Sikh community presents award to religion editor
The Sikh Gurdwara of Oklahoma recently presented The Oklahoman’s religion editor with a special award for her work highlighting different faith communities in Oklahoma.
Sonny Singh, president of the gurdwara, presented the inaugural Gura Nanak Interfaith Award to Carla Hinton on Nov. 5 during a celebration at the gurdwara, a Sikh house of worship in Oklahoma City. The Sikh leader gave Hinton an award plaque and draped an orange Sikh banner of honor around her.
The Sikh community also planned to award $500 in Hinton’s honor to the charity of her choice. Hinton asked that the funds be distributed between to Christ’s Temple Community Church’s Saving Our Youth Midnight Basketball program for youths in northeast Oklahoma City, and to the Oklahoma Conference of Church’s Religions United Committee for “seed money” for the 2018 interfaith trip to Israel. Hinton was part of a Religions United interfaith contingent that traveled to the Holy Land in January.
Dr. Carl Rubenstein, a retired cardiologist who is immediate past president of the Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma, gave a brief talk about Hinton’s ability to cover faith communities of all kinds, which help educate her readers about faith beliefs different from their own.
Sarbjit “Sabi” Singh, a member of the Sikh Gurdwara of Oklahoma and an Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma board member, said the best way to foster understanding about other faiths is through education, and “no one has done more to advance interfaith understanding than Carla Hinton.”
The award presentation took place as the Sikh community celebrated the birth of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, which is traditionally commemorated in November. Sabi Singh said Guru Nanek’s basic message is: “It is one creator from whom we are all born.”