Suspect arrested and charged with a hate crime for allegedly assaulting Sikh cab driver

SCREEN CAPTURE

In this image taken from a video of the incident at JFK Airport, a Sikh cab driver, left,
was allegedly assaulted by the man on the right.

A man has been arrested and charged with a hate crime after an alleged attack on a Sikh American taxi driver at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport earlier this month, according to a criminal complaint.

On January 3, a Sikh taxi driver who lives in New York City was allegedly physically attacked and berated outside of his cab at JFK airport by another cab driver, 21-year-old Mohamed Hassanain.

The Sikh driver (anonymized as ‘Mr. Singh’ to respect his request for privacy) has retained the Sikh Coalition to provide free legal guidance as the investigation into his attacker moves forward.

On that morning, Singh had parked his cab at the Terminal 4 taxi stand when another driver blocked his vehicle in. When Singh picked up a customer, he stepped partway out of his car to ask the other driver to move. The other driver attempted to hit Singh with his own car door; he then began repeatedly punching Singh in the head, chest, and arms, causing his dastaar (turban) to become unraveled and fall off, and called him “turbaned people” and shouted at him to “go back to your country.”

Part of the attack was captured in a viral video that circulated on Twitter last week. However, out of respect for Singh’s privacy (given that his dastaar was knocked off) and in accordance with his request that he not be publicly identified, the Sikh Coalition is not further sharing that footage at this time.

While Singh has declined to give interviews at this time, he has provided the following quote to the Sikh Coalition: “I was shocked and angered to be assaulted for doing nothing but minding my own business while working--no one should experience such hate. I am hopeful that the police can identify, arrest, and charge the person who attacked me so that I can move forward.”

The New York City Police Department arrested Hassanain on Thursday and he was arraigned in Queens County Criminal Court on Friday. He is charged with assault in the third degree as a hate crime, assault in the third degree, and harassment in the second degree, according to the complaint.

CNN has reached out for comment from a legal aid attorney for Hassanain but has not heard back.

“We are grateful to the Port Authority Police Department and Queens District Attorney's Office for their prompt action on this case, and for recognizing that the attack on Mr. Singh included clear anti-Sikh bias,” said Amrith Kaur Aakre, Sikh Coalition Legal Director (she/her). “This case underscores the importance of sharing all of the details of these kinds of attacks with law enforcement. Holding perpetrators accountable for both their actions and their hateful motivations is the clearest way to show that bigotry, and the violence that it fuels, have no place in our communities.”

Sikhs in the United States continue to experience bias- and hate-driven attacks on account of their visually identifiable articles of faith (including dastaars) as well as perceptions about their country of origin.

According to the most recent FBI data, Sikhs remain in the top three most frequently targeted groups for religiously-motivated hate crimes and bias incidents nationwide. In the Sikh Coalition’s experience, taxi and rideshare drivers in particular are at a heightened risk of kinds of violent attacks; in recent years, we have provided free legal aid to multiple Sikh drivers attacked across the country, and we continue to provide know-your-rights resources proactively to help the community stay safe.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

High-ranking South Asian American in Biden administration recalls his journey to the White House

DALEEP SINGH

Growing up in the United States, many children of immigrant parents have to go to great lengths -- even enduring taunts and beatings -- just to "fit in."

Many peoples journeys have taken different paths to arrive at where we are today. The pandemic and growing anti-Asian sentiment resulting in physical attacks and verbal harassment and abuse has brought AAPI together and spurred a sense of activism rarely associated with the community. 

One of the ways to fight the twin viruses of COVID-19 and racism is to forge a unity that many would consider impossible in any place other than the United States. Immigrants coming from the many countries of Asia, overcoming age-old rivalries and scores of languages.

Some of us have been fighting racism most of their lives; some of us have been forcibly reminded to look in the mirror. But no matter when or how we come to the realize all that links us together, the important thing is that we're here ... now; joining protests and marches, walking with our elders, voting and running for office, standing up, speaking out and making our presence felt and most of all, remembering where we came from.

In the waning days of Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Daleep Singh, President Biden's Deputy National Security Advisor and one of several AAPI who advise and support the President, wrote the following oped.

By Daleep Singh

Deputy National Security Advisor

My story is the story of so many other Indian Americans. In search of a better life for their kids – and maybe a bit of adventure for themselves – my parents left India for America in the 1970s. I was born in Maryland, spent a few years in Chicago, and settled in North Carolina when I was about seven years old.

