How One Sikh Man’s Turban Saved His Life
- By Derek Welch --
- 07 Aug 2018 --
There have been a surge of hate crimes against Sikhs.
Surjit Malhi, a Sikh American is still to recover from his wounds after he was subjected to a brutal attack[/tweetit] by two Caucasian men. The white males shouted racial slurs and told Malhi to return to his own country. The Keyes police are currently investigating the incident and classified it as a hate crime.
How One Sikh Man’s Turban Saved His Life[/tweetthis]
The 50-year-old American had just completed placing campaign signs supporting Representative Jeff Denham, a Republican candidate in California, when he saw two Caucasians wearing dark sweatshirts beside his truck. They were clearly waiting for him to come back. When he approached them, the two attacked. They threw sand towards his face, temporarily blinding his eye. The assailants then beat him brutally on the neck, head, and shoulders. Other than telling him to back to where he came from, they also said he is not welcome in the United States. The racists then spray-painted hostile words on his truck. They also drew a Celtic Cross, a sign preferred by white supremacists.
For Malhi, who was American, their comments were unbelievable. He is an American and the United States of America is the only country he has ever known. Paramedics treated his wounds, but he told the media that he occasionally continues to feel dizzy. He claimed his turban saved him from major physical damage. Local law enforcement has registered it as a hate crime. Adam Christianson, the Stanislaus County Sheriff, told the media that they were searching for the assailants. He said that this incident is a despicable criminal act done against a Sikh community member.
He was teased for wearing a turban – and it’s the turban which saved his life … https://t.co/7VXVmTYEo0
— Sima Kotecha (@sima_kotecha) August 7, 2018
Police responded to the incident with alacrity, with an ambulance also being called to the scene. Malhi needed medical attention for his wounds. The wounded American said he was extremely scared as he feared to be shot. The 50-year-old Republican supporter told the media that a real American would not engage in such tactics. Tom Letras, the Sheriff Sergeant, said there is no ground to believe that Malhi was known to the attackers. The police believe that it was a random hate crime and law enforcement authorities would investigate it to the full.
Such hate crimes are not unknown in California state. The Sikh Coalition, a civil rights group specializing in national Sikh advocacy, gave a warning that it has observed a surge of hate crimes directed against Sikh residents in the United States.