Mohamed A. Salim, 39, served this country in Iraq in intelligence and as a linguist. He served at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. Yet, he allegedly still suffered a beating and a broken jaw in his own country because of his Somali ethnicity and religion. Salim is a cab driver who picked up Emerald Aviation President Ed Dahlberg at the Country Club in Fairfax, Virginia. Dahlberg proceeded to accuse him of being a jihadist and allegedly attacked him. Emerald Aviation’s website is down for “scheduled maintenance” in the aftermath of Dahlberg’s arrest.
According to Salim, he picked up Dahlberg around 2 am but Dahlberg insisted that he wait while he finished his beer. Salim recorded what transpired on his cell phone. Dahlberg demanded that Salim define “jihad” and accusing him of being one of the “radical fucking Muslims blowing people up all over the world.” He demands that Salim “Denounce those motherfuckers now!” while adding “If you’re a fucking Muslim flying jets into the fucking World Trade Center then fuck you. I will slice your fucking throat right now.” On the tape, Salim is heard asking “Why are you punching me? Sir, why are you punching me?” The passenger replies: “You’re a [expletive] Muslim.”
Dahlberg is accused of trying to grab the cell phone and then leaving — only to return to break Salim’s jaw and then running into the forest.
What is astonishing is that Dahlberg is only charged with misdemeanor assault while police determine if charges should be elevated to a felony hate crime. Many civil libertarians are leery of hate crime charges. However, I fail to see why such a serious assault would need the hate crime element to be elevated to a felony. However, here is the provision:
18.2-57. Assault and battery.
A. Any person who commits a simple assault or assault and battery shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor, and if the person intentionally selects the person against whom a simple assault is committed because of his race,religious conviction, color or national origin, the penalty upon conviction shall include a term of confinement of at least six months, 30 days of which shall be a mandatory minimum term of confinement.
B. However, if a person intentionally selects the person against whom an assault and battery resulting in bodily injury is committed because of his race, religious conviction, color or national origin, the person shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony, and the penalty upon conviction shall include a term of confinement of at least six months, 30 days of which shall be a mandatory minimum term of confinement.
Dahlberg’s attorney, Demetry Pikrallidas, insists that there was no assault. Of course, even if this is accepted in court, there remains the appearance of this corporate president as an unhinged bigot. Then there is the added likelihood of a tort lawsuit for assault, battery, and infliction of emotional distress. There might also be potential liability for the country club depending on its reaction to the incident as it was unfolding.
Source: Washington Post
“It might be a dark time as Frankly said but, also, privileged whites have a long tradition of beating up minorities and getting away with it.”
I think SwM has hit the mark. This is a privileged and prominent “White Guy”, country clubber, the misdemeanor charge was made to see if it would “float” and he could get off as lightly as possible. Publicity has made that somewhat untenable so they go to the “hate crime” law to seem to be upping the ante. I suspect that because many find these laws to be problematic this might devolve to this bigot’s benefit. I’m with Gene, OS and Paul on this in that the injuries caused by the attack should make this into a high felony charge of assault, with a noncommittal penalty if the facts prove him guilty as charged.
My son-in-law is half Puerto Rican and half Norwegian..quite a combo. He went to a tavern Halloween party dressed in classic Middle Eastern garb two years ago. This was an old costume from his dad dating back to the 1980’s. Some drunken assclown came after him w/ a pool cue, calling him a “sand nigger.”
Anyone who has any knowledge of history knows this is common in our culture, and most others. American Indians, Irish, Italians, Germans, Jews, JAPANESE!, etc. have been subjected to varying degrees of hatred. We all know of the Japanese internment. Most don’t know about how all of their real estate was confiscated and sold to political cronies for a song. On the flip side, we are a great multicultural culture that has become quite homogenized. Polls show that while people of Middle Eastern descent are subjected to this horseshit, they still like/love the U.S. and know it is a better venue for them than Europe, although some countries in Europe are making strides. There are many Iraqi’s in San Diego where I spend winters. Virtually all of the convenience stores are owned by them. Friendly, funny[they have a sarcastic humor much like my own], and great businessmen. They are VERY happy in the U.S. Incidents like these are ugly. They are isolated, and overreacting to them is unhelpful and almost as negative as the incidents themselves. Self loathing seems to be part of the dynamic. Alcohol seems to be part of this incident, and it was definitely part of the aforementioned incident w/ my son-in-law. That’s a MUCH bigger problem than bias, IMHO.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/05/01/man-angry-over-boston-bombings-breaks-jaw-of-fcking-muslim-iraq-war-veteran/ Officials are looking at the evidence to determine if this is a felony hate crime. It sure seems to be. It might be a dark time as Frankly said but, also, privileged whites have a long tradition of beating up minorities and getting away with it.
Jacking this up to a hate crime charge may muddy the waters too much. There is plenty to charge him with already. Looks as if the preliminary charges are just enough to hold him until the investigation is complete. Some prosecutors I know charge to the max to get high bond, then work backward, dropping charges they know won’t stick.
