A Muslim immigrant who saw his livelihood set on fire by a mob of hateful and violent American hooligans would seem to be the perfect poster child for the liberal cult of victimhood.
Yet I’m not detecting much sympathy from the left on behalf of Muhammad Ashraf, the owner of Nationwide Chauffeur Services, whose limousine was torched and driver injured during the anti-Trump anarchist riots in downtown Washington on Inauguration Day.
Ashraf spoke out against the anti-Trump demonstration to Red Alert Politics, saying that while he wasn’t a supporter of Donald Trump during the campaign, Friday’s protests were completely counter-productive. The left’s massive temper tantrum could end up costing the fellow Trump critic $70,000 with the loss of his limo. Ashraf said, “I did not agree with many of the things he said, but that still does not give me the right to go and affect someone’s livelihood.”
“I really don’t think we need to take this [violent] route,” he said.
Ashraf’s employee, Luis Villarroel, 58, was dropping a client off at their destination when things turned ugly. Protesters smashed doors and windows in the vicinity, but then turned their attention to Villarroel and the limo. People began pounding on the car and started throwing stones and bricks in his direction. The driver ended up going to the hospital for cuts on his hands and arms from glass being shattered by thrown projectiles.
“[We’ve] been in business for over 25 years and this is the first time this has happened,” Ashraf said.
Ashraf explained that with the loss of the vehicle, his company is now in the hole for $70,000 (if insurance doesn’t cover riots) plus commission and the medical bills for his driver.
It’s ironic to think that protesters are angry with President Trump for his proposed plan to harm and demonize immigrants and Muslims, yet they personally have a hand in destroying the livelihood of a Muslim immigrant.
But when people are in need, there are other decent Americans to pay it forward and help.
One anarchist who participated in the riots told the Washington Post that the attacks were done with “nuance and intention.”
The limousine set ablaze on K Street near 13th Street NW was attacked as an “explicit demonstration of our increasingly corporate state, which Trump’s presidency epitomizes,” said Tom Faison, 22, a District resident who works in film production and was part of the protests. He was not arrested but was outside court waiting for a friend who had been charged.
Instead of hurting Trump and “our increasingly corporate state,” these buffoons actually damaged the livelihood of a Muslim immigrant and fellow Trump critic who was trying to make it in America with his own company.
According to the Post, 230 anti-Trump agitators are facing up to 10 years in jail for rioting. Unsurprisingly, most of the rioters were not from the D.C. area.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Ashraf, his employee, and his small limo company.
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