hate crime | American Turban

A taxi driver who was a victim of a stabbing speaks to the media while surrounded by supporters in August, 2010. (Seth Wenig | AP. Source: Christian Science Monitor)

Mitigating hate speech

May 15, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

At a panel discussion (about hate crimes faced by Sikh Americans) organized by law students at the University of Miami last month, law professor David Abraham discusses hate speech, hate crimes and the complexities around legislation to address them: “The U.S. is at the individualist and libertarian extreme. We let Nazis march in Jewish neighborhoods, Klansmen burn crosses, and talk radio go bonkers. Responding to their own historical experiences, other countries see speech as a contribution to democracy, and by […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Hate Crimes • Tags: Arvind Singh, David Abraham, hate crime, hate crimes, Hate speech, University of Miami

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Kanwaljit Singh, from Port Orange, Florida, reportedly forgives those who shot him in a drive-by shooting two weeks ago. The suspects have still not been identified. (source: WFTV)

Fund established to support Kanwaljit Singh, victim of suspected hate crime

May 10, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

After having been shot twice in Port Orange, Florida during a suspected hate-based attack in February, Kanwaljit Singh and his family have been facing financial difficulties during his recovery. A fund has now been established to offer financial support. Coordinated Sikh Coalition and SALDEF advisories alert us to the dire financial straits that Kanwaljit Singh’s family is now in: Since the purported hate crime attack, Mr. Singh and his family, including his wife and two children, have suffered from significant […]

Categories: Hate Crimes • Tags: Florida, hate crime, Kanwaljit Singh, Port Orange, support fund

The turban as a beacon of love

May 8, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

After learning of the attack on 82-year-old Piara Singh in Fresno, California, blogger Anita Singha shares her thoughts about the elder Sikhs in her life: Maybe their children have warned them to stay home. I hope not, I need to see their Sikh spirit, their courageous bravery rise to the occasion. Their morning constitutional in a busy city park, sitting on public transportation a silent protest against hatred and ignorance. Read more on Anita Singha’s blog Listening Hard.

Categories: Hate Crimes, Reflections • Tags: Anita Singha, California, Fresno, hate crime, Listening Hard, Piara Singh

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California Rep. Mike Honda Questions FBI Director on the need for additional categories in the FBI’s Hate Crime Statistics Act data collection mandate. (source: C-SPAN, via SALDEF)

According to US Department of Justice, most hate crimes not reported

March 26, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

While the FBI reports hate crimes based on voluntary reporting by law enforcement agencies (a database which is rife with issues) around the country, the most recent study by the US Department of Justice based on the National Crime Victimization Survey (a survey of victims of crime) continues to shed more light about the nature of hate crimes in the United States. According to the new report issued by the Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, a quarter of a million […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, Politics, Reports/Studies • Tags: FBI, FBI Hate Crime Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, hate crime, Hate Crime Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, United States Bureau of Justice Statistics

Kanwaljit Singh, victim of FL drive-by shooting, forgives his attacker

March 8, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Family and friends of Kanwaljit Singh, who is recovering at home after being shot twice while driving with his son two weeks ago, have provided an update on his condition: “He doesn’t have any anger towards the person that shot him. He’s just shocked why he chose him,” said Harvinder Chadda, a family friend. Kanwaljit Singh is also reportedly in too much pain to speak and his recovery will take several months. Read more at WFTV. Police are looking for […]

Categories: Hate Crimes • Tags: Drive-by shooting, Florida, hate crime, Kanwaljit Singh, Port Orange

The Southern Poverty Law Center counted 1,018 active hate groups in the United States in 2011. (source: Southern Poverty Law Center)

The Southern Poverty Law Center Hate Map

January 22, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a “nonprofit civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society,” counted 1,018 hate groups in the United States in 2011: This list was compiled using hate group publications and websites, citizen and law enforcement reports, field sources and news reports. Hate group activities can include criminal acts, marches, rallies, speeches, meetings, leafleting or publishing. Websites appearing to be merely the work of […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, Reports/Studies, Resources • Tags: California, Elk Grove, Gurmej Atwal, hate crime, Hate Crime Statistics, hate groups, New Jersey, New York, Oak Creek, Sacramento, Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Southern Poverty Law Center, Surinder Singh, Wisconsin

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Is it enough to “Be proud”?

December 5, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Nina Chanpreet Kaur provides an in depth contextual critique of the Kony 2012-like “Be Proud” media campaign, launched recently at the Sikh International Film Festival in New York by entrepreneur millionaire Gurbaksh Chahal in response to the mass murder of Sikhs in Oak Creek, Wisconsin: Truly empowering people and eliminating hate comes with massive, localized, collaborative efforts aligned with existing national efforts that are measurable, focused on skill and community building, and impact the day to day lives of communities. […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Hate Crimes, TV/Movies • Tags: Be Proud Movement, Gurbaksh Chahal, hate crime, Kony 2012, Mass media, Nina Chanpreet Kaur, Oak Creek, Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Wisconsin

Seattle, WA area Sikh cab driver attacked in hate crime

October 29, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Two weeks ago, a Sikh taxi driver in the Seattle, Washington, area was physically attacked in an apparent hate crime as his intoxicated passenger hurled slurs at him: King County prosecutors contend Jamie W. Larson attacked the cab driver during an Oct. 17 ride after commenting on the man’s turban. According to charging documents, Larson, 48, tore out chunks of the man’s beard during the assault, which also loosened one of the driver’s teeth. …Even after police arrived, Larson continued making […]

Categories: Hate Crimes • Tags: "Washington, hate crime, Jamie W. Larson, Seattle, taxicab

Dear FBI: Track hate crimes against Sikhs

March 7, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Reports of hate crimes (or suspected hate crimes) against Sikhs in the United States have been frequent in recent months. Some of the more recent incidents include a Sikh stabbed in California, a Gurdwara vandalized in Michigan, and death threats targeting a Sikh family in Virginia, but these are not in isolation. The FBI tracks hate crimes and publishes these statistics in their Hate Crimes Database each year. However, while Sikhs are often the specific targets of hate crimes and […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Hate Crimes • Tags: FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, hate crime, Sikh Coalition

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American Turban

Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Tag: hate crime

Mitigating hate speech

Fund established to support Kanwaljit Singh, victim of suspected hate crime

The turban as a beacon of love

According to US Department of Justice, most hate crimes not reported

Kanwaljit Singh, victim of FL drive-by shooting, forgives his attacker

The Southern Poverty Law Center Hate Map

Is it enough to “Be proud”?

Seattle, WA area Sikh cab driver attacked in hate crime

Dear FBI: Track hate crimes against Sikhs