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Texas Sikh Student
flees after racial attack
WSN Bureau
TEXAS: A Sikh graduate student, who was working as a part-time pizza
delivery assistant, to cover college expenses was brutally assaulted
and thrown into a swimming pool in West Texas, according to an
urgent release of the Sikh Coalition.
The Coalition is taking action to ensure the perpetrators are
brought to justice.
He brought pizzas into a home on a delivery and four men took the
pizza. Without paying, they began eating, while at the same time
hurling racial epithets at the Sikh man and threatening him.
"I'm going to **** you up in Iraq, I'm going to **** you up in
Afghanistan,
I'm going to **** you up over here."
The men then grabbed the Sikh student and threw him into a swimming
pool. The four attackers surrounded the pool, kicking him in the
head and body. Every time he tried to escape, they would stomp or
hit at him. For 20 minutes, he swam for his life trying to escape.
He eventually seized an opportunity to flee and barely made it to
his car with two men in pursuit.
The Sikh man went to the hospital to address his injuries the next
day. He is now doing better physically, but is still emotionally
scarred because his attackers have been roaming free. The attackers'
behavior put this young man's life at risk.
According to the Sikh Coalition, though the local police were called
shortly after the attack, they failed to respond adequately. The
police classified the incident as a misdemeanor, which means that
the attackers may not have to serve any jail time.
As the local police failed to classify the crime as a hate crime,
Harsimran Kaur of the Sikh Coalition pursued with the Department of
Justice and according to latest reports, the attack is now being
investigated as a possible federal hate crime.
"I
was terrified that I would die that night," the victim said. "No one
should have to endure something like this just because of their
religion, ethnicity or appearance."
The unnamed scarred student has moved town and plans to continue
education in another university, as he has received death threats
and the attackers remain free to live in the town where he was
attacked.
19
December 2009
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