The Port Authority and New Jersey Police arrested a suspect Friday night in the attack on a Sikh cab driver, reports Times of India.
Authorities say Mohamed Hassanain screamed “Go back to your country” and called the victim “turbaned people” as he shoved and punched the driver outside John F Kennedy Airport.
The suspect faces a hate crime charge as well as assault and aggravated harassment charges.
The Sikh Coalition thanked authorities for their quick action in making an arrest less than two weeks after the January 3 attack.
The attack gained wide spread attention in both the Sikh community and Indian American community after video of the incident spread on social media.
Another Sikh cab driver assaulted. This one at JFK Airport in NYC.
— Simran Jeet Singh (@simran) January 5, 2022
So upsetting to see. But it’s crucial that we don’t look away.pic.twitter.com/43s0jXMLSt
Amrith Kaur Aakre of the Sikh Coalition told Opindia that Sikh Taxi cab and ride share drivers are at heightened risk for attack, as her organization has provided legal aid in several similar incidents.
“This case underscores the importance of sharing all of the details of these kinds of attacks with law enforcement. Holding perpetrators accountable for both their actions and their hateful motivations is the clearest way to show that bigotry, and the violence that it fuels, have no place in our communities”, she said further.
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