August 4, 2006

LETTERS2theEDITOR

Elderly Sikh man attacked in hate crime

Editor,
On July 30 at approximately 10:13 a.m., an elderly Sikh male was stabbed at 3449 Agate Drive, Santa Clara. The victim was stabbed in the expanse between the left side of his jaw and neck; his food pipe was cut. The attack was witnessed by his granddaughter. The elderly male was dressed in traditional clothing, waiting for his family members, to attend religious services at their local temple, San Jose Gurdwara Sahib. The victim is a member of the Sikh community. The elderly male, because of his long beard, turban, and traditional clothing, has become an innocent victim of a ruthless hate crime.

It is important to get the word out that the Sikh community is continually harassed, victimized, and targeted as terrorists.

Eesir Kaur
Santa Clara

Editor’s Note: Iqbal Singh was stabbed in the neck with a steak knife in Santa Clara on Sunday, July 30. His 2-year-old granddaughter was with him but was unhurt. The alleged attacker, Everett Thompson, 20, also of Santa Clara has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and a hate crime. Singh remains hospitalized with serious injuries.

Middle East crisis must not spill onto our streets

Editor,
The crisis in the Middle East is a tragedy that is taking the lives of many innocent Lebanese, Israelis and Palestinians. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced from their homes in both countries and face great danger as the violence continues. Our hopes and prayers go out to all of them—Jewish, Muslim and Christian alike.

Many of them have friends and loved ones in San Jose who live with fear of what will happen next. We have to recognize that this is an emotional time for many people in San Jose, but we have to ensure that those strong emotions do not get translated into physical attacks or verbal abuse.

We must not allow the fighting in the Middle East to spill into the streets of San Jose. All community leaders must be cautious in their rhetoric so as not to suggest or encourage actions against people of different political beliefs, religions or ethnicity.

San Jose is a unique place in the world where people of different religions and ethnicities can live and work together in peace and prosperity. Let us continue to respect each other's right to disagree, while we work for the common good. Let us demonstrate to the world by our actions that what we have in common is more important than our differences.

Councilmember Chuck Reed

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