Richmond Hill welcomes indictment on hate attack

Feb 25, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
Guyanese community leaders in Richmond Hill welcomed the indictment (Feb 18) of a White American on a racial bias attack by the Queens District Attorney for assaulting a Richmond Hill resident of the Sikh faith and Indian ethnicity, calling the victim several racist names.
So while Guyanese may feel their country has prejudice, it also exists in the great America. (As an aside, in Guyana one can feel the racial tension as the election campaign heats up. But Guyana is not the only society with its ethnic prejudices and issues. In the US, ethnic hate is a daily feature of life and it exists among all the numerous ethnic groups, unlike say in Guyana where ethnic hate is more pronounced during election time, though a permanent undercurrent).
Guyanese also condemned that assault of an Indian American in Alabama earlier this month by a White police officer who “patkay” the Indian man. While the matter is treated as a regular assault, Indian Americans, including Indo-Guyanese, feel it is a hate incident and are pressing for an indictment while the officer has been suspended from the force. And Guyanese community leaders condemned and spoke out against police violence on Black and Hispanic American in recent months.
Just last week, the Queens court indicted an Italian American for a hate crime against a Sikh man in Richmond Hill, the heart of the Indo-Guyanese community.
Reports say that Joseph Caleca, of Long Island, called Sandeep Singh a terrorist and shouted, “Bin Laden, go back to your country,” before mowing him down and dragging him several feet before fleeing the scene. Singh was hospitalized for abdominal and back injuries. CBS TV and WINS 1010 report that Caleca has been indicted on hate crime charges. He was given a nine-count indictment by a Queens County Grand Jury.
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said in a statement: “The defendant is accused of an unprovoked attack that allegedly began with the defendant driving by the victim and his friends and calling him a terrorist and ordering him to leave the country. After an exchange of words, the defendant allegedly struck the victim intentionally with his vehicle and dragged him along the street.”
Caleca’s attorney, Murray Richman, told a Long Island-based newspaper, Newsday, it was not a hate crime. But Indian Americans, including Indo-Guyanese, feel it was a bias attack when referring to Indians and Sikhs as terrorists and relating them to Bin Laden, the deceased leader of Al Qaeda. Sikh and Indo-Guyanese community leaders have been cooperating to find solutions and obtain services on various issues impacting on the community that share the greater Richmond Hill space.
Caleca, currently out on bail, will appear before a judge April 22. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
Vishnu Bisram

Latest News

Richmond Hill welcomes indictment on hate attack

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | January, 24th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

GCB bats for Government on sizable $8B Budget Allocation for Sports

Guyana Hockey Board applauds Government’s...

Local Squash stars ready to shine as BCQS...

Tennis Association applauds historic GYD $8...

Squash Association notes significance of...

Pepsi Hikers and GBTI GCC win Bounty/Antonio’s...

Features/Columnists

A warning to President Ali on U.S. Overtures

OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus

Trump – Part 2

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Richmond Hill welcomes indictment on hate attack

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | January, 24th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]