US: Sikh stabbed in apparent hate crime

rediff ^ | August 02, 2006 10:06 IST

[Gengis Khan]

A 40-year-old Sikh, was hospitalised after he suffered stab wounds, in an apparent hate crime, in Santa Clara, California.

Police said Iqbal Singh was standing in front of his home on Sunday morning when his neighbour, walked up to him and stabbed him in the neck with a steak knife, apparently believing that the Sikh, who wears a turban and a beard, belonged to the Taliban.

The victim was waiting in the car-parking lot with his two-year-old granddaughter for other family members to come downstairs at the time, so they could attend worship services at the nearby San Jose gurdwara when the suspect approached him and stabbed him, Santa Clara police Sgt Kurt Clarke said.

Singh was still in the hospital on Tuesday with serious injuries. The girl was unhurt.

The neighbour, 20-year-old Everett Thompson was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and a hate crime. It is unclear what exactly led police to believe the attack was racially or religiously motivated. He was taken to Santa Clara county jail.

Investigators are trying to determine why Thompson allegedly attacked Singh.

There are indications that Thompson, who may suffer from mental illness, believed Singh was a member of the Taliban, officials said on Tuesday.

But the victim's brother-in-law, Gurmeet Singh, said it wouldn't be surprising if it was religiously or racially motivated.

"We Sikhs are the most targeted for hate crimes," he said.

UNI

[Gengis Khan]

ping!

[vimto]

Sikhs get targeted over here by ignorant thugs who think Muslims wear turbans. The Sikh communities over here are good Brits and by and large well integrated. Prayers for this guy and his kin.

[vimto]

Sikhs get targeted over here by ignorant thugs who think Muslims wear turbans. The Sikh communities over here are good Brits and by and large well integrated. Prayers for this guy and his kin.

[LeoWindhorse]

""We Sikhs are the most targeted for hate crimes," he said."

hate to tell ya , but it's the headgear and the beards dude...

Sikhs need to get the information out there that despite 'their look' , that they have always been forthright fighters against the moslems and should never be equated with their enemies whom they have faced on the battlefield many times.

[Paleo Conservative]

How do they know it wasn't a love crime?

[InABunkerUnderSF]

I asked a Sikh friend in the Central Valley once why he still wore a turban, a number don't.

He gave three reasons.

1. It tells the world I'm a Sikh, and I like tellin' the world I'm a Sikh.
2. My wife'd kill me.
3. I covers up one hell of a bald spot.

BTW, Mr. Everett Thompson is not a Caucasian person.

[Bushwacker777]

Thompson is not white? Well then, this story won't get too much national coverage since only whites commit hate crimes.

Note:Sarcasm.

[Lion Den Dan]

"Sikhs get targeted over here by ignorant thugs "

Sikhs are a self perpetuating victim class. Years ago, renting to college students at Colorado State University, we always had a Sikh or two. They alway sniveled when we rented to a Pak or Indian. The whine was invariably, "I am a Shkh and those people don't like us. Don't rent to thhem." A pox on Sikhs.

[LegendHasIt]

All the Sikhs that I ever knew were pretty darn good people.

Decent, honorable and courageous.

[Talking_Mouse]

Most of the ones I have known are also decent, honorable and courageous. There are always a few bad apples in every group (I know one really stinky one), I hope that Lion Den Dan meets some of the better ones.

The Sikhs came into being to fight the Muslims, I hope they keep up that honorable tradition in the WOT.

[MimirsWell]

The Sikh's fear was not unfounded. Historically, they have stood up against the Islamic rule of India. They were initially a group of warrior-clan Hindus, who took upon themselves to protect the folk against the atrocities of the Mughal empire. This is why there is and will alwaysbe bad blood between them and the muslims. Their very origin is rooted in the anti-Islamist stance that we take today.

There was a time in the 80's when they unwittingly became a target in the infamous anti-sikh riots. It was during the peak of the Khalistani movement. Thankfully, they are back in the mainstream and are actually quite successful community in most parts of India. Ranbaxy, one of the biggest (medicinal)drug manufacturers in India with a huge toe-hold in the US is actually owned by a Sikh family.

[OpusatFR]

"There are indications that Thompson, who may suffer from mental illness,..."

Awful lot of it going around..

[usafsk]

Sad response. I met and served with several Sikhs who trained with US Special Forces at Ft. Devens in the 80's. Very tough, professional, and would be more than able to put a pox on your whiney hiney. Good men all that I met.

[tkathy]

The Sikhs should lay off the awful headrags.

[freedumb2003]

All the Sikhs that I ever knew were pretty darn good people. Decent, honorable and courageous.

True. Every Sikh I've known has been good folk.

Too bad many Americans can't tell a Sikh turban from the rags the muslims throw on their head. I remember right after 9/11 Sikhs were unfairly targeted -- IIRC, one was killed.

[wardaddy]

Poor Sikhs....more firepower or ditch the turbans lads

[VeniVidiVici]

It is unclear what exactly led police to believe the attack was racially or religiously motivated. He was taken to Santa Clara county jail.

This is obviously a hate crime whereas blasting away at Jewish women is a little bit harder to figure out.

[PKomarnicki]

New a few back in school. I think committing violence against someone because of their race, ethnicity, or religion is wrong, and that sure cuts both ways when you are talking about religious extremists. But, I always thought is a special shame that, forget the War on Terror, but in general, most people see in the communities I live in,that have substantial Sikh populations, can tell and don't care about the difference between a Sikh, a Hindu, a Pakistani, an Arab, an Iranian, or an Afghani. How would you like if everyone thought you were a Canadian, and when you said you were American they asked, what's the difference?

Anyway, that aside, you're right about the swords, but in my experience, they are most often tiny miniatures.