After the brutal assault on an elderly Sikh man on the eve of 9/11 anniversary, Sikh Coalition in New York want awareness about communities to be brought about.
In the wake of brutal assault on an elderly Sikh-American, an advocacy group in New York has asked lawmakers to support a resolution that honours victims of post-9/11 hate crimes, including Sikh-Americans, and to raise awareness about the community.
The Sikh Coalition is urging citizens to contact their Congressional representatives and request that they co-sponsor a resolution honouring the victims of hate crimes, including Sikh Americans, in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks. The appeal by the group comes in the wake of the brutal attack on 53-year-old Inderjit Singh Mukker in Chicago's Darien suburb on September 8. He was called "Terrorist, go back to your country, Bin Laden!" by his assailant, who repeatedly punched Mukker in the face, causing him to lose consciousness, bleed profusely and suffer a fractured cheekbone and a laceration to his cheek.
The suspect is in custody and the Darien Police Department has notified the Sikh Coalition that they are investigating this matter as a hate crime. "On the eve of the 9/11 anniversary, the violent attack on Mukker is another painful reminder for all Americans that hate remains alive and well in the United States," Sikh Coalition s Legal Director Harsimran Kaur said. "While we relentlessly work to protect Mukker's rights and work hard to ensure that hate crime charges are pursued in this case, we urge all Americans to reach out to their neighbours to build bridges of understanding. It is through recognising our collective humanity that we can work together to end hate."
The coalition said this is a "critical time" for everyone to raise awareness and appreciation about the Sikh-Americans. It called on Sikhs and non-Sikhs to conduct a Sikh awareness presentation in schools, places of employment, libraries and police stations. "No American should be afraid to practise their faith in our country," Mukker had said. The Sikh Coalition said the attack, on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary, is just the latest in a line of violent attacks on Sikhs in America.
The Sikh Coalition said Sikhs continue to experience a high volume of hate crimes and in the last 12 months alone, a Sikh professor was assaulted in Harlem, a Sikh pedestrian had his turban forcibly removed near Wall Street, a Sikh business owner was run over in Queens and a Sikh doctor was assaulted on Roosevelt Island.
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 "Sikh-Americans demand a resolution that honours people who were victim to post 9/11 hate crimes")
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