Photo Source: Babushahi Network
Sikhs welcome President Biden's Stand against hate on 9th Anniversary of Oak Creek Shooting
Chandigarh, August 6, 2021:
Sikh community leaders welcomed a statement by the US President Biden on the 9th anniversary of shooting at the Oak Creek Gurdwara (Sikh place of worship).
President Biden released a remembrance statement in a tweet early Thursday morning, calling for Americans to stand up against hate and bigotry, while standing for the freedom of individuals to practice their faith without fear or danger.
Nine years ago on this day, August 5, 2012, a White supremacist gunman walked into the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin and opened fire, killing six people.
The shooter, identified as a white supremacist walked into the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin and began a rampage which killed six people, wounded many, and terrorized an entire community before turning the gun on him.
Dr. Rajwant Singh, Chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education, said, "We are thankful to President Biden for his compassion and a strong stand against hate and violence. The Sikh community was shaken by this tragedy and our community still is concerned about the hate filled rhetoric being condoned by some political interest groups."
He further stated, "The White supremacist groups are on the rise in the recent years and are intimidating many other minority groups in America. President Biden and Vice President Harris's stand is unambiguous on this critical issue in this country. This is the most important message that our political leaders can send across the nation and the world."
Gurwin Singh Ahuja, Co-founder and the Executive Director of the National Sikh Campaign, said, "Violence against Sikhs had been on the rise for several years. After 9/11 many Americans associated a turban and beard with terrorism and an alarming number of people turned to racism and violence against our community.
Oak Creek was an act of hatred and racism that could no longer be ignored. With six people killed, one person paralyzed, a police officer recovering from 15 gunshot wounds, and several injured, this will continue to remind us that we need to inform Americans about our faith and our traditions. The National Sikh Campaign is committed to creating positive awareness about Sikhs in this country."
President Biden released a remembrance statement in a tweet early Thursday morning, calling for Americans to stand up against hate and bigotry, while standing for the freedom of individuals to practice their faith without fear or danger.
The Wisconsin Governor also released a statement of remembrance in a tweet as well.
The temple in Oak Creek, one of two large Sikh congregations in the Milwaukee area, was founded in 1997 and has over 400 members. There are close to 650,000 Sikhs in America.
NSC had launched a biggest media campaign to educate Americans about Sikh tradition and turban in 2017. The effort continues with more social media engagement and working with several top PR and Hollywood entities.
Read: