CAIR Seeks Md. Hate Crime Charges for Assault on Va. Muslim -- WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

A prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization has called on the Office of the State's Attorney for Prince George's County Maryland to bring hate crime charges against a Prince Frederick man scheduled to go to trial on Monday, October 17, for allegedly assaulting a Virginia Muslim limousine driver.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says the alleged assault took place on March 11 of this year when the Muslim limo driver of Moroccan origin reported that he picked up two passengers in Washington, D.C., shortly after midnight and was asked to take them to National Harbor.

After learning that the driver's name is Mohammed, one of the passengers asked whether he was Muslim. When the driver said he is Muslim, that admission allegedly prompted both passengers to use religious and ethnic slurs and make threats to the life of the driver.

The passengers reportedly called the Muslim driver a "jihadist" and told him they were going to "f**king murder" him.

When the limo arrived at the destination, one of the passengers allegedly punched the driver in the head, knocking him to the ground and fracturing his wrist. Both passengers were subsequently arrested and charged.