Attack on Granthi Amarjit Singh
Washington DC – Last Friday night, Amarjit Singh a Granthi from the Gurdwara Sahib in Modesto CA was asleep at his home when he was abruptly woken up to the sound of broken glass. Seconds later he was assaulted by an unknown masked assailant said to Singh “go back to your country.” The man fled the scene of the crime and is still at large. Singh has no major injuries, but is scared after the attack.
The attack comes just days after a Hindu Priest was attacked in New York, and follow the incendiary and racist comments from President Trump, when he tweeted, “go back home,” to members of congress.
SALDEF continues to highlight the implications of hateful rhetoric and the creation of policies meant to separate and stigmatize populations. Often, hateful rhetoric coincide with an increase in hate and bias motivated crimes. We call on President Trump and all elected officials to immediately stop the use of hateful, xenophobic and divisive language.
“We at SALDEF are horrified by the attack and will monitor the situation to ensure that this is classified as a hate crime,” said Director of Communications Gujari Singh. “We will also continue to call out and highlight the dangerous and hurtful rhetoric that is becoming more prevalent, in advance of the upcoming 2020 election.”
Following the attack, Congressman Josh Harder posted a video recording in response to the investigation, of what he says appears to be a hate crime. Congressman Harder said, “We are not tolerating hate, discrimination or bigotry in any form.” WATCH:https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/video/4133013-harder-video-release-regarding-hate-crime-against-sikh-priest-temple-in-hughson/
We will keep the community informed as we find out more about the recent incident. If you, a friend or family member have been attacked or been discriminated against, please immediately contact your local authorities. If you have had an incident where someone has threatened you or told you to, “go back to your country,” please email us at info@saldef.org or call 202-393-2700.