A Sikh man whose hair was cut off as he was beaten and stabbed by two Texas men gave an incredibly positive message during the sentencing Thursday in Martinez, California reports the East Bay Times.
Maan Singh Khalsa, 41, of Richmond, stood there without one of his fingers because the stab wound was so deep, it had to be amputated.
While he called the attack “humiliating,” he delivered a message of compassion.
“I still consider you my brothers as human beings,” Khalsa said. “I hope one day you will consider me your brother too.”
Defendants Colton Leblanc and Chase Little sat passionless. They both pleaded no contest and were sentenced to three years in prison.
“Acknowledging that this bias-based attack is a hate crime under state law both recognizes the deep dignitary harm to Mr. Khalsa, and ensures that we, as a society, confront the problems of Islamophobia, racism and xenophobia that make the Sikh community a target for violence,” said Sikh Coalition staff attorney Pawanpreet Kaur in a statement to KQED.
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