Muhammad Suhail Raza Malik had ducked into an Annapolis gas station to grab a bite to eat before the Ramadan fast resumed at sunrise Monday, when a group of young men shouted derogatory racial comments and viciously attacked him, he said.

Since then, the 27-year-old Pakistani taxicab driver has been in and out of hospitals as doctors try to mend his broken right eye socket, swollen right eyelid and possibly dislocated jaw.

Three men remained behind bars yesterday, charged with a hate crime in the attack.

Malik, who has been in the United States for six years and a cabdriver for about nine months, said he has grown accustomed to nightly verbal assaults in the aftermath of last year's terrorist attacks but had never been physically assaulted until Monday.

"You can't imagine what I go through," Malik said yesterday. "People really give you a hard time."

Malik said he endures snide questions - mostly from drunken cab fares - about whether he is related to terrorists. "Before 9/11, nobody bothered me," Malik said. "Now ... every night there are problems."

Laila Al-Qatami, a spokeswoman for the Arab-American Anti-Defamation Committee, based in Washington, said there were 865 violent incidents - including 11 homicides - nationwide between Sept. 11, 2001, and October of this year of Arab-Americans or those with a Middle Eastern appearance.

"People are lashing out," she said. "We see people perceived to be Arab being beaten, denied services. ... They're asked questions like, 'Are you related to Osama bin Laden?'"

Malik said that when the three men approached him Monday, Malik said he told them he was on a break and tried to duck into the gas station store to avoid a confrontation.

But the men then began yelling comments such as "You bombed our country," "You terrorist," and "We hate you, go back to your country," according to the police incident report.

As the verbal barrage intensified, one man hit Malik in the face with a glass bottle, and when Malik grabbed a broomstick to try to defend himself, they ripped that from his hands and began beating him nearly unconscious with it, according to the report.

Michael Holland, vice president of Annapolis Checker Cab, Malik's employer, said it is the most violent attack on a cabdriver - and the first racially motivated incident - he can remember.

"This is purely a hate crime," Holland said, adding the 40-year-old company will take up a collection for Malik.

Malik is one of about 40 drivers for Annapolis Checker, Holland said, the majority of whom are Pakistani. Particularly since Sept. 11, 2001, the company has urged drivers to look out for themselves, avoid confrontations and keep a low profile, Holland said.

Officer Hal Dalton, Annapolis police spokesman, said the incident is the first alleged hate crime in the city this year. He called the attack "very unusual" and said he could not recall another violent incident involving an Arab-American.

Arrested at the scene were Ray C. Bailey, 21, of Arnold, Robert J. Canter, 20, of Annapolis and David J. Grobani, 19, of Arnold. All are charged with a hate crime and first- and second-degree assault.

At a hearing yesterday, bail for Grobani was reduced to $50,000, bail for Bailey remained at $500,000 and bail for Canter remained at $850,000, although 20 percent is acceptable for release.

All three were being held at the Anne Arundel County Detention Center in Annapolis last night.

Malik said he is scheduled for a second CAT scan today and hopes his vision, which had been perfect until the attack, won't be too badly impaired. Although he now faces sizable medical bills without health insurance, Malik said he is unsure if he will continue to be a taxi driver.

"At this point, I'm really scared to drive my cab," he said. "Next time, I might be killed. I'm not going to put my life in danger to support myself."