Carrie Covello & Hansdip Singh: Difference between revisions

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 1 Feb 2008, 1534 hrs IST,PTI Print Save EMail Write to Editor

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

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].