Iqbal Singh, 67 Year Old Grandfather Survives Brutal Attack
Iqbal Singh, 67 Years old has survived what can definately be described as a 'Hate Crime'.
(August 2006)
Story as reported in the Amritsar Times of San Jose California (August 2006)
Elderly Sikh survived in hate crime stabbing
Santa Clara/AT News
The day after the stabbing of a Santa Clara grandfather left South Bay Sikhs reeling, prosecutors are weighing hate crime and attempted murder charges against his neighbor, who apparently believed the man belonged to the Taliban.
Iqbal Singh, 67, was waiting in in front of his apartment for his 2-year-old granddaughter and other family members on Sunday morning when he was on his way to worship at San Jose Gurdwara when the suspect approached and stabbed him in the neck with a steak knife, said Santa Clara police Sgt. Kurt Clarke.
India West, has added more extensive details (apparently his 2 year old Granddaughter was witness to the attack.)
Iqbal Singh, 66, was standing with his 2-year-old granddaughter in his family's carport in the 3400 block of Agate Drive, waiting to depart for a religious service at the San Jose Gurdwara, when he was stabbed once in the neck with a steak knife. Everett Thompson, the 25-year-old assailant, was a neighbor who said in police interviews that he stabbed Singh because he wanted to kill a Taliban.
"We didn't know [Thompson] before," Gurmeet Singh, Iqbal Singh's brother-in-law, told India-West. "He didn't speak. He just walked very close. Iqbal asked, 'What's the matter?' and as soon as he asked, [Thompson] stabbed him."
Iqbal Singh then ran toward his family's apartment building with Thompson in pursuit. At the same time, the rest of the Singh family, including Iqbal Singh's son and daughter-in-law, emerged from the apartment. Thompson fled the scene when he caught sight of them.
Mr. Singh was still in Valley Medical Hospital with serious injuries when our correspondent visited him on Tuesday afternoon. Gurmeet S Khals, his brother in law and former president of Gurdwara Sahib Fremont (across the Bay) said in his choking voice, "It’s terrifying, that the stabbing might have been driven by hate".
“We Sikhs are the most targeted for hate crimes,” he said. “People see us, and they don’t understand who we are and then they associate us with terrorists.
Twenty-year-old Everett Thompson was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and a hate crime. It is unclear what exactly led police to believe the attack was racially motivated. Sgt. Kurt Clarke, Santa Clara police department said : “It won’t be tolerated in the city of Santa Clara, or anywhere else. But more specifically, we believe it was a heinous crime, but we have the bad guy in jail right now.”
Neighbors claim the suspect, 20-year-old Everett Thompson, has been heard to say, several times, that he hates Indian immigrants who wear turbans. Investigators are trying to determine why Thompson allegedly attacked Singh. There are indications that Thompson, who may suffer from mental illness, believed Singh was a member of the Taliban, officials said Monday.
“We send our prayers not just to Mr. Singh and his family, but to the entire Sikh community,” said Jay Boyarsky, the supervising deputy district attorney who oversees hate-crime prosecutions in Santa Clara County. Boyarsky, who praised the Santa Clara Police Department for its ongoing investigation, added: “sadly, this is not the first time that a person has wrongfully targeted a Sikh person on the basis of physical appearance.” The prosecutor cited a case shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, in which two men assaulted a Sikh and set his ice cream truck on fire. After the Sept. 11th attacks the first victim of hate crime was a Sikh, Balbir Singh Sodhi who was killed in front of his gas station in Arizona. His alleged killer reportedly told police: “I stand for America all the way.
“We are simply trying to peacefully live, earn a living and practice our religion,” Gurmeet Singh said. “This hate is driven by ignorance.” Congressman Mike Honda a friend of Sikhs was very much concerned and contacted the district attorney and police officials immediately. Dr. Pritpal Singh an official of American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee was in touch with Mike Honda and Sikh community members.
A follow up from the Discrimination & National Security Initiative -- Blog Monday, August 07, 2006
Update: Iqbal Singh Stabbing
Santa Clara County officials announced a series of community meetings on hate crimes Thursday following a recent spike in racially or religiously motivated attacks.
On average, about five hate crimes are reported each month in the county, which normally has one of the lowest rates nationwide of such attacks, but in June, there were 13, according to the local Network for a Hate-Free Community.
"This is not what Santa Clara County is about," said County Supervisor James Beall.
Over the weekend, a Sikh was attacked in front of his Santa Clara home by a 20-year-old man who told authorities he wanted to attack a member of the Taliban, a fundamentalist Islamic movement in Afghanistan.
Everett Thompson was being held without bail after being charged Wednesday with premeditated attempted murder with a dangerous weapon and a hate crime enhancement for allegedly stabbing Iqbal Singh... in the neck Saturday. In San Jose, meanwhile, a judge denied bail to Everett Thompson, 20, of Santa Clara, who could spend the rest of his life in prison if he is convicted of the pre-meditated attempted murder charge and hate crime enhancements he faces, Deputy District Attorney Peter Waite said today. Thompson is also charged with using a knife to cause bodily injury.
Thompson has remained in jail without bail since he was arrested Sunday morning, shortly after allegedly stabbing Iqbal Singh, 60, in the neck as he was standing in his carport in Santa Clara. According to police and prosecutors, Thompson targeted Singh because he wanted to harm a member of the Taliban and erroneously assumed Singh belonged to the Taliban because of his long beard and turban.
Thompson is expected back in Santa Clara County Superior Court in San Jose at 2 p.m. on Aug. 10.
The defendant has entered a plea.
Also from the Blog 2 reports from Indian Newspapers
Times of India: For the family of a victim of hate crime, there can be only questions and no answers. The only solace for Iqbal Singh's family, in this backward village of Punjab's Gurdaspur district, is that their sole bread-earner has survived his ordeal.
A resident of Santa Clara, Iqbal was reportedly waiting for his family to go to a gurdwara in San Jose when he was stabbed in the neck. The attacker was allegedly a 20-year-old coloured boy, who reports claimed was racially or religiously motivated.
PunjabNewsline (India): Iqbal Singh resident of the KushalPur village was stabbed on the neck while he was waiting with his granddaughter for other members of the family, in front of the house before leaving for San Jose Gurudwara Sahib.
He was rushed to hospital and was lucky to have survived the attack, moreover he is responding well to the medical treatment. His family really wants him back and was shocked to learn that he was attacked. They feel the sikhs have been subjected to these crimes. The Police have arrested 20-year old Everett Thompson for committing the crime. Bikramjit Singh, son of the victim said “There is no other reason for killing my father except hate” Post 9/11. Sikhs with their turbans and beards have been subjected to these crimes because of their resemblance to Arabs ( Al Qaeda and the Taliban and their black turbans).
