. When the Uber driver was finally able to drive away, he immediately called the police, the report details.
As of now, no arrests have been made in connection to the incident. Since Uber passengers are required to pay with their credit cards and give their personal data, Woldemichael is hoping the authorities would be able to trace the passenger using the Uber app.