I’ve always described my childhood as a happy one. Surrounded by a loving family, I felt like I was part of something bigger than myself, and that my life meant something to those around me. I also felt enormous pride and gratitude in being an American – having the freedom to find and become my authentic self, and the opportunity to dream big, even if in my case these were mostly athletic delusions.

At a young age, I also knew that we were different. I remember on the first day we arrived in Raleigh, our apartment was filled with unopened boxes. But instead of unpacking, my parents grabbed the phone book, found three Indian-sounding last names, and invited them over for dinner. All of them arrived within hours and, from that point on, we probably shared at least one weekend meal within the Indian community until I went away for college.

As I got older, I began to understand how much these gatherings meant. Like anyone else, my parents wanted a space where their traditions and beliefs were accepted, and that hadn’t always been their experience. When he first moved to the U.S., my dad – a turbaned Sikh – was told by his boss: if he wanted to keep his job, he’d need to fit in better. So that’s what my dad did – he sacrificed part of his identity to provide for his family. 

Meanwhile, my mom worked for the Raleigh city government, and I’ll never forget her coming home in tears after her boss openly bragged that he was a member of the KKK. He made sure to remind her of that throughout her years of dedicated but painful service in Raleigh city government.

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'I made a joke out of my family’s background to deal with my own insecurity about being different'. 

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I also wanted to feel accepted, but for that to happen as a kid it sometimes involved compromises that I now regret. I remember feeling dread in middle school whenever we’d have a substitute teacher, knowing they would butcher my name, and giving the whole class a good laugh at my expense. Sometimes I thought the solution was to just own it, so I’d speak during class with a thick Indian accent. When I think about that now, I’m ashamed. I made a joke out of my family’s background to deal with my own insecurity about being different.

Fast forwarding to the past few years, the rise in hateful attacks against Asian Americans and other communities of color made me realize that I was still carrying a lot of memories – painful ones – that felt heavier over the years. I’d almost forgotten the humiliation of getting beat up on the back of an elementary school bus for being the “dirty brown kid with smelly food,” or what it felt like to get told I couldn’t go on a date with someone in high school because I’m brown.

Much of the reason I’d been able to let these memories go was my deeply held belief that things were getting better when it came to race; that my kids would grow up in a different way. So I’ll admit, the slow progress and setbacks left me angry at times. I suspect many in the Indian American community feel the same way: we’re tired of watching the past repeat itself, and we’re exhausted from being quiet.

But to make change, we first have to recognize that we can all do better, myself included. That means being real about my own privilege as an Indian American from a middle-class household. I’m not at risk of being stopped and frisked. My wife and I don’t have to teach our kids how to survive if they get pulled over by the police. For those of us who’ve faced prejudice, we also need to check own our bias, and see our own privileges, if we’re going to do better.

It also means we need to speak out and do our part if we’re going to be seen as 100%, full-fledged, just-like-you citizens. As an Asian American, I’m deeply humbled and honored to have the privilege of serving in President Biden’s administration at a defining moment in our country’s history, while being a part of the most diverse administration ever assembled. My experience serving our country bears no resemblance to my mom’s days in Raleigh city government, but her experience back then, and recent violence toward Asian Americans, are a constant reminder to me about the responsibility I have of representing and standing up for the AAPI community every day in this job.

My role at the White House is to help create a self-reinforcing dynamic between domestic renewal, American leadership abroad, and national security. Part of domestic renewal has to do with economics: creating sustained and inclusive growth in jobs and wages, boosting the resilience of our critical supply chains, and strengthening our innovative edge. Another part of domestic renewal involves healing the wounds of racial injustice and coming together as a society to deliver on American’s unmatched promise. I don’t have direct policy responsibility in this area, but it’s central to what President Biden is trying to deliver, and a big reason why I’m here.

As a final thought, I want to use this platform to send love and support to my sisters and brothers in the Sikh community who have been a particular target of harassment, racism, and violence in recent years. I stand with them today and always.

Sikh American officer 'ambushed' in routine traffice stop

HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE

Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal was the first Sikh allowed to wear a turban and beard as a Harris County deputy.

A police officer who made headlines as the first Texas Sikh allowed to wear his beard and turban as articles of faith while on duty was killed during a routine traffic stop on Friday (Sept. 27).

The man accused of killing a Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Friday in an "ambush-style" attack was wanted for violating his parole and had been pulled over for running a stop sign, officials said.

