A 19-year-old Sikh boy was left “shaken and angered” after being attacked in a New York City bus in a suspected hate crime on 15th October. On 18th October, he stated that no one should be harassed because of their appearance after he was assaulted by an assailant who attempted to take off his face mask and turban.
“I am shaken and angered by this attack. I believe that no one should be assaulted or harassed because of how they look, and everyone should be able to go about their business in public in peace,” he asserted in a statement released by advocacy and rights group, The Sikh Coalition.
UPDATE: Our latest reflection on the case of the Sikh teen who was assaulted on an NYC bus this weekend, including a statement from both him and one of our attorneys.
— Sikh Coalition (@sikh_coalition) October 18, 2023
Read more → https://t.co/UjW6OUqokS pic.twitter.com/osrOr2SzIo
The boy expressed his gratitude to everyone from different communities who spoke out in support of him as well as the authorities who are taking this hate crime seriously. He also desired to remain anonymous at this time. The young man endured assault multiple times while boarding an MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) bus in New York City, according to the statement.
The press release further read, “His turban was specifically targeted, and the perpetrator used xenophobic language throughout the incident.” It has subsequently been communicated with him, according to the Sikh Coalition, to extend legal aid and other forms of support. The organisation continues to converse about the ongoing probe with him and the New York Police Department (NYPD).
“Given that this young Singh’s turban was targeted during the attack, we are heartened that this incident is being investigated as a hate crime,” remarked Sikh Coalition Staff Attorney Amreen Partap Singh Bhasin in a statement.
She maintained that there is no doubt that current domestic and global events are fueling anxiety within the Sikh and other communities. She further brought up the death of six-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume, a Palestinian American boy, who was stabbed 26 times at home by Joseph Czuba in Illinois in the midst of ongoing tensions between Israel and Palestine.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published its annual report on hate crimes statistics which included data on hate crimes that occurred in 2022. According to the report, victims of hate crimes inspired by religion were at their highest point in USA since 2001, having increased by 17% since 2021. It added that the intelligence and security service had registered 198 anti-Sikh hate crime occurrences, the highest number ever and that the community remained the second most targeted group in the country for incidences of hate crimes motivated by religion.
