Beaten, robbed of turban, student afraid to return to job

An international student is “too petrified” to return to his job after two men assaulted him near his workplace, levelling racial slurs before removing and stealing his turban.

The student, who his employer says is from India, was swarmed Friday night by two white men while waiting for a bus near Westgate Shopping Centre. Police are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime, saying on Tuesday that the assault “would appear to have racial overtones.”

Police are hunting for the two suspects, both described as being in their 20s.

Citing privacy concerns for the student, whose name was not released by police, the student’s employer asked for the name of

his business to be withheld. The employer also would not reveal the student’s name.

The employer said Friday was the student’s second day of work. The student worked late into the evening, ending his shift at 11 p.m., before running to catch a bus. The next time he saw the student, more than 30 minutes later, he was crying outside the business, telling his employer, “They beat me up.”

Police said the assault occurred at 11:25 p.m. while the victim, who was wearing a turban, was waiting at a bus stop near the intersection of Carling Avenue and Merivale Road.

The assault did not happen immediately, police said.

The two suspects approached, asking the victim “about his ethnicity, and about cutting his beard and hair,” then left, police said.

They soon returned, asking the victim for change, then began hurling racial slurs. One of the men brandished a knife.

The victim ran to a nearby business, but found the doors locked.

Police said the suspects then attacked the student, assaulting and threatening him while dragging him on the ground. They stole the man’s phone and bus pass. They also removed and stole his turban.

Paramedics arrived and treated the victim for minor injuries.

His employer said the student called him on Saturday to quit his job, saying he was “too petrified” to return to work. His employer said the victim is in Ottawa on a student visa and has only been in the city for two months. He said the student said he was going to return to India because of the attack.

Balpreet Singh, legal counsel and spokesman for the World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO), called the assault “absolutely shocking ” but also said his organization has been “raising the alarm” about increasing intolerance against Sikh Canadians over the past week.

Singh said that to have a turban forcibly removed is “absolutely humiliating.” He said the removal of a turban, an article of faith that covers uncut hair, is a “very, very private” process.

WSO president Mukhbir Singh urged Ottawa police, in a media release, to “investigate this incident as a hate crime.”

This is not the first recent incident of suspected religious hate in Ottawa.

In February, a man who attacked two Muslim institutions and posted neo-Nazi slogans online was found not criminally responsible for the vandalism because he had been in a dissociative state. Shawn Le Guerrier, 28, had attacked the Islam Care Centre on Somerset Street West and the Ottawa Mosque on Northwestern Avenue last spring.

A year ago, a 17-year-old youth pleaded guilty to painting swastikas and threats on Muslim, Christian and Jewish places of worship in Ottawa. His Facebook page included deaths threats against several religious groups, and listed his occupation as “hit man for Hitler” and his political views as “Nazi death squads.” His stated religious views were “Satanism, Nazism and Destruction.” Representatives of all three faiths he attacked offered jointly to work with him after his arrest.

This month vandals cut the head off a statue of Buddha at the Hilda Jayewardenaramaya Buddhist monastery and meditation centre on Heron Road. Police have not found evidence to call this a hate crime.

Ottawa police Staff-Sgt. Michael Haarbosch said police met with the victim on Tuesday. He said the police have supports in place that “we could offer him to help him work through this.” But he said that “first and foremost, we have to try to identify the two people.”

The suspects are described by police as Caucasian men in their 20s. The first suspect is described as clean shaven with short blond or brown hair, 5-10 and wearing an orange sweatshirt, blue jeans and running shoes.

The second suspect is described as clean shaven, 5-6 and wearing blue track or pyjama pants.

The Ottawa Police Service robbery unit is investigating, canvassing the area and searching for any video recordings that might have captured the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to call the robbery unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 5116.

The Indian High Commission said Tuesday it was trying to contact the victim.