Digital Commons Network^™

Wisconsin Shooting Rampage Isn't Just A Sikh Issue, Harpreet Singh, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

The recent massacre in Wisconsin has brought about a mix of emotions for the Sikh community in San Antonio. While we have been deeply saddened by the loss, we have been touched by the support of our neighbors.

These acts of kindness remind us that this is not just a Sikh issue. The shooter violated basic human dignity and fundamental civil rights, and we must respond as a united community.

Our responses should be guided by our ideals, and our Sikhi tradition offers a few basic messages that inform a Sikh response to the massacre.

World Religions: Sikhs, Seventh-Day Adventists And Mennonites, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

No abstract provided.

The Texas That I Love Has No Place For Bigotry, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

I grew up watching the Dallas Cowboys, eating barbecue and tubing down the Guadalupe River. My childhood in Texas is one that many can relate to, but for the fact that I'm Sikh. I wear a turban, and I have witnessed discrimination throughout my life simply because I look different. While I left Texas to pursue a career in academics and interfaith work 10 years ago, my heart has never left the state in which my family's American dream was born. Through my work, I have seen minority communities struggle with being the unwarranted targets of misguided bigotry and prejudice …

We're Not Doing Enough To End Hate Among Our Children, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

If we don't fix prejudice when our kids are young, the next generation has no hope of a better country.

Last week, a middle school student from Georgia recorded some of his classmates calling him a “terrorist” and posted it online. Presumably, the kids on his bus tormented him because of his Sikh turban.

The family changed the video’s settings to private, but not before users around the world had already copied the video and reposted it. The video has since gone viral, gaining more than a million combined views from people all over the globe.

Why The Wisconsin Tragedy Matters To New Yorkers, Gunisha Kaur, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

Since the massacre of Sikhs in Wisconsin Sunday, we have been moved by the outpouring of support from our fellow New Yorkers. Even strangers have come up to us on the streets of Manhattan to offer flowers, hugs and encouragement. We are incredibly thankful to everyone for reaching out to us. At the same time, we are deeply disturbed that this violence fits into a pattern of hate crimes against Sikhs and Muslims in America. And although we like to think of ourselves as being the most diverse, cosmopolitan and tolerant place on Earth, hate crimes have been rampant here …

The Rise Of Hate Crimes Can Be Tied Directly To Hateful Speech, Hansdeep Singh, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

Attorney General Eric Holder described the recent massacre of Sikhs in Oak Creek, Wisconsin as “an act of terrorism, an act of hatred, a hate crime.” Four days later, anti-Semitic graffiti was found at Brooklyn Holocaust Memorial Park, and throughout the month of August, a number of mosques have been attacked and desecrated around the country. Official statistics on hate crimes evidence a steady rise of violence against religious communities over the past five years. Although there are flaws in the FBI’s method of tracking and monitoring hate crimes, their statistics provide a consistent framework to analyze trends. For example, …

Sikh Leadership: Establised Ideals And Diasporic Reality, Harinder Singh, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

As established in the Sikh scriptural canon, ideal leaders internalize qualities of self-sovereignty, intentional servitude, integrative creativity, authentic compassion, and perhaps most significant of all, Divine inspiration. Models of communal decision-making can also be derived from the lives of the Gurū-Prophets (1469–1708 C.E.) and the institutions they established. Though the faith recognizes no clergy class, graduates of historical seminaries often emerge as significant leaders for the Sikh nation. The community outside of the homeland, however, has experienced a lesser effort in the cultivation of leadership. With a primary focus on education, religious centers, youth camps, and retreats have played a …

Let Sikhs Serve In The U.S. Military, Prabhjot Singh, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

While the raising of awareness was one positive development to come out of such a horrific incident, it begged the question: why is it that this distinctly visible minority group – of driven entrepreneurs, successful professionals, family-oriented citizens -- have only been noted and praised in tragedy? And further, why is it that Sikhs do not appear to be part of the American fabric? A central part of the problem is that Sikhs have not been allowed to contribute to one of the most powerful forces that binds Americans as a people: shared sacrifice in an all-volunteer military that works …

Revisiting The Victim Narrative, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

After a white supremacist opened fire at a Sikh gurdwara in Oak Creek in August, significant media resources have been devoted to describing, analyzing and attempting to explain the event. A few of the prominent themes have included buzzwords such as "unprecedented," "victimization" and "suffering" endured by Sikhs in America. Although these buzzwords rightfully point to the challenges faced by Sikh Americans, they fail to aptly capture the spirit and attitude with which Sikhs have embraced such challenges throughout history.

10 Things I Wish Everyone Knew About Sikhism, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

Despite being one of the world’s largest world religions, Sikhism remains one of the most unknown traditions in America. The lack of understanding has led to serious consequences, including discriminatory policies, bigoted stereotypes, traumatic school bullying and violent hate crimes.

Here is a list of 10 things that the global community ought to know about its Sikh neighbors.

Conversations, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

Oak Creek Wisconsin: yet another tragic shooting, yet another mass murder, yet another horrific scene played out in the American landscape. But something sets this one apart: this one happened at a Sikh Temple. How are local Sikhs processing the tragedy?

How Hate Gets Counted, Simran Singh, Prabhjot Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

Do American Sikhs count?

The horrific shooting at a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee on Aug. 5, in which a white supremacist, Wade M. Page, killed six people before fatally shooting himself, elicited an outpouring of sympathy from American leaders and a greater understanding of the role Sikhs have played in American life.

But there are two disturbing aspects of the response to the shooting that deserve wider public attention.

First is the notion of “mistaken identity” — the assumption that Mr. Page, who had long-established ties to radical right-wing groups, mistook Sikhs for Muslims, his presumed target. The second …

Islamophobia, Sikhophobia And Media Profiling, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

On Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks shook the American nation to its core. Nineteen individuals associated with al Qaeda coordinated to hijack four passenger jets and use them as weapons of mass destruction. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 claimed approximately 3,000 lives, including all 256 passengers on the four planes, 125 people at the Pentagon and more than 2,600 people at the World Trade Center.

The global community watched the destruction and devastation with horror. Law enforcement agencies focused attention on detecting and preventing further terrorism on American soil, while news media scrambled to collect, synthesize and present an enormous …

Ins And Outs Of Queens. Richmond Hill, Shabana Sharif, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

The streets of Richmond Hill, Queens are known for their vibrant and flavorful customs. Richmond Hill is home to many different communities including the largest Indo-Caribbean community in the United States, and a growing Punjabi community. Come and join to learn more about Richmond Hill.