President Joe Biden has known as for decreasing gun violence and banning assault weapons within the US to defeat “domestic terrorism” and hate in all its kinds, together with the “poison of white supremacy”, as he condemned the assault on a Sikh gurdwara in Wisconsin in 2012 on the tenth anniversary of the heinous act.
On August 5, 2012, a white supremacist opened fireplace contained in the Oak Creek gurdwara in Winconsin, killing six individuals. A seventh one that was severely paralysed died from his accidents 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 stated in a press release on Friday.
The President stated the Oak Creek incident has proven “us the way” and recalled how after the assault, the Sikh group returned to their Gurdwara and insisted on cleansing it themselves. The son of one of many victims turned the primary Sikh in American historical past to testify earlier than Congress, efficiently calling for the federal authorities to trace hate crimes in opposition to Sikhs and different minority teams.
Every yr, the congregation now hosts an annual memorial run to honour the victims. The occasion bears the phrases ‘Charhdi Kala’, that means “eternal optimism”, he famous.
“Fuelled by that spirit of everlasting optimism, we should proceed to take steps now to cut back gun violence and hold our fellow Americans protected. We should do extra to guard locations of worship, and defeat home terrorism and hate in all its kinds, together with 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 asserted.
Underlining that the House of Representatives final week handed a invoice to do this, he stated the Senate should act as effectively.
“To stand in defence of religious freedom, we must all stand together to ban the weapons that terrorise congregations around our country,” Biden stated.
Recalling the assault, the President stated when generations of Sikh-Americans in Oak Creek constructed their place of worship after years of renting native halls, it was a sacred place of their very own and a connection shared with the broader group. That sense of peace and belonging was shattered on August 5, 2012, when a white supremacist wielding a semiautomatic handgun arrived on the Gurdwara and commenced capturing.
“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. 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 stated.
The US is ready to match or surpass its worst yr on report for the variety of mass shootings, in accordance with knowledge compiled by the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit that tracks gun violence incidents throughout the nation.
There have been not less than 246 mass shootings by June 5 this yr. That is identical quantity the nation noticed by June 5 in 2021 — the worst yr on report because the Gun Violence Archive started monitoring mass shootings in 2014.
There had been a complete of 692 mass shootings in 2021, CNN reported in June. That 246 quantity additionally means there have been extra mass shootings than days thus far in 2022 — a development that’s recurred every year since 2020 — underscoring the rising prevalence of gun violence in American life, the report stated.
Several mass shootings and a sustained rise in gun violence throughout the US have spurred regulation enforcement officers and lawmakers to push for extra gun management measures.
President Biden in June signed into regulation the primary main gun security laws handed in many years. Though the measure did not ban any weapons, it contains funding for varsity security and state disaster intervention programmes.
Meanwhile, in a joint assertion, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and US Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai – Co-Chairs of each 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 insurance policies defending the basic proper to apply religion with out worry.
“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 Charhdi Kala, or eternal optimism,” they stated.
“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.
The Oak Creek incident was like a wake-up name that regardless of having coexisted in America for greater than 100 years, individuals weren’t conscious of the Sikh identification, its piety, the teachings, our values, tenets of common well-being and Seva, UN-affiliated non-profit organisation United Sikhs stated in a separate assertion.
This yr’s Oak Creek commemoration is centred across the message “Heal, Unite, Act,” stated one other Sikh physique SALDEF. “For us, this sparks the flame to do more in our community.
The Sikh faith is grounded in the oneness of humanity and we believe there is divinity within all. It is through our relationships with one another that this change is possible,” it stated.
The tenth Annual Oak Creek Sikh Memorial Anniversary Candlelight Remembrance Vigil was held Friday night from 6 pm to eight pm native time on the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin.
“Ten years ago, our sangat (community