Brought to the US by Indian Immigrants, Sikhism Still Misunderstood Wisconsin Shooting Shows

Media coverage of Sikhism has been criticized for being clumsy and misinformed. (Photo: carlescerulla/Flickr)

Soon after news broke of the terrorist attack on a gurudwara (Sikh Temple) in Wisconsin, people were tweeting messages of disbelief, sympathy and anger. Some were also posting information about Sikhism.

Among those sending tidbits about the victimized community were the Sikh Community of British Columbia and Kulpreet Singh, founder of South Asian Mental Health Action & Awareness.

@BCSikhs  #Sikhism is a universal teaching with over 22 million adherents. Rooted in #Punjab, #Sikhs are the 5th largest world faith group.#Wisconsin

@kulpreetsingh  Since 9/11, #Sikhs have been targets of racist / xenophobic attacks in the US, including school bullying, assault and shootings. #Wisconsin

@BCSikhs  A #Sikh place of worship is called a #Gurdwara. It is open to everyone regardless of faith, caste, class, race, gender, etc.#Wisconsin

A few questioned whether it was too soon to start educating the public about the world’s fifth largest religion. But Singh and many others were reacting to media coverage of the tragedy which was at times clumsy and dismal. As Christopher Zara writes in the International Business Times, “The shooting rampage that left seven people dead at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., on Sunday has prompted misinformation, sloppy reporting and outright ignorance about the Sikh religion.”

Indeed mainstream media was lambasted on Twitter:

@kulpreetsingh  Mainstream media is doing a crap job of covering the #WisconsinShooting. Get your act together you clowns.#sikhgurdwara #Sikh #Wisconsin

@bhalomanush  Fox News asks distraught Sikh, Manjeet Mangat if there have been “anti-Semitic acts in the past against the Sikh community”

@nihalmehta .@donlemonCNN please let another anchor drive, you are a trainwreck. hinduism and sikhism are as different as judaism and christianity.

@BCSikhs  Attn @CNN @FOXNEWS and other news agencies – please contact The Sikh Coalition for information on #Sikhs or #Sikhism or send us a message

Sikhs have been in the United States for over 100 years with an estimated population of 500,000. But they remain a mystery to most Americans, often mistaken for Hindus or Muslims.  Since the September 11 attacks they have been singled out because of the way they dress.

The Sikh Coalition, a New York-based group “born in the aftermath of bigotry, violence and discrimination against the city’s Sikh population following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,” reports to have received more than 700 requests for legal assistance from Sikhs asking for help with cases including hate crimes, employment discrimination and school bullying.

“For centuries, Asian Pacific Americans, including Sikhs, have made their homes in the United States,” said Deepa Iyer, Executive Director of South Asian Americans Leading Together. “Yet incidents such as this one remind us of the need for greater understanding surrounding our diverse communities.”

As our nation increasingly becomes diverse and pluralistic, Iyer is right that we need to better know our neighbors. The United States is a country of immigrants from all over the globe who have come to fulfill their American dream. They have also brought with them their religion, culture and unique contributions which enrich and revitalize to our society. This is a good a time to learn about Sikhs who hold that all humans are equal, regardless of race, social class, creed or gender.

Originally posted on Feet in 2 Worlds,  August 8, 2012.

Asian American Groups Decry Gurudwara Attack

 

The terrorist attack on a Sikh temple in the Milwaukee suburb of Oak Creek Sunday sent shockwaves throughout the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

“A crime like this should be condemned, regardless of what ethnic or religious group is targeted,” said Sapreet Kaur, Executive Director of the Sikh Coalition. “The shooting is no less or more reprehensible if it was directed against Americans attending a mosque, synagogue, or church. This type of attack is not an attack on one community; it’s an attack on us all.”

“As our nation still struggles to comprehend what happened and we continue to support the victims and their families it’s important to send a clear and unified message to those who attempt to divide us with these senseless acts of violence,” he added. “We will not be divided, we will find hope in a moment of great tragedy, and we will move forward in the belief that freedom of religion remains a fundamental tenet of our great democracy.”

The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), a coalition of 31 national Asian Pacific American organizations, including the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) and South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), released a statement expressing its deepest condolences to the victims and their families and condemning the shooting which left seven dead, including the alleged White Supremacist attacker.

“For centuries, Asian Pacific Americans, including Sikhs, have made their homes in the United States,” said Deepa Iyer, Chairperson of NCAPA and Executive Director of SAALT. “Yet incidents such as this one remind us of the need for greater understanding surrounding our diverse communities.”

Sikhs have been in the United States for over 100 years with an estimated population of 500,000. But they have always been singled out, especially after the September 11 attacks.

“It is important to note that this is only one of a growing number of incidents of violence that Sikhs have experienced in recent years,” said Kaur. NPR reports that the Sikh coalition has received more than 700 requests for legal assistance from Sikhs asking for help with such cases as hate crimes, employment discrimination and school bullying.

“As we continue to struggle with what happened and support victims and their families, we hope America will be as outraged as we are and urge leaders to take steps to do more to prevent these crimes, promote tolerance and protect the rights of all people,” Kaur said.

The Sikh Coalition, in collaboration with local Sikh leaders and partner Sikh organizations, will be holding interfaith vigils across the country on the evening of Wednesday, August 8, in an effort to coordinate a nationwide invitation to a remembrance for the victims and their families. The coalition has also partnered with other leading organizations on the ground in Milwaukee to raise funds for the families of the victims and those who were seriously injured in the shooting.

Originally posted on the Huffington Post, August 8, 2012.