Amid a spade of recent attacks on the Sikh community, New York City Mayor Eric Adams termed the hate crimes as a "stain" on the country and promised to protect the members of the community as well as educate people about Sikhism.
Addressing the Sikh community at the Baba Makhan Shah Lubana Sikh Center in Queens, Adams said, "You are not about terror; you are about protector. That is what needs to be taught throughout this entire city. Our young people need to know that, our adults need to know that."
The NYC mayor also described the Sikh community as an "anchor" in Queens' Richmond Hill neighbourhood and stressed that "your turban does not mean terrorism". "It means protecting, it means community, it means family, it means faith, it means city, it means us coming together," he said further.
Accompanied with him was New York State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar to address members of the Sikh community on Sunday amid a rise in incidents of hate crimes and assault against Sikhs.
Adams said there must be a “full frontal assault on ending hate…What plays out across the globe by other doers is being attached to your community". He recalled how the Sikh community had fed millions of people during the Covid-19 pandemic without asking about their backgrounds, economic status or religion.
Recent attacks against Sikhs
On October 15, a 19-year-old Sikh boy was attacked by Christopher Philippeaux, 26, while he was riding the bus in Richmond Hill. Philippeaux reportedly punched the Sikh teenager in the back of the head, tried to knock off his turban and told him “We don’t wear that in this country".
Philippeaux has been charged with assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment, said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. As per records, Philippeaux was convicted for an attempted robbery in Manhattan and was imprisoned for over two years in state prison. He also had other arrests, most recently for obstructing governmental administration in Brooklyn last month, according to police.
Days after this incident, the 66-year-old Jasmer Singh was attacked when his car collided with another vehicle. The driver of the other car, Gilbert Augustin, allegedly punched the elderly Sikh man three times in the head and face and Jasmer later succumbed to his injuries.
“Jasmer Singh loved his city and deserved so much more than his tragic death. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I want our Sikh community to know you have more than our condolences. You have our sacred vow that we reject the hatred that took this innocent life and we will protect you,” Adams said in a post on X after his death.
At the Sunday event, Adams said, "Jasmer should still be with us. He should still be with his son. He should still be living out the American dream, watching his son, who's now an immigration attorney."
Meanwhile, Rajkumar described Sikhs as “protectors” of society and condemned the hateful targeting of the community, saying that the perpetrators of such violence will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
"For the first time, we are going to use the levers of government to end hate crimes against Sikh Americans. For the first time, we are going to come together and…educate…New York State, the United States and the entire world about who the Sikh people truly are so we are not attacked and misunderstood,” said Rajkumar.
Notably, Rajkumar is the first Indian-American woman elected to New York State Office and described herself as a “daughter of Punjab”. She said that this was not the first time she had visited the Gurudwara and had spoken out against hate crimes and presented Adams with a 'kirpan', an important article of faith in Sikhism.
Adams takes responsibility for protection of Sikhs
The New York Mayor further said that he would take full responsibility for being the protector of the Sikh community. "And when a member of your community is harmed, I take full responsibility (for) that," he said.
Jasmer's son Subeg Singh Multani also addressed the community amid slogans of 'Jo Bole So Nihaal, Sat Sri Akal' and said that his father came from India to the US in the early 1990s with hopes of achieving the American dream.
"We love everyone, we love every other minority. But why we are being targeted? That is the question. We are law-abiding citizens of the United States. We love this country as much as others do," he said during the event, and requested the Mayor to take "strong measures" to ensure the safety of the community.
He also called on his fellow members to accompany him when Augustin is arraigned on October 31 to show "solidarity and unity” to the judge.
(with PTI inputs)
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