New York, Jan 16 (FN Bureau) The Consulate General of India has thanked New York Mayor Eric Adams for support in investigating the violent assault on a Sikh driver and the swift arrest of the culprit. In a tweet, the CGI in New York said: “Thank you @NYCMayor for support in investigating violent assault on Sikh taxi driver at JFK brought to the attention of your Office by the Consulate. “Deeply appreciate swift action taken by @PANYNJ (Port Authority of New York and New Jersey) and @QueensDAKatz (Office of the Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz). Culprit has been arrested. Thank @NYPDHateCrimes for support.” The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department has arrested Mohamed Hassanain for the January 3 attack on “Mr. Singh,” a Sikh taxi driver, at JFK airport. The incident is being considered a hate crime, the Sikh Coalition said in a statement. “The Sikh Coalition is proud to continue providing legal assistance to Mr. Singh as the case moves forward. We thank the PAPD and Queens District Attorney’s Office for their prompt action on this case, as well as the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force and all community members who have reached out for their support,” it said.
Mayor Eric Adams in a tweet had voiced shock and anger at the attack on the Sikh taxi driver. “We are shocked and angered too, Mr Singh. This is an outrageous attack. We say “hate has no home” in New York City and we’re living that value. If you have any information on this attack, please contact @PANYNJ Police,” he posted. On January 3, “Mr. Singh” was physically attacked and berated outside of his cab at JFK airport, according to the Sikh Coalition, a Sikh-American advocacy group. “The incident happened during the morning hours when Mr. Singh had parked his cab at the Terminal 4 taxi stand at the busy John F Kennedy Airport in New York. Suddenly another driver blocked his vehicle in. “When Mr. Singh picked up a customer, he stepped partway out of his car to ask the other driver to move. The other driver attempted to hit Mr. Singh with his own car door; he then began repeatedly punching Mr. Singh in the head, chest, and arms, causing his turban to become unraveled and fall off. “Not only this, the attacker called him “turbaned people” and shouted at him to “go back to your country.”
“Mr. Singh, who has sought the help of Sikh Coalition, said: “I was shocked and angered to be assaulted for doing nothing, but minding my own business while working–no one should experience such hate. I am hopeful that the police can identify, arrest, and charge the person who attacked me so that I can move forward.” “We have every expectation that bias will be considered as a factor in this outrageous attack, given the evidence of what the other driver said and did to Mr. Singh,” said Amrith Kaur Aakre, Sikh Coalition Legal Director. “Sikhs in the United States continue to experience bias- and hate-driven attacks on account of their visually identifiable articles of faith (including dastaars) as well as perceptions about their country of origin, the advocacy group says,” the Americanbazaaronline.com said in a report. According to the most recent FBI data, Sikhs remain in the top three most frequently targeted groups for religiously-motivated hate crimes and bias incidents nationwide. Sikh Coalition says in its experience, taxi and rideshare drivers in particular are at a heightened risk of kinds of violent attacks.