On a day 17 people were killed by an armed teen in a US school, a new case of hate crime against a Sikh man has emerged.
According to information, a passenger put a gun to the head of a Sikh Uber driver after demanding to know “which country do you belong to?” and telling him “I hate turban people” on Sunday, January 28th.
Gurjeet Singh, a father and husband who wears a turban and sports a beard, has lived in Northwest Illinois for the past three years and serves as the head granthi at his local gurdwara. Gurjeet faced the assailant while driving for Uber and then notified police the next day about the assault. In the nearly three weeks since, there has not been any arrest.
At 10:39 pm on Sunday January 28th, Mr. Singh picked up a caucasian male and female in the alley next to Casey’s Tavern in Moline, IL. Mr. Singh started driving south towards the passengers’ home when the male passenger began asking Mr. Singh questions: “What is your status here?” “Which country do you belong to?” “Do you serve our country or do you serve your country?”
Mr. Singh, a legal U.S. resident who speaks limited English, was confused and scared by the questions but attempted to explain that he serves both countries because his parents still live in India.
In response, the male passenger got visibly angry and put a gun to Mr. Singh’s head while saying, “I hate turban people; I hate beard people.” Mr. Singh slammed on the brakes and the female passenger forcibly removed the male passenger from the vehicle. She then apologized for the male passenger’s behavior, and instructed Mr. Singh to drop her home and to avoid taking the same route back to eliminate another encounter with the male attacker.
While the Rock Island Sheriff’s Department has informed the Sikh Coalition, an organisation that defends civil rights of Sikhs in the US, that the investigation continues, charges have not yet been submitted to the Rock Island State’s Attorney’s Office.
“The fact that no arrest has been made and hate crime charges have not yet been filed endangers the safety of Mr Singh and the Quad Cities Sikh community,” said Sikh Coalition legal director Amrith Kaur. “The facts of this case are clear. We expect the Rock Island County Sheriff’s Police Department to arrest the attacker, and the Rock Island County State’s Attorney’s Office to file hate crime charges immediately.”
The hate-fueled violent threat against Mr. Singh is yet another incident in a long history of bias-based attacks against Sikhs across the country. Sikh Americans, who have been an integral part of the American fabric for 125 years, practice the fifth largest religion in the world. The articles of faith, including the beard and turban, represent equality and justice for all.
In a statement, Gurjeet said, “This never should have happened, and I want my community and family to feel safe. There must be justice for this hate crime. Authorities should arrest and charge the man who attacked me without further delays because bigotry has no place in our society.”
