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Radical Muslim Pedicab Driver Proselytizes As He Pedals


By

John Del Signore

Published Oct 19, 2009

Modified Oct 19, 2009


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By

John Del Signore

Published Oct 19, 2009

Modified Oct 19, 2009


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Meet Yousef al-Khattab, a Jewish-born, Jersey-raised convert to Islam who operates a pedicab in Manhattan. The Post describes him as "attention-loving" in a profile that's already up on al-Khattab's website, Revolution Muslim. The site is full of videos showing al-Khattab, who changed his name from Joseph Leonard Cohen, confronting the heathens about their sinful ways. Watch him tear this "Flesh God-worshiping pagan" a new one:

Law enforcement officials say al-Khattab is not a security threat, even though last January he distributed the address and pictures of the Chabad Lubavitch headquarters in Brooklyn with the message "Do Not Let Orthodox Judaism Get Away From Murder in Ghaza." The handout was investigated as a bomb threat, but Al-Khattab is still free to pedal and proselytize, and Gregg Zukowski, president of the NYC Pedicab Association, says, "He's out there and working hard. [His beliefs] don't impact on his business." But given the choice between a pedicab powered by ranting al-Khattab or acrobatic Spider-Man, the latter seems a lot less irritating.

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pedicab

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John Del Signore

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Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


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