'It was racial,' says attack victim
Tuesday, January 20th 2009, 1:05 AM
Jasmir Singh
A 21-year-old Sikh man was viciously beaten and stabbed in his left eye in Queens by three men who, he said Monday night, taunted him for his traditional beard and pulled his long hair.
Jasmir Singh of Richmond Hill was hanging out with a friend near a Jackson Heights grocery store about 4:49 a.m. Sunday when the men began hurling insults at the pair.
Singh, who is being treated at Elmhurst Hospital Center, claimed the attackers singled him out because of his long hair and traditional Sikh beard.
"It was racial," said Singh, who said his friend, who is white, was unharmed in the attack.
"They were taunting me about my hair and beard. They were pulling on it."
Singh suffered cuts on the top of his head and across his right eye, and was stabbed in his left eye. He has 18 stitches on his left eye and may go blind, doctors told him.
Singh claims the men demanded money but attacked him even after he showed that he had no cash.
Police arrested two men and were searching for a third suspect Monday. The two suspects have been charged with attempted robbery and assault, police said.
Singh's father, Jiwan Singh, said his family had been repeatedly attacked because of the way they look.
The subway track worker was stabbed by a drunken straphanger in 2004 and attacked with his wife a year earlier, he said. He also claims he was taunted in December by seven kids who shouted "Osama" at him while he was on the subway in Brooklyn.
"It keeps happening to my family," said the older Singh. "We both worked at Ground Zero on 9/11, and we voted for Obama. We hoped things would get better, but it hasn't."
Tuesday, January 20th 2009, 1:05 AM
A 21-year-old Sikh man was viciously beaten and stabbed in his left eye in Queens by three men who, he said Monday night, taunted him for his traditional beard and pulled his long hair.
Jasmir Singh of Richmond Hill was hanging out with a friend near a Jackson Heights grocery store about 4:49 a.m. Sunday when the men began hurling insults at the pair.
Singh, who is being treated at Elmhurst Hospital Center, claimed the attackers singled him out because of his long hair and traditional Sikh beard.
"It was racial," said Singh, who said his friend, who is white, was unharmed in the attack.
"They were taunting me about my hair and beard. They were pulling on it."
Singh suffered cuts on the top of his head and across his right eye, and was stabbed in his left eye. He has 18 stitches on his left eye and may go blind, doctors told him.
Singh claims the men demanded money but attacked him even after he showed that he had no cash.
Police arrested two men and were searching for a third suspect Monday. The two suspects have been charged with attempted robbery and assault, police said.
Singh's father, Jiwan Singh, said his family had been repeatedly attacked because of the way they look.
The subway track worker was stabbed by a drunken straphanger in 2004 and attacked with his wife a year earlier, he said. He also claims he was taunted in December by seven kids who shouted "Osama" at him while he was on the subway in Brooklyn.
"It keeps happening to my family," said the older Singh. "We both worked at Ground Zero on 9/11, and we voted for Obama. We hoped things would get better, but it hasn't."
