Biden invokes Sikh spirit
US PRESIDENT CONDEMNS WISCONSIN GURDWARA SHOOTING ON ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden called for reducing gun violence and banning assault weapons in the country to defeat “domestic terrorism” and hate in all its forms, including the “poison of white supremacy”, as he condemned the attack on a Sikh gurdwara in Wisconsin in 2012 on the 10th anniversary of the tragedy.
On August 5, 2012, a white supremacist opened fire inside the Oak Creek gurdwara in Winconsin, killing six people.
A seventh person who was severely paralysed died from his injuries in 2020.
“The Oak Creek shooting was the deadliest attack on Sikh Americans in our nation’s history. Tragically, attacks on our nation’s houses of worship have only become more common over the past decade. It is up to all of us to deny this hate safe harbour. No one should fear for their life when they bow their head in prayer or go about their lives in America,” Biden said in a statement last Friday (5).
“The gunman murdered six people and wounded four that day, as well as another victim who survived his wounds only to succumb to them years later. [Biden’s wife] Jill and I know that days like today bring back the pain like it happened yesterday, and we mourn with the victims’ families, the survivors, and the community devastated by this heinous act,” he said. Biden said the Oak Creek incident has shown “us the way” and recalled how after the attack, the Sikh community returned to their gurdwara and insisted on the clean-up themselves.
The son of one of the victims became the first Sikh in American history to testify before Congress, successfully calling for the federal government to track hate crimes against Sikhs and other minority groups. Every year, the congregation now hosts an annual memorial run to honour the victims. The event bears the words ‘Charhdi Kala’, meaning “eternal optimism”, Biden noted.
“Fuelled by that spirit of eternal optimism, we must continue to take steps now to reduce gun violence and keep our fellow Americans safe. We must do more to protect places of worship and defeat domestic terrorism and hate in all its forms, including the poison of white supremacy. “We must ban assault weapons – used in many mass shootings at houses of worship and other sites across the country – as well as high-capacity magazines,” Biden said.
He noted that the House of Representatives last week passed a bill to do that and said the Senate must act as well.
“To stand in defence of religious freedom, we must all stand together to ban the weapons that terrorise congregations around our country,” the president said.
He recalled how generations of Sikh-Americans in Oak Creek built their place of worship after years of renting local halls.
Meanwhile, in a joint statement, health and human services secretary Xavier Becerra and US trade representative ambassador Katherine Tai – co-chairs of both the White House Initiative and the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders – listed out the steps being taken by the Biden administration to advance policies protecting the fundamental right to practise faith without fear.
“Our hearts are heavy as we remember Suveg Singh Khattra, Satwant Singh Kaleka, Ranjit Singh, Sita Singh, Paramjit Kaur Saini, Prakash Singh, Baba Punjab Singh, and all those impacted by the tragedy. The attack in Oak Creek was not just an assault on the Sikh community, but America itself – and we join with millions of people who have been touched by the unwavering Sikh tenet of chardi kala, or eternal optimism,” they said.
“While a decade has passed, Sikh Americans continue to face unconscionable harassment and violence, including in the houses of worship, where so many seek peace and solace. It is our responsibility to do everything we can to protect our communities, and the Biden-Harris administration continues to work closely with faith leaders across the country to combat bigotry and intolerance in all their forms,” Becerra and Tai wrote.
A 10th Annual Oak Creek Sikh Memorial Anniversary Candlelight Remembrance Vigil was held last Friday evening at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin.
“As we reflect on this anniversary, we know we must continue the shared work of making our society free from bigotry. In the Sikh tradition, we choose to strive for this better world without fear and without hate – and we do so in the spirit of chardi kala, or eternal optimism,” the temple said.