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Hate Crime Ends Life of Former CWA-Represented Taxi Driver
Balbir Singh Sodhi was so torn up by the attacks on America that he told his friends and family he wanted to go to New York City to help any way he could. He never got the chance.
On Sept. 15, Sodhi, an Indian Sikh who wore a turban, was gunned down outside the convenience store he ran with one of his brothers in Mesa, Ariz. The alleged killer had vowed to kill Middle Eastern people, according to media reports.
Before moving to Arizona last year, Sodhi had driven a cab in San Francisco for six years and belonged to the United Taxicab Workers, represented by CWA Local 9410. He was well known for his kind, gentle and generous spirit, his friend and fellow driver Amrik Singh Malhi said.
“He was a role model,” Malhi said. “If anybody needed help, he was there. He gave rides for free to people who had no money. He gave candy to children who came to his store. He would help anyone.”
Sodhi, 52, was standing outside his convenience store and gas station in the mid-afternoon when a man in a black pick-up truck pulled up and shot him. Police have charged Frank Roque, 42, of Mesa with first-degree murder, as well as three counts of attempted murder for firing shots at people of Lebanese and Afghan descent within a few minutes of Sodhi’s killing.
The day of the killing, Roque was kicked out of a bar after making drunken threats to kill Middle Easterners. When he was arrested, he reportedly screamed, “I am a patriot.” He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Several other people of Middle Eastern heritage have been killed in hate crimes nationwide since Sept. 11 and thousands have reported being harassed and attacked. Malhi, who is also a Sikh, said even though San Francisco is one of America’s most diverse and tolerant cities, he has been targeted, too. “People have called me a ‘bin Laden,’” he said.
Such people expose not only their hatred but also their ignorance. “In this country, 99 and a half percent of people who wear turbans are Sikhs, not Muslims,” he said. “Our turban and beard, it is a totally different concept. I don’t know why people can’t figure that out. People only see our skin color.”
Malhi traveled to Arizona for Sodhi’s memorial service and his spirit was lifted by the outpouring of community support. Mesa-area residents left “tons and tons” of flowers and cards outside the store, remembering a man who reached out to the homeless, children and anyone else in need.
Sodhi was married and the father of five grown children, including two sons who have also driven cabs in San Francisco.
A memorial fund has been established for Sodhi’s family. Contributions may be sent to: Balbir Singh Sodhi Memorial Fund, Bank One Arizona, Mail Code AZ1-1285, 241 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004.
More information about Sodhi and many photographs are available on a Sikh community website, www.sikhnet.com/s/BalbirSodhi.
On Sept. 15, Sodhi, an Indian Sikh who wore a turban, was gunned down outside the convenience store he ran with one of his brothers in Mesa, Ariz. The alleged killer had vowed to kill Middle Eastern people, according to media reports.
Before moving to Arizona last year, Sodhi had driven a cab in San Francisco for six years and belonged to the United Taxicab Workers, represented by CWA Local 9410. He was well known for his kind, gentle and generous spirit, his friend and fellow driver Amrik Singh Malhi said.
“He was a role model,” Malhi said. “If anybody needed help, he was there. He gave rides for free to people who had no money. He gave candy to children who came to his store. He would help anyone.”
Sodhi, 52, was standing outside his convenience store and gas station in the mid-afternoon when a man in a black pick-up truck pulled up and shot him. Police have charged Frank Roque, 42, of Mesa with first-degree murder, as well as three counts of attempted murder for firing shots at people of Lebanese and Afghan descent within a few minutes of Sodhi’s killing.
The day of the killing, Roque was kicked out of a bar after making drunken threats to kill Middle Easterners. When he was arrested, he reportedly screamed, “I am a patriot.” He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Several other people of Middle Eastern heritage have been killed in hate crimes nationwide since Sept. 11 and thousands have reported being harassed and attacked. Malhi, who is also a Sikh, said even though San Francisco is one of America’s most diverse and tolerant cities, he has been targeted, too. “People have called me a ‘bin Laden,’” he said.
Such people expose not only their hatred but also their ignorance. “In this country, 99 and a half percent of people who wear turbans are Sikhs, not Muslims,” he said. “Our turban and beard, it is a totally different concept. I don’t know why people can’t figure that out. People only see our skin color.”
Malhi traveled to Arizona for Sodhi’s memorial service and his spirit was lifted by the outpouring of community support. Mesa-area residents left “tons and tons” of flowers and cards outside the store, remembering a man who reached out to the homeless, children and anyone else in need.
Sodhi was married and the father of five grown children, including two sons who have also driven cabs in San Francisco.
A memorial fund has been established for Sodhi’s family. Contributions may be sent to: Balbir Singh Sodhi Memorial Fund, Bank One Arizona, Mail Code AZ1-1285, 241 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004.
More information about Sodhi and many photographs are available on a Sikh community website, www.sikhnet.com/s/BalbirSodhi.