when sharif answered yes, police say enright pulled out a leatherman knife and slashed him on the face, neck and arm. >> he said asam malikem, then began to stab the driver sort of through the partition. >> reporter: sharif pointed to the controversy over a muslim community center planned near ground zero and said in his 25 years in new york, he has never felt so insecure. police say enright was drunk but he was still charged with attempted murder as a hate crime. his attorney now wants him in protective custody. >> there's a healthy population of people of the islamic faith in jail, and they may prejudge the situation. something may happen to him and i just want to prevent that. >> reporter: enright volunteered for a group that supports the construction of the mosque near ground zero. in may he returned from afghanistan where he had been working on a film promoting peace across different religions. police believe this attack to be an isolated incident but that in no way lessens the concern city officials here have about potential consequences of such