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Sikhs angry at prosecutor's plea that removing a
Sikh's turban is not bias crime
WSN Network

Hoboken, NJ: Reacting to the Hudson County Prosecutor's suggestion that telling a Sikh to remove his turban and physically attempting to do so is not intimidating enough to rise to the level of a bias crime, several Sikh organizations have said they are dismayed by the prosecutor's decision not to charge a January assault on Hansdip Singh as a bias crime.

The prosecutor's office instead is charging Carrie Covello, who attempted to remove Mr. Singh's turban in public, with harassment, a non-bias-related charge.

The assault occurred on January 29, 2008. Hansdip Singh, a Sikh New Jersey resident, was standing in the Madison Grill in Hoboken when a woman behind him grabbed his turban and attempted to pry it from his head. She had almost succeeded by the time Mr. Singh turned around to confront her. When he did so, the woman remarked that she had a problem with "that stuff" on his head, and told him to "take it off."

The Sikh Coalition has said it was concerned that the prosecutor's own lack of cultural understanding played into the decision not to prosecute this assault as a bias crime. Ms. Covello's actions directly targeted Mr. Singh's faith and his religious appearance. The prosecutor's decision effectively excuses those who target Sikhs' turbans for ridicule and aggression.

Clearly the Sikh community has a great deal of work to do to combat bias and discrimination against Sikhs. It is troubling that 40 years to the day that Martin Luther King Jr. was assasinated, America continues to struggle with the scourage of ignorance and bigotry.

The Sikh Coaliton said it was committed to working with local prosecutors to ensure that the Sikh voice is heard during Ms. Covello's munipal court proceedings. In addition the Coalition will work with local media to educate the public about bias attacks on Sikhs.

9 April 2008
 

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