Carrie Covello & Hansdip Singh
Hansdip Singh is a sikh personality which was assaulted by Carrie Covello in madison grill in hoboken, New Jeresy, by removing his turban. It was a bias attack.
Hoboken, NJ (January 30, 2008) - A Sikh man was assaulted by a restaurant patron who tried to remove his turban in public on Tuesday evening. Before her arrest, Hansdip Singh's attacker, Carrie Covello told him that she had a problem with his turban and wanted him to remove it immediately.
Hansdip Singh had been dining at the Madison Grill in Hoboken, New Jersey on January 29, 2008. While standing in the restaurant, a woman behind him grabbed a hold of his turban and attempted to pry it from his head. She had almost succeeded by the time Hansdip turned around to confront her. When he did so, the woman remarked that she had a problem with "that stuff" on his head, and told him to "take it off." When Hansdip refused, the woman became more difficult, and the Hoboken Police Department was called in. Police officers arrested the woman on the spot, and have charged her with harassment and bias intimidation.
The Coalition commends the Hoboken Police Department for its quick response to the attack. We will work with the local country prosecutor to ensure the attack is prosecuted as a hate crime.
This is not the first hate attack against a Sikh in New Jersey. The Sikh Coalition's online database has logged 47 incidents of bias against Sikhs since September 11, 2001.
The incident is just the latest discrimination 38-year-old Hansdip Singh Bindra has said he's suffered because of his beliefs. Woman arrested for trying to rip Sikh's turban at US restaurant
WASHINGTON: A New Jersey woman has been arrested on charges of bias intimidation and harassment after she tried to rip off a Sikh man's turban at a restaurant.
"I could feel a hand pulling this off," said 38-year-old Hansdip Singh Bindra, who was at the popular bar with a colleague just after midnight.
"Removing my turban in public is akin to giving me a strip search," he said.
Police said Carrie Covello, 37, grabbed the turban while standing behind Bindra at the bar. She then apparently asked him, "Why are you wearing that on your head?"
"You're out for an evening with colleagues and this is the last thing you'd expect" Bindra said, adding he had asked Covello if there was a problem.
"She said 'Take it off, I don't like it,'" Bindra was quoted as saying by media in US. Bindra alerted the bouncer and called the police, who arrested Covello on Wednesday.
Covello admitted to "touching" the turban, but told the police she was only joking and didn't mean anything by it, police said.
Covello was charged with bias intimidation and harassment and the prosecutor's office will ultimately determine if her actions at the bar were based on some kind of religious or ethnic bias.
Bindra, who was earlier involved in a 2003 religious bias lawsuit against Delta Airlines, said he wanted Covello to be prosecuted.
"If these people don't face the consequences, this will happen over and over again," he said.
Dave Carney, the owner of the restaurant, apologised for the incident and condemned Covello's actions.
Now only this type of news is keft to hear.What's next school kid ripping turban of sikh
Woman Who Grabbed Turban is Not Charged With Hate Crime.
(Hoboken, NJ) April 4, 2008 - The Sikh Coalition is dismayed by the Hudson County prosecutor's decision not to charge a January assault on Hansdip Singh as a bias crime. The Coalition learned yesterday that the prosecutor's office instead is charging Carrie Covello, who attempted to remove Mr. Singh's turban in public, with harassment, a non-bias-related charge.
The assault occurred on January 29, 2008. Hansdip Singh, a Sikh New Jersey resident, was standing in the Madison Grill in Hoboken when a woman behind him grabbed his turban and attempted to pry it from his head. She had almost succeeded by the time Mr. Singh turned around to confront her. When he did so, the woman remarked that she had a problem with "that stuff" on his head, and told him to "take it off."
The Sikh Coalition is deeply troubled by the Hudson County Prosecutor's suggestion that telling a Sikh to remove his turban and physically attempting to do so is not intimidating enough to rise to the level of a bias crime.
The Coalition is concerned that the prosecutor's own lack of cultural understanding played into the decision not to prosecute this assault as a bias crime. Ms. Covello's actions directly targeted Mr. Singh's faith and his religious appearance. The prosecutor's decision effectively excuses those who target Sikhs' turbans for ridicule and aggression.
Next Steps
Clearly the Sikh community has a great deal of work to do to combat bias and discrimination against Sikhs. It is troubling that 40 years to the day that Martin Luther King Jr. was assasinated, America continues to struggle with the scourage of ignorance and bigotry.
The Coaliton is committed to working with local prosecutors to ensure that the Sikh voice is heard during Ms. Covello's munipal court proceedings. In addition the Coalition will work with local media to educate the public about bias attacks on Sikhs.
The Coalition will report back to the community after Ms. Covello's municipal court hearing to convey its progress in addressing the failure of the Hudson Country Prosecutor's office to prosecute this attack as a hate crime.
We call on all Sikhs to stand up for their civil rights and fearlessly maintain their articles of faith.
References
http://wcbstv.com/video/[email protected]
We urge all Sikhs to practice their faith fearlessly. If you or someone you know is a victim of bias harassment, please report it to [email protected].
