Dr. Prabhjot Singh calls himself a “leader in speaking out against white supremacy.”
Prabhjot Singh is an assistant professor of international and public
affairs at Columbia University and a resident in internal medicine at
Mount Sinai Hospital. He was walking home on the night of September 25th
when he was brutally attacked. Twenty men on bicycles chased him down,
pulled his beard, and punched him to the ground. The blows would not
stop as his assailants called him a “terrorist.”
Professor Singh is a Sikh, not a Muslim. Prabhjot Singh wears a turban and beard as part of his faith tradition. They are often confused with Muslims.
He told the New York Daily News that his assailants were primarily African American.
I recall my assailants shouting slurs like “Osama” and “terrorist” before grabbing my beard. My most vivid and unexpected memory actually occurred after I was punched and thrown to the ground. I remember lying on the ground, waiting for their kicks and punches to stop.
Yes, it is true that my assailants fractured my jaw and dislodged some of my teeth while shouting slurs at me. Yet, I understand that it could have been much worse. I am a resident physician in East Harlem, Manhattan, and I’ve seen the kind of damage people can inflict when inspired by hate. So I consider myself to be extremely fortunate.
The Professor continued
My wife and I have no intention to move. We have loved spending the last few years in this vibrant and friendly area, and our experiences here have been largely positive. Even more important to me than my attackers being caught is that they are taught.
The Irony was not lost on the professor. However, he continues to hope for an end of hate crimes in Harlem and elsewhere.
Source: http://ow.ly/pqFfQ