It looked like a routine traffic stop to Dhaliwal. After conversing with the driver he walked back to his patrol car. The driver remained in the car. Within three to five seconds, the door on the driver’s side of the stopped vehicle opened and the driver, brandishing a gun, ran up behind the deputy said Sheriff officials.

A woman doing yard work who observed the traffic stop heard two gunshots and saw the gunman flee, the major said. She called 911 and law enforcement officers descended on the scene.

Based on witness descriptions and video cam from the patrol car, police stopped the suspect less than a mile away coming out of an ice cream shop and arrested.

Suspect Robert Solis, 47, was denied a bond during his initial court hearing early Saturday, which Solis missed for medical reasons, according to prosecutors and the judge in the case. He is facing a capital murder charge.

Solis was previously convicted of felony charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in 2002. He received 20-year jail sentences for those charges, though it’s not clear how much of that sentence he ultimately served.

Fellow deputies and members of the community remembered with a heavy heart  Dhaliwa's life Friday evening, reported KHOU.

In 2015, Dhaliwal became the first Texas police officer approved to wear the Sikh religion’s traditional turban and a beard while on duty, according to the Associated Press. 

Community members mourned slain Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal in a vigil last Friday.

“Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, a 10-year veteran, was a hero, was a respected member of the community and he was a trailblazer,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a press conference Friday afternoon. “He was a father ... of three children, he was a husband, a brother and a son.”

“He was a hero. Deputy Dhaliwal was a trailblazer,” Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said after the shooting to the NY Post.

“I’m heartbroken because he’s a personal friend of mine,” Gonzalez told KHOU. “He’s very respected.”

A community-led vigil took place Friday night in honor of Dhaliwal. His funeral, which will be open to the public, is set for Wednesday at the Berry Center in Houston at 10:30 a.m.

ASAM NEWS contributed to this report.

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Air Force joins Army in allowing turbans and beards for Sikh members

ACLU

HARPREETINDER SINGH BAJWA

ASAM NEWS

The U.S. Air Force has granted a religious accommodation allowing an active-duty Sikh airman to wear a turban, beard, and unshorn hair in accordance with his faith.

“I’m overjoyed that the Air Force has granted my religious accommodation,” Airman 1st Class Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa told the Washington Post. “Today, I feel that my country has embraced my Sikh heritage, and I will be forever grateful for this opportunity.”

“The Air Force places a high value on the rights of its members to observe the tenets of their respective religions or to observe no religion at all,” said Air Force spokesman Major Nicholas J. Mercurio.

Born to an immigrant family, Bajwa enlisted in the Air Force in 2017. He is currently a crew chief at McChord Air Force base in Washington. Bajwa had to cut his hair and remain cleanshaven, contrary to Sikh practices, due to the military branch’s grooming and dress guidelines.

Bajwa learned of prior exemptions granted to Sikhs in the Army and that the Air Force permitted a Muslim JAG Corps officer, Capt. Maysaa Ouza, to wear a hijab in 2018, leading him to contact the Sikh American Veterans Alliance (SAVA) for help, with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) becoming involved later on.

The ACLU called the Air Force’s decision a “historic” first. 

“No one should have to choose between following their faith or serving their country,” said ACLU senior staff attorney Heather L. Weaver, according to NBC News. “We’re pleased that the Air Force granted our client’s request, and we hope that all branches of the military come to recognize the importance of religious inclusion and diversity.”

“It was important for him to be able to maintain that Sikh identity as well as his identity as a soldier,” said Kamal Kalsi, founder of SAVA and a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.

“The turban and beard are an important part of a Sikh’s identity,” added Kalsi. “The turban is a crown. It represents our connection to social justice, our connection to our faith. These articles of faith for us remind us to do good in the world and to be good citizens in the world.”

In 2016, Army Capt. Simratpal Singh received a long-term religious accommodation that permitted him to wear a turban, long hair, and a beard in accordance with his faith. The Army updated its regulations the following year to allow Sikh soldiers and Muslim women to wear religious hair coverings and for Sikh men to keep their beards.

Indian Americans, including Congressman Ami Bera, are applauding the decision, reports The Tribune.

“Sikhs have long played an important role in protecting and defending our nation,” said Bera. “It is only right that these patriots be able to serve while in their religious attire or grooming. I urge the Department of Defense to expand these religious accommodations and make them more easily accessible.”The U.S. Air Force has granted a religious accommodation allowing an active-duty Sikh airman to wear a turban, beard, and unshorn hair in accordance with his faith, reports The Washington Post.

