Person hits and knocks off his turban
Taxi driver in the US has been assaulted by an unidentified man, who knocked off his turban and used expletives against him outside the JFK International Airport.
The video was uploaded by Navjot Pal Kaur on Twitter on January 4, showing a man assaulting the Sikh taxi driver outside the airport. She said the video was shot by a passenger at the airport.
He repeatedly hits and punches him and knocks off his turban.
Ms. Kaur tweeted, "This video was taken by a bystander at John F. Kennedy International Airport. I do not own the rights to this video. But I just wanted to showcase the fact that hatred continues to remain in our society and unfortunately I have seen Sikh cab drivers get assaulted again and again.”
Any details about the driver or the cause of the incident were not available.
The video led to angry reactions by the community members.
"Another Sikh cab driver assaulted. This one at JFK Airport in NYC. So upsetting to see. But it's crucial that we don't look away… What I am sure of is how painful it is to watch our fathers and elders get assaulted while they're just trying to live an honest life.
"For those who aren't Sikh, I can't put into words what it means to have your turban knocked off, or to see someone else's turban knocked off. It's visceral and gut-wrenching and just so disheartening to witness," said Simran Jeet Singh, author and Director for the Aspen Institute's Inclusive America Project.
The National Sikh Campaign said, "we are only a few days into the new year and there has already been a hate crime committed against a Sikh.
A bystander recorded an unidentified man attacking a Sikh taxi driver, ultimately knocking off the driver's turban.” “No additional details have been released outside of the video, but we know this story too well.
A Sikh person goes outside to be senselessly attacked by someone. Common road rage between people can escalate when someone who is ignorant of who we are takes their disdain for our turbans and becomes violent," it said.
This is not the first case where Sikh taxi driver has been assaulted in the US.
In 2017, a 25-year-old cab driver in New York was assaulted and his turban knocked off by drunk passengers.
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