‘Get out of my country’: Canadian Sikh elder abused, threatened and physically assaulted in racist attack

Screenshot of racist attack on Sikh man in Woodstock, Canada

A teenager has been charged in Canada after disturbing video showed an elderly Sikh man being verbally abused, threatened and assaulted during a hate incident in Woodstock, Ont.Woodstock police said the incident happened around 11:35 a.m. Wednesday on Knights Lane near Turtle Island School. The old man was walking along the sidewalk when the young man approached him.“The investigation determined that a youth attacked an older adult walking on the sidewalk in an unprovoked manner. The youth targeted the victim based on her race while yelling racial slurs and profanities,” a police news release said.Video circulated online showing the young men repeatedly shouting racist slurs, including “What the fuck are you doing in my country?” police confirmed as part of the investigation. He can also be heard repeatedly using the N-word, sometimes pushing the man away and saying: “You’re not from here, get out of my country,” “I’ll beat you,” and “I’ll kill you.” The young man also mocked the man’s accent.The victim, identified as Shingar Singh, told OMNI News that he was on his way to the monastery when the incident occurred. Despite the ordeal, he said his message is one of peace and patience.“We have a responsibility to abide by the rules of the country we live in. We are told that we cannot raise our hands to fight back and that we must remain patient unless extreme circumstances arise,” he said.Police said the victim was not injured. They added that following the attack the youngster jumped a fence into the school grounds before leaving the area. He was later arrested and charged with making threats causing death or bodily harm, criminal harassment, and threatening behaviour.Constable Pritpal Thind of the Woodstock Police Department said the incident had a profound impact on the community. “This is a very difficult time for the victims and the community who witnessed something like this,” he told OMNI News.The World Sikh Organization of Canada also condemned the attack.“We are deeply concerned about a video circulating online showing an elderly Sikh being harassed in Woodstock, Ontario. This is unacceptable,” the group said.Their most recent national report found that more than 80% of Sikh respondents believed discrimination and hatred against Sikhs had increased over the past five years, with verbal harassment the most common form of abuse. A separate report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue also noted an increase in anti-South Asian hate speech in Canada, raising concerns about the safety of minority communities and international students.