Washington, Sep 10
Just days before the US commemorates the September 11 terrorist attacks, an elderly Sikh-American has been hospitalised after an assailant attacked him in Chicago, dubbing him a â€œterroristâ€.

The racially-motivated attack occurred when Inderjit Singh Mukker was on his way to a grocery store on Tuesday night, The Washington Post quoted Sikh Coalition as saying on Thursday.

A man in a car passing by his vehicle allegedly started abusing Mukker by calling him â€œTerrorist!â€ and â€œBin Laden!â€ and yelled â€œGo back to your country!â€.

After continuous tailgating, Mukker decided to pull over the car. The assailant also stopped his vehicle, charged towards Mukker and threw several punches at him.

Fifty-three-year-old Mukker was left unconscious and was later taken to a hospital. He was treated for a fractured cheekbone, bruising and blood loss. He got six stitches for the lacerations on his face.

Police said the alleged assailant has been arrested.

â€œNo American should be afraid to practice their faith in our country,â€ Mukker said in a statement on Wednesday.

â€œI am 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,â€ he added.

Sikh-American assaulted in racially-motivated attack in Chicago