In what is said to be a hate crime, a Sikh man was allegedly assaulted and brutally injured in the US on Tuesday with his assailant calling him a "terrorist".
Inderjit Singh Mukker, a Sikh American resident in the Darien suburb of Chicago, was driving to the grocery store when his alleged assailant pulled up in front of his car while yelling racial slurs at him.
According to a statement released by the Sikh Coalition, a community-based organisation, the assailant told Mukker “Terrorist, go back to your country, Bin Laden!”
The man then approached Mukker, who was still in his vehicle, and repeatedly punched his face, "causing him to lose consciousness, bleed profusely and suffer a fractured cheekbone and a laceration to his cheek. He was rushed to the hospital, where he received six stitches, treatment for lacerations, bruising and swelling."
The suspect is in custody.
“While Sikhs have been an integral part of the American fabric for over 125 years, the community has faced disproportionate discrimination and targeted hate crimes in the 14 years since 9/11,” they added.
Speaking about the attack, which took place on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary, Harsimran Kaur, Legal Director, Sikh Coalition, said, “We believe Mr. Mukker was targeted and assaulted because of his Sikh religious appearance, race or national origin. We request an immediate investigation and call on local and federal agencies to investigate this attack as a hate crime.”
“No American should be afraid to practice their faith in our country,” said Mukker, who is a father of two. “I’m thankful for the swift response of authorities to apprehend the individual, but without this being fully investigated as a hate crime, we risk ignoring the horrific pattern of intolerance, abuse and violence that Sikhs and other minority communities in this country continue to face.”
Last August, Sandeep Singh, a Sikh father in New York City, was run over and dragged 30 feet after being called a “terrorist.” In 2012, an armed man walked into a gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin and shot and killed six Sikh people.