Jump to content

Sikh teen's hair cut off in beating


Recommended Posts

source: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouvers...ae-475101cad64c

Sikh teen's hair cut off in beating

Police, community leader appeal for calm after hate crime

Darah Hansen

Vancouver Sun

June 1, 2005

RICHMOND - Richmond police and Sikh leaders are asking for public calm in the wake of a violent and racially motivated attack on a 17-year-old Indo-Canadian youth last week in a school park.

According to police, the victim was jumped and viciously beaten by five Caucasian men in their early 20s as he was walking home through school playing fields outside Grauer elementary at around 5:15 p.m. Thursday.

The youth, a baptized Sikh, had his turban torn off in the assault and a portion of his long hair cut off by one of the thugs, who used an Exacto knife.

According to Shinder Purewal, a Sikh and professor at Kwantlen University College, unshorn hair is considered by Sikh faithful to be an integral part of the human body.

"Cutting the hair would be equivalent to chopping off a body part," Purewal said.

Richmond RCMP Cpl. Peter Thiessen called the attack on the youth "absolutely disgusting" and vowed at a press conference Tuesday that police will hunt down the people responsible.

"We're working with the [youth's] family -- they're absolutely devastated by this," Thiessen said.

Thiessen said police are investigating the incident as a hate crime, as defined under the Criminal Code.

"It's one thing to assault and rob someone," he said, "but this takes things to a whole other level."

Thiessen said the suspects were playing basketball in the courts behind Grauer elementary when the teen victim walked by. They called out a racial slur, then ran after him and punched him several times in the head.

Thiessen said the victim believes an X-Acto knife was held to his throat while he was kicked in the side and robbed of his wallet and personal papers, while the thieves demanded money and marijuana.

The victim, a student at Hugh Boyd secondary, ran home and called police.

Thiessen said the teen was taken to hospital, but did not suffer serious physical injuries.

Police are now worried retaliation may be on the minds of some members of the Sikh community as news of the assault -- and its violation of Sikh religious beliefs -- travels.

"We certainly need the Sikh community to remain calm and not to overreact to this," Thiessen said.

Balwant Sanghera, spokesman for the Sikh Society of the Lower Mainland, said the incident has "traumatized" Richmond's Sikh community.

"I think the people who committed this heinous crime need help," he said.

"This is not human."

Sanghera joined Thiessen in asking members of his religious community to leave matters in the hands of police.

"I'm not sure at this time how the community is going to react. It's a very serious thing," he said. "We have some young men who may get a little too excited."

But Purewal said a backlash from the Sikh community is unlikely.

"It was unnecessary to appeal for such things," Purewal said of the public call for peace.

"Sure, people get shocked when you hear of this kind of violent incident, but to expect the community to react is blowing things out of proportion.

"I don't think there will be people going out there seeking revenge."

Anyone who may have seen the suspects playing basketball Thursday afternoon or may know something about the attack is asked to call Const. Mike Bhatti at 604-278-1212, local 2202.

© The Vancouver Sun 2005

Link to comment
Share on other sites

why not do the ragra here or wheverver.. like the shaheedi di shakti is limited to regional areas.. !!

Rather then retaliate physically do ardasa do bania to help the guy and his family. The dushts well give the police time to try their own methods, if after a month or so there is no development then take it into your own hands, but not by retaliating on any suspect as thats just stupid, find the ones who did it then beat the livng shits out of them and casterate the bstrds .. if you need help in doing that pay for my ticket

It is only justice when targetting the criminals, it is injustice to make others suffer for their crimes. So no need on beating up random causcasians looking for justice or retaliation spend that energy finding out who it was.

Also just out of personal intrest why where they demanding Marijuana from this guy?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also just out of personal intrest why where they demanding Marijuana from this guy?

because east-indians in vancouver are known for selling drugs.. these twits probably confused this innocent singh with the east-indian punjabi guys who sell drugs or do that kinda business.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

source: http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/20...een-050604.html

Sikh teen fabricated story of attack

Last Updated Sat, 04 Jun 2005 19:07:52 EDT

CBC News

B.C. police are calling off a hate-crimes investigation, after a Sikh teenager admitted he made up a story about a group of white men beating him and cutting his hair.

Police had appealed for tips earlier in the week, after the 17-year-old said five men jumped him behind an elementary school in Richmond on May 26.

