Image via Complex Original
Sunday's shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin left seven people dead—including the shooter—and highlighted a violent trend in America against Sikhs, one that has only become more prevalent since 9/11. As CNN noted, Sikhs are often mistaken for Muslims, making them targets for anti-Muslim hate crimes. Ignorance and fear have led to innocent lives lost. (And of course, it must be acknowledged that the anti-Muslim sentiments that are often behind this misdirected violence are just as deplorable.)
As a step toward stopping this, here is a look at the History of Violence Against American Sikhs Since 9/11.
Written by Julian Kimble (@JRK316)
September 2001, Mesa, AZ
49-year-old Balbir Singh Sodhi was killed by aircraft mechanic Frank Roque outside of a gas station. That same day, Roque shot at a Lebanese-American gas station clerk and opened fire into the home of an Afghan-American family. Roque received the death penalty. It was overturned by Arizona’s Supreme Court in favor of a life sentence due to Roque’s mental illness and low IQ.
[via NY Times]
December 2001, Los Angeles, CA
47-year-old store owner Surinder Singh Sidhi was struck more than 20 times with metal poles by two men who yelled “We'll kill bin Laden today.” Fortunately, he survived the attack.
[via LiveLeak]
December 2001, Palermo, NY
Three 18-year-olds and one 19-year-old were arrested for burning down the Sikh temple Gobind Sadan in Palermo. The four teenagers would later tell police they thought the temple was named “Go Bin Laden.”
[via NY Times]
May 2003, Phoenix, AZ
52-year-old Sikh immigrant Avtar Singh Cheira was shot and wounded while driving his 18 wheeler. Singh says he remembers being told “Go back to where you belong to” before being shot. At the time of the incident, Cheira had been living in the United States for nearly two decades.
[via AZ Central]
August 2003, Queens, NY
A family of Indian immigrants were attacked by three men outside of their home. The victims told police they were spit on, punched, and told “Bin Laden family, go back to your country.''
[via NY Times]
March 2004, Fresno, CA
Graffiti reading “It's Not Your Country” and “Rags Go Home” was spray-painted on the Gurdwara Sahib temple in Fresno. A year prior, the temple was vandalized five times over five consecutive nights, as firecrackers were thrown at the building in addition to it being spray-painted.
[via Real Sikhism]
July 2004, New York
Rajinder Singh Khalsa (seen above), 54, and his cousin Gurcharan Singh were savagely beaten by a group of six men who were harassing them about their turbans. When Khalsa attempted to explain the significance of the garment to the young men, he was beaten until he was unconscious.
[via The Sikh Coalition]
August 2006, San Jose, CA
Eager to “kill a Taliban,” a man stabbed Iqbal Singh in the neck with a steak knife while he stood in the carport of his home. Singh survived the attack.
[via News America Media]
May 2007, Queens, NY
A 15-year-old had his hair cut against his will by a fellow Newton High School student. When the student tried to explain the importance of his hair to the attacker, he was threatened with scissors.
[via Gothamist]
January 2008, New Hyde Park, NY
63-year-old Baljeet Singh was outside of his temple when a man told him “Arab, go back to your country.” The man went on to assault him, punching him in the face, breaking his nose, and fracturing his jaw.
[via Politico]
June 2008, Queens, NY
A 9th grade student was attacked by a fellow student at Richmond Hill High School who attempted to remove his patka (a garment worn by Sikh men) from behind, then hit him in the face with his keys. The boy had reportedly been the target of abuse for months.
[via WABC7]
October 2008, Carteret, NJ
While taking his daily walk, Ajit Singh Chima was punched and kicked in the head. He was not robbed—the crime was motivated by hate.
[via New Kerala]
January 2009, Queens, NY
Jasmir Singh was attacked outside of a grocery store at 4 a.m. by three men wielding a glass bottle. Throughout the attack, the men shouted racial slurs referencing his beard and turban. He was stabbed in the eye. A white friend who was with him was not attacked.
[via NY Daily News]
November 2010, Sacramento, CA
Cabdriver Harbhajan Singh was robbed and beaten by two passengers, one of whom called him “Osama Bin Laden.” After robbing him, the passengers continued to beat him, leaving Singh with several stitches on his head and other parts of his body, bone chips in his nose, and bruising along his rib cage.
[via Fox40]
March 2011, Elk Grove, CA
Surinder Singh and Gurmej Singh Atwal were fatally shot during an afternoon walk near their homes in Elk Grove. They were not robbed, and family members say that neither had any enemies.
[via LA Times]
May 2011, New York
MTA employee Jiwan Singh, father of Jasmir Singh, was accused of being a relative of Osama Bin Laden on the A train. Singh was punched in the face three times, resulting in the loss of three teeth.
[via Village Voice]
February 2012, Sterling Heights, MI
A gun and a Christian cross were spray painted on a Sikh temple that was under construction. “Mohmed” was also written on the building, possibly a failed allusion to the Muslim prophet Mohammaed.
[via The Huffington Post]