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Sikh schoolboy may get justice for
forced haircut
WSN Network
QUEENS, NY:
Court is
in session this week for the Sikh schoolboy whose hair was forcibly
cut at the hands of a classmate in May 2007. The defendant, Umair
Ahmed, 17, has been indicted on a total of nine charges, four of
which are hate crimes. The trial began on Friday and is likely to
proceed through this week.
The incident in
question occurred on 24 May, 2007, at Newtown High School in Queens
between 12:05 p.m. and 2:15 p.m., according to a police deposition.
The victim, whose name is not being released in order to protect his
identity, was allegedly approached by Ahmed, who declared, “I have
to cut your hair.” After the victim explained to his would-be
assailant that cutting hair was against his religion, the latter
showed signs of becoming violent, and threatened to punch the victim
with a ring. Feeling threatened by Ahmed’s behaviour and the fact
that Ahmed was wielding the ring and a pair of scissors, the Sikh
student feared for his safety and followed his attacker’s
instructions to go to the bathroom with him. It was in the bathroom
where Ahmed allegedly forced the victim to remove his turban, which
he wore over his then unshorn hair, and then proceeded to cut the
Sikh boy’s hair after threatening physical harm. The hair was thrown
into the toilet and onto the floor by the attacker.
Kesh, or unshorn
hair, is a Sikh article of faith that is obligatory for a Sikh to
keep at all times. Historically, Sikhs have gone so far as to endure
torture and even die before allowing their hair to be cut. Ahmed was
indicted in September of 2007 by a grand jury that added the four
additional hate crime charges. Currently, Ahmed is being charged
with the following counts:
• Menacing in
the second degree, as a hate crime (2 counts)
• Unlawful
imprisonment in the second degree, as a hate crime (2 counts)
• Aggravated
harassment in the second degree
• Criminal
possession of a weapon in the fourth degree
• Harassment in
the second degree
• Coercion in
the second degree as a hate crime (2 counts)
5
March 2008
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