“I’m overjoyed that the Air Force has granted my religious accommodation,” said Airman 1st Class Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa. “Today, I feel that my country has embraced my Sikh heritage, and I will be forever grateful for this opportunity.”

“The Air Force places a high value on the rights of its members to observe the tenets of their respective religions or to observe no religion at all,” said Air Force spokesman Major Nicholas J. Mercurio.

Born to an immigrant family, Bajwa enlisted in the Air Force in 2017. He is currently a crew chief at McChord Air Force base in Washington. Bajwa had to cut his hair and remain cleanshaven, contrary to Sikh practices, due to the military branch’s grooming and dress guidelines.

Bajwa learned of prior exemptions granted to Sikhs in the Army and that the Air Force permitted a Muslim JAG Corps officer, Capt. Maysaa Ouza, to wear a hijab in 2018, leading him to contact the Sikh American Veterans Alliance (SAVA) for help, with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) becoming involved later on.

The ACLU called the Air Force’s decision a “historic” first. 

“No one should have to choose between following their faith or serving their country,” said ACLU senior staff attorney Heather L. Weaver, according to NBC News. “We’re pleased that the Air Force granted our client’s request, and we hope that all branches of the military come to recognize the importance of religious inclusion and diversity.”

“It was important for him to be able to maintain that Sikh identity as well as his identity as a soldier,” said Kamal Kalsi, founder of SAVA and a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.

“The turban and beard are an important part of a Sikh’s identity,” added Kalsi. “The turban is a crown. It represents our connection to social justice, our connection to our faith. These articles of faith for us remind us to do good in the world and to be good citizens in the world.”

In 2016, Army Capt. Simratpal Singh received a long-term religious accommodation that permitted him to wear a turban, long hair, and a beard in accordance with his faith. The Army updated its regulations the following year to allow Sikh soldiers and Muslim women to wear religious hair coverings and for Sikh men to keep their beards.

Indian Americans, including Congressman Ami Bera, are applauding the decision, reports The Tribune.

“Sikhs have long played an important role in protecting and defending our nation,” said Bera. “It is only right that these patriots be able to serve while in their religious attire or grooming. I urge the Department of Defense to expand these religious accommodations and make them more easily accessible.”

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Sacramento State seeks a professor in Happiness

REKHI SINGH

Everybody wants to be happy. But, not everybody is happy. Why is happiness so elusive?. Is happiness an art or a science? Can you achieve happiness by studying it? Is there a formula for happiness?

Rekhi SIngh is only too happy to seek the answers to those questions.

The Indian American businessman, entrepreneur is establishing the endowed professorship, the Rekhi Singh Endowed Professor in Happiness at Sacramento State University, where in graduated with an MBA in 1988.

The position will be housed in the Department of Psychology, with the goal of promoting happiness through academic research, curriculum development, cross-campus partnerships and other activities.

“In our time, they told us, ‘Go be successful and you’ll get happy,’ but no, it’s the other way around,” he told the Sacramento Bee. “Happy people are successful people, and in their workplace, the happy employee does a better job. They become a better citizen, and they’ll serve the community better.”

“The science of happiness is a real science,” Sacramento State President Robert S. Nelsen said in a statement. “I am so grateful to Rekhi for his generous gift, which will allow us to better understand happiness and how to spread it throughout the world.”

Singh did not disclose the amount of the donation, but according to the university’s guidelines for endowed professorships, the donation is at least $500,000.

Funds from this endowment will support salary, release time for the selected faculty member, research activities, travel, and operating funds to support activities to promote happiness across the campus and beyond.

Those activities may include teaching courses, conducting academic research into the science of happiness, delivering lectures and workshops, and developing curriculum incorporating happiness and well-being.

After earning his undergraduate degree, Singh knew he wanted to immigrate to the U.S.

He chose Sacramento State to work for his Master in Business Administration.

Today, Singh is chief executive officer of R Systems, a global, publicly traded company he founded that specializes in information technology. Along with his wife, Harpreet Kaur Rekhi, he is also a trustee of the Rekhi Foundation for Happiness.

“Sacramento State gave me a well-rounded education into business, and I was exposed to the U.S. culture and its way of doing things,” Singh says, adding that Nelsen’s leadership of the University was a significant motivation for his gift.

“When I look back at my life, I would not be here if it was not for Sac State and the education I got there," Singh told the campus newspaper. "That is something I feel very grateful about.”

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