Guv: Don't rush to judgment on cabbie attack

Gov. David A. Paterson is urging caution in the case of a man accused of slashing a Muslim taxi driver in New York City.

In an interview Thursday on New York radio station WOR-AM, Paterson says that even if passenger Michael Enright actually called the cabbie a Muslim before the slashing as has been reported, such incidents often involve underlying mental health problems. The governor says the driver’s religion may not have prompted the attack.

Police say Enright was drunk at the time of Tuesday night’s attack in Manhattan.

Paterson says such incidents compel New Yorkers to remember that terrorists want Americans to fight among themselves.

Paterson also says he thinks the staunch opposition to a proposed mosque near Ground Zero is partly fueled by the bad economy.