Also, as I wrote above, the FAA Aerospace Medical Certification Division needs to suspend his medical certificate until he has a full medical and psychological workup. Furthermore, when the FAA chief medical examiner orders an IME workup, they spell out the tests they want used, and the list is always exhaustive. He would not receive a ‘lick and a promise’ examination.
This is a particularly dark time in our nation right now. -Frankly
It certainly is. And the full truth about who and what we’ve become is still waiting for the light. In the meantime, we’ll continue to see it in stories like this one.
Misdemeanor assault, my a$$.
AY,
To me, aggravated circumstance is aggravated circumstance, but to go to the “hate crimes” arena is dangerously close to the Thought Police. Specific intent should only go to “how”, not “why”.
While I understand the concern of speech crime in the hate crime statute, I think that this is a needed law and felony. The hate crime is a different thing rather than simply assault and battery since it is an act of terrorism. The whole point of hate crime is to terrify and hurt others and this ongoing effect is what the whole point of the crime is. To exempt or not take into account the continuing and intended effects is to ignore the fact that NOT charging an increased penalty is to allow the crime to continue. Thus charging a hate crime will not only send a message to counter the intended effect on its intended victims, but hopefully result in fewer such crimes.
Having a felony conviction will cause this fool to lose many of his rights such as owning firearms, voting in many states, and his FAA medical will also be called into question since he will have to list a felony on it, which I imagine that the FAA will be very interested investigating. He can kiss off ever getting an ATP license.
Gene,
If I read correctly the MF came back, which means returned to break his Jaw…. Come on that elevates this in my mind…. If it were a single transaction…. Then I’d be in you camp of felony assault and battery…. Since, he had left and come back… That changes it for me….
I can’t believe that beating a person to such an extent as the jaw is broken is not a felony. Of course in the crimes are almost always plead downward so it may be rare that a beating like this is actually convicted as a felony. People do strange things when they fill themselves with mind altering drugs.
I don’t think we disagree in substance, AY. Just in methodological detail.
Gene,
I think people in special places deserve special treatment in certain circumstances…. In this case…. IMO only…. He deserves whatever can be dished out….
I’m with OS but not AY. “Hate crimes” are inherently problematic. As our host notes, this could be raised to the felony level without resorting to hate crime charges.
I’m with OS on this as well as charging the MF with a hate crime if what he did was true..
Yes America has been even crazier, so this is nothing new. For those who are challenged in history knowledge and who say whites have not been the target of such hatred and bigotry, I have to remind them of WWI. There was a mass hysteria against all things German and those with German last names were beaten, killed, jailed, and their property destroyed. In fact, in Texas where German used to be the second language especially around Austin, the legislature passed a bill that made speaking German a criminal offense. A person could be jailed if any law enforcement officer heard what he thought was German. German newspapers were banned, as were any other media in German.
In our family, my paternal grandfather had an electrical contracting business and his home and business was burned down by a mob in Boston because his name is German. He did not speak a word of German, but that made no difference. So YES the US has been even worse than this.
Phiiip – to some extent, yes. We have had fits and starts across our history were being the wrong color/religion/national origin has been dangerous, worse some times better at other. The worst is always when politicians see an advantage in exploiting the fear and hate of the “other”. This is a particularly dark time in our nation right now
Has America always been this crazy?
Mr. Dahlberg holds the following pilot ratings by the FAA:
The FAA Aerospace Medical Certification Division in Oklahoma City needs to take a look at Mr. Dahlberg’s fitness to exercise pilot privileges under 14 CFR part 67. That says, in part, the following conditions are disqualifying:
– Personality disorder that is severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts;
– Psychosis;
– Substance abuse and dependence;
– Transient loss of control of nervous system function(s) without satisfactory medical explanation of cause.
The story does not make clear if alcohol or other substances may have been involved, but such loss of self-control is reason for further exploration. There appears to be no doubt that Mr. Dahlberg lost self-control to such a degree that he physically injured another person. That makes his fitness to hold an FAA medical certificate of any class suspect.
Disclosure: I have consulted with the FAA medical examiner’s office a number of times on similar cases.
This is the nation we have created. You see the same insanity here any time Islam is relevant to the post. WE have allowed venial politicians to plant fear, misunderstanding and loathing to raise a crop of hate that inflates their election chances. We permit televised grifters (I am looking at YOU Pat Robertson!) to convince people to send him money so that his invisible sky wizard will protect you from “murderous people” who all believe in a different wizard – or worse NONE AT ALL!. The hysteria has a price and it is paid every day by good people who are only trying to make their way in this world.
I think it would be most just if this crappy excuse for a human was charged with making terroristic threats since he is on tape doing exactly that.
Disgusting behavior. Breaking someone’s jaw b/c he’s a Muslim should be charged as a felony.
He lives a simple life; hate brown, love white and no tip for the cabbie.
Sounds like someone is a nasty drunk….and subject to the propaganda machine….