State Dept., Indian Consulate in N.Y., and Sikh Organizations Condemn Attack on Sikh Driver at JFK Airport
- A video uploaded on Twitter shows the man standing by his taxi, being hit by another individual.
The State Department, Consulate General of India in New York and Sikh organizations in the U.S., have condemned the attack on a Sikh taxi driver at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport earlier this month.
An undated video of the attack on the unidentified driver was posted on Twitter by Sikh American organizer Navjot Pal Kaur. “This video was taken by a bystander at John F. Kennedy International Airport,” Kaur tweeted on Jan. 4. “I do not own the rights to this video. But I just wanted to highlight the fact that hatred continues to remain in our society and unfortunately I’ve seen Sikh cab drivers get assaulted again and again.”
The video shows a man, who appears to be a Sikh cab driver standing by his taxi, being hit by another individual. The attacker walks away then comes back and starts hitting the taxi driver again. He then hits another individual who questions him. People can be heard shouting in the background.
“We are deeply disturbed by reports of an apparent attack on a Sikh cab driver at J.F.K. airport, captured on video last week,” the State Department said via its South and Central Asia division Twitter account. “Our diversity makes the U.S. stronger, & we condemn any form of hate-based violence. We all have a responsibility to hold perpetrators of hate crimes accountable for their actions, no matter where such crimes occur.”
The Consulate General of India in New York also took to Twitter to condemn the attack. “The assault against a Sikh taxi driver in New York is deeply disturbing. We have taken up the matter with US authorities and urged them to investigate this violent incident.”
In a statement, the National Sikh Campaign said the hate crime occurred “only a few days into the new year.” While “no additional details have been released outside of the video,” the statement noted that the incident is not isolated. “A Sikh person goes about their daily lives only 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.”
Similarly, The Sikh Coalition, on its Facebook page, said the organization is “deeply disturbed by the video of a Sikh New York City cab driver being attacked and berated. The post added that the organization’s attorneys have reached out to the driver to learn more and “offer free legal aid, as well as verify that law enforcement are engaged.”
Kaur’s video was shared by many, including author Simran Jeet Singh, director at Aspen Institute’s Inclusive America Project. “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,” tweeted Singh. “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.
However, this is not the first time a Sikh taxi driver has been assaulted. In 2019, a Sikh Uber driver was assaulted and racially abused in the coastal city of Bellingham, Washington. Reports in Bellingham Herald and other media said police received a 911 call from the driver, who wished to remain anonymous, that he had been attacked by his passenger.