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Sikhs dealt this
hate crime with forgiveness
American who attacked Sikh cab driver to spend 9 months in jail
WSN Network
 SILICON VALLEY: Forever shall the Sikh community be proud of the way
it handled this hate crime. At a time when the world is facing the
menace of hate crimes and ever since the 9/11 ghastly tragedy,
itself believed to be a hate crime of gigantic proportions, it was
time some community set an example of how to deal with it.
When a 21-year-old American football enthusiast attacked a Sikh taxi
driver, called him an "Iraqi terrorist", assaulted him when drunk
and was later over powered by the police officers who had earlier
requested the Sikh taxi driver to drive him home, the Sikhs knew one
thing. The man indeed had committed a hate crime, but he certainly
did not want to harm the Sikh driver or Sikhs. He just did not know
who the Sikhs are.
And the Sikhs are a community that lives by the motto of Sarbat Da
Bhala (Welfare of all by the grace of the Guru).
Here is what the community did, and did in a way so remarkable that
the world took notice. It said the attacker is forgiven, and turned
its attention immediately to efforts to spread word about the Sikhs
and Sikhism. Best way to deal with hate crimes is to spread
knowledge, and the American Diaspora Sikhs have shown the world the
way.
Law of course also took its own course. Now, the attacker Luis
Vazquez has been awarded a lighter sentence of nine months in jail
for the hate crime after the victim told the court he had forgiven
him.
Judge Monica Benton also handed down 240 hours of community service
for the November 24 drunken assault on Sukhvir Singh, hailing from
Punjab, in King county of Washington state.
Deputy Prosecutor Mike Hogan asked for a two-year jail term, though
he pointed out that Singh "has been forgiving of the attack from the
beginning." The Seattle Times quoted Benton as saying that while
racism is pernicious and hate crimes undermine society, forgiveness
and remorse play a role in justice as well.
Vazquez pleaded guilty last month to reckless endangerment,
second-degree assault and malicious harassment. He said he did not
remember the drunken assault but was ashamed and shocked when he
woke up in jail and learned what he had done.
"I'm really, really sorry for what I put you through," Vazquez told
Singh during the hearing that was packed with members of the Sikh
community . "I'm sorry for making you have to look back over your
shoulder when you walk."
A drunk Vazquez was thrown out of a football game and put into a cab
driven by Singh. But Vazquez punched him, bit him on the scalp and
called him an "Iraqi terrorist." Sukhvir pulled to the side of the
freeway as he had been afraid for his life and that of others on the
road.
The most beautiful and poignant moments during the entire episode
came when Sukhvir Singh said through a Punjabi interpreter that he
and other members of the Sikh community wanted to offer forgiveness
to Vazquez once they learned he had no previous criminal offenses
and had a history of steady work.
Singh said he did not want to see the young man's life ruined. "If
someone has made a mistake, they should learn a lesson from it,"
Singh said. "They should be punished accordingly, and it should be
known to society that it is not good to have hate toward any human
being."
Several members of the Sikh community spoke at the hearing about how
they have endured prejudice and slurs since September 11, 2001
terror attacks.
"I hope this message goes to the public," said Gurdev Singh Mann.
"You should not be judging people from what they look like."
Vazquez said after the hearing that he was grateful for Singh's
forgiveness and that he has learnt his lesson.
He is attending an alcohol-treatment programme and said he does not
intend to drink anymore.
The New York-based Sikh Coalition had pushed for prosecutors to file
the case as a hate crime.
The Department of Justice is also investigating the case to
determine whether Vazquez will be prosecuted for a federal hate
crime as well.
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23 April 2008
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