New York: One of Indian origin Sikh The taxi driver – who was stripped of his turban and told “turban people, go back to your country” by an unidentified person in the US – says he is “shocked and annoyed” that he was attacked and someone One should not experience such hatred.
On January 3, community-based civil and human rights organization The Sikh Coalition said in a statement that Singh, a resident of New York City, was physically assaulted and beaten up near his cab at JFK International Airport here.
Singh had parked his cab at the Terminal 4 taxi stand when another driver stopped his vehicle. When Singh picked up a customer, he got out of his car to ask the other driver to proceed. The other driver attempted to hit Singh through the door of his own car; He then started punching Singh repeatedly in the head, chest and arms, a statement said.
According to the statement, the second driver called Singh “wearing a turban” and yelled at him to “go back to his country”.
“I was shocked and angry that I was attacked for doing nothing but my work. While working, no one should experience this kind of hatred. I hope the police identify, arrest that person. and accuse the person who attacked me so that I can proceed,” said the Sikh taxi driver, identified only as . Mr. Singh In honor of their request for secrecy, the Sikh Coalition is told.
Singh lodged a report with the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) soon after the incident. The Sikh Coalition said it is currently working to ensure that the report “presents an accurate picture of the attack, given the language barrier during initial talks.”
The organization’s employees accompanied Singh to a meeting with a detective, to provide language assistance and legal aid.
Amrit Kaur Aakre, legal director of the Sikh Coalition, said: “We sincerely hope that bias will be considered as a factor in this outrageous attack, which is evidence of what the other driver said and did to Mr. Singh. ”
“The Sikh Alliance appreciates all those who have stepped forward to support Mr. Singh and draw attention to his attack. As the investigation progresses, we will work towards an appropriate outcome that will hold the attacker accountable for his actions, while also reiterating that the Sikh community remains an integral part of New York City,” Aakre said.
Navjot Pal Kaur A 26-second video of the January 4 attack was posted on Twitter and it soon went viral.
Kaur tweeted, “This video was taken by a viewer John F Kennedy International Airport, I do not own the rights to this video.
But I just wanted to highlight the fact that hatred still persists in our society and unfortunately I have seen repeated attacks on Sikh cab drivers.”
Simran Jeet SinghThe author and director of the Aspen Institute’s Inclusive America Project tweeted: “Another Sikh cab driver assaulted. It’s at JFK Airport in NYC. Seeing so upset. But it is important that we do not look away… I am sure how painful it is that our fathers and elders are assaulted while they are just trying to live an honest life. ,
“For those who are not Sikhs, I can’t put into words what it means to tear off your turban – or to see someone else pat your turban. It’s gut and gut-wrenching and so depressing to witness, Singh tweeted.
The Consulate General of India in New York termed the attack on the Sikh taxi driver as “extremely disturbing” and said it had taken up the matter with US officials and urged them to investigate the violent incident.
The US State Department also said it was “deeply disturbed” by reports of an attack on a Sikh cab driver at JFK International Airport captured on video.
“Our diversity makes America stronger and we condemn any form of hate-based violence,” the State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) tweeted.
It had tweeted, “We all have a responsibility to hold perpetrators of hate crimes accountable for their actions, wherever such crimes may be.”
Singh has retained the Sikh coalition to provide free legal guidance as the investigation of his attacker progresses.
The organization said that out of respect for Singh’s “privacy (noting that his turban was taken off) and in accordance with his request that he is not publicly identified, the Sikh Coalition is not sharing the footage further at this time.” Is.”
It expressed concern that Sikhs in the United States continue to experience attacks motivated by prejudice and hatred because of their beliefs about visually identifiable articles (including turbans) as well as beliefs about their country of origin.
According to the most recent data from the FBI, Sikhs remain in the top three most-targeted groups for incidents of religiously motivated hate crimes and prejudice across the country.
In the experience of the Sikh alliance, taxi and rideshare drivers in particular are at a greater risk of such violent attacks, it said.
On January 3, community-based civil and human rights organization The Sikh Coalition said in a statement that Singh, a resident of New York City, was physically assaulted and beaten up near his cab at JFK International Airport here.
Singh had parked his cab at the Terminal 4 taxi stand when another driver stopped his vehicle. When Singh picked up a customer, he got out of his car to ask the other driver to proceed. The other driver attempted to hit Singh through the door of his own car; He then started punching Singh repeatedly in the head, chest and arms, a statement said.
According to the statement, the second driver called Singh “wearing a turban” and yelled at him to “go back to his country”.
“I was shocked and angry that I was attacked for doing nothing but my work. While working, no one should experience this kind of hatred. I hope the police identify, arrest that person. and accuse the person who attacked me so that I can proceed,” said the Sikh taxi driver, identified only as . Mr. Singh In honor of their request for secrecy, the Sikh Coalition is told.
Singh lodged a report with the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) soon after the incident. The Sikh Coalition said it is currently working to ensure that the report “presents an accurate picture of the attack, given the language barrier during initial talks.”
The organization’s employees accompanied Singh to a meeting with a detective, to provide language assistance and legal aid.
Amrit Kaur Aakre, legal director of the Sikh Coalition, said: “We sincerely hope that bias will be considered as a factor in this outrageous attack, which is evidence of what the other driver said and did to Mr. Singh. ”
“The Sikh Alliance appreciates all those who have stepped forward to support Mr. Singh and draw attention to his attack. As the investigation progresses, we will work towards an appropriate outcome that will hold the attacker accountable for his actions, while also reiterating that the Sikh community remains an integral part of New York City,” Aakre said.
Navjot Pal Kaur A 26-second video of the January 4 attack was posted on Twitter and it soon went viral.
Kaur tweeted, “This video was taken by a viewer John F Kennedy International Airport, I do not own the rights to this video.
But I just wanted to highlight the fact that hatred still persists in our society and unfortunately I have seen repeated attacks on Sikh cab drivers.”
Simran Jeet SinghThe author and director of the Aspen Institute’s Inclusive America Project tweeted: “Another Sikh cab driver assaulted. It’s at JFK Airport in NYC. Seeing so upset. But it is important that we do not look away… I am sure how painful it is that our fathers and elders are assaulted while they are just trying to live an honest life. ,
“For those who are not Sikhs, I can’t put into words what it means to tear off your turban – or to see someone else pat your turban. It’s gut and gut-wrenching and so depressing to witness, Singh tweeted.
The Consulate General of India in New York termed the attack on the Sikh taxi driver as “extremely disturbing” and said it had taken up the matter with US officials and urged them to investigate the violent incident.
The US State Department also said it was “deeply disturbed” by reports of an attack on a Sikh cab driver at JFK International Airport captured on video.
“Our diversity makes America stronger and we condemn any form of hate-based violence,” the State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) tweeted.
It had tweeted, “We all have a responsibility to hold perpetrators of hate crimes accountable for their actions, wherever such crimes may be.”
Singh has retained the Sikh coalition to provide free legal guidance as the investigation of his attacker progresses.
The organization said that out of respect for Singh’s “privacy (noting that his turban was taken off) and in accordance with his request that he is not publicly identified, the Sikh Coalition is not sharing the footage further at this time.” Is.”
It expressed concern that Sikhs in the United States continue to experience attacks motivated by prejudice and hatred because of their beliefs about visually identifiable articles (including turbans) as well as beliefs about their country of origin.
According to the most recent data from the FBI, Sikhs remain in the top three most-targeted groups for incidents of religiously motivated hate crimes and prejudice across the country.
In the experience of the Sikh alliance, taxi and rideshare drivers in particular are at a greater risk of such violent attacks, it said.
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