America
Sikh-American assaulted in racially-motivated attack in Chicago
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 “terroristâ€.
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 “Terrorist!†and “Bin Laden!†and
yelled “Go 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.
“No American should be afraid to practice their faith in our country,†Mukker said in a statement on Wednesday.
“I
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,†he added.