A Sikh-American was brutally assaulted in a Chicago suburb by a car-borne assailant, who hurled racial slurs – calling him “Bin laden” and asking him to go back to his country even while punching him repeatedly in the face.
The 53-year-old victim, Inderjit Singh Mukker, suffered a fractured cheekbone and became unconscious after the wanton attack that came virtually on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary.
Ever since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America in 2001, countless Sikh men have suffered physical attacks in the mistaken belief that they are followers of Osama bin laden, all because of their turban and beard.
Mukker, a US citizen residing in Chicago’s Darien suburb, was driving to a grocery store on Tuesday evening when a man in another car challenged him, forcing him to pull over to the side of the road.
The assailant then reached into the car and repeatedly punched Mukker in the face, causing him to lose consciousness, bleed profusely and suffer a fractured cheekbone and a laceration to his cheek. The suspect has since been taken into custody.
Mukker was rushed to the hospital, where he received six stitches, treatment for lacerations, bruising and swelling.
“We believe Mukker was targeted and assaulted because of his Sikh religious appearance, race or national origin,” said the Sikh Coalition. “We request an immediate investigation and call on local and federal agencies to investigate this attack as a hate crime.”
Darien suburb police were quoted by NBC News as saying that the incident is being investigated as a hate crime.
“No American should be afraid to practice their faith in our country,” said Mukker, who thanked the authorities for their swift arrest of the attacker.