Cpl. Peter Thiesson told a news conference on Saturday that the teen's wounds were self-inflicted.

He said they snatched off his turban and chopped his hair, which had never been cut for religious reasons.

FROM JUNE 1, 2005: Attackers cut off Sikh teen's hair

The teenager admitted on Friday that it never happened, Richmond RCMP said at a news conference Saturday.

"He disclosed to us that in fact he had fabricated the entire incident," Cpl. Peter Thiesson said.

"The injuries that we observed on him that required medical attention were self-inflicted, that he cut his own hair and that he disclosed this to no one."

Police wouldn't discuss a possible motive for the incident. They haven't yet decided whether they will press charges.

"I am really sorry for everything that has happened," the teenager, who has asked to remain anonymous, said in a statement released by police on Saturday.

"I did not realize that it will become an issue at such a large scale. My sincere apologies to my family, friends, the RCMP and overall community – whose feelings I have hurt in this whole ordeal. I have to work very hard to rebuild the trust I lost."

The alleged attack spurred outrage and fear among the Indo-Canadian community.

The teen had said his attackers – whom he described as being Caucasian and in their early twenties – made racial slurs, punched him, knocked him to the ground, held a knife to his neck, stole his wallet and then cut his hair.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Man this is huge slap on the parents that NOT TO FORCE THEIR KIDS TO GROW UP KESH....MAN THIS IS WORSE..WHY CAN'T THIS KATAR PARENTS UNDERSTAND NOT TO FORCE THEIR KIDS TO GROW HAIR BUT JUST PUT IT ON TABLE IE- MAKE KIDS UNDERSTAND HISTORY AND LEAVE IT UP TO THE KID?

I am really devestated at this incident...this happened twice...this is a HUGE MOCKERY OF OUR COMMUNITY by our PEOPLE...may be this kinda mockery will make those THICK PARENTS THINK TWICE BEFORE FORCING THEIR KIDS?

i can't beleive it..i m really devastated at this............boy is disgraceful..but i must not put all blame on him because one has to look at the root of this problem (fabricated stories). :evil:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Man this is huge slap on the parents that NOT TO FORCE THEIR KIDS TO GROW UP KESH....MAN THIS IS WORSE..WHY CAN'T THIS KATAR PARENTS UNDERSTAND NOT TO FORCE THEIR KIDS TO GROW HAIR BUT JUST PUT IT ON TABLE IE- MAKE KIDS UNDERSTAND HISTORY AND LEAVE IT UP TO THE KID?

N30 Singh, don’t you feel any shame referring to Gursikh perent as ‘Kattar’? You dont even know them, so what gives you the right to pass judgment on those perents?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

N30 Singh, don’t you feel any shame referring to Gursikh perent as ‘Kattar’? You dont even know them, so what gives you the right to pass judgment on those perents?

singh ji, I think N30 is just upset and is letting the emotions speak for him and maybe that's why is wording is incorrect.

but a question does arise out of this........what if the boys parents were forceful of their beliefs/practises does that make the parents right?........ :?

but on the other hand maybe the parents were pious gursikhs themselves and are very loving parents but the kid just "wanted to fit into the crowd"............

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Singh47,

Yes I don't feel any shame giving my opnion.. it's up to your buddhi if you think my opnion is a fact.. opnion are not meant to be facts..opnions are opnions....instead of showing kids - path of love by giving our strong sikh history (telling stories of bhai taru singh ji, bhai mani singh ji) and LEAVING AT THAT , LEAVING IT UP TO KID.

The so called Gursikh parents go one step further, which is forcing their kids to grow hair by their so called emotional black mailing/pressure and kids also get social pressure from outside..they are stuck in the middle.. what do you expect in return??

screwed up cases like above? get it?

I am not denying the fact parents were pious gursikhs themselves and did their best but kids wanted to fir into the crowd.

In my post, i m talking about posiblities not a FACT that yes parents are in this case are KATAR.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

look u khalsa boyz. get ur balls into gear and go sort them fools out. just think of it as another issue like 84. ppl local to the area of where this hapened. go sort it out. stop talking. stop acting all bad. stop sleeping around throwing condoms at every gurdwara.

do it silently no1 needs to knows. go brake some bones. and all u peaceful ppl out their with ur pc's and pot bellys and ur simran don't need to say nothing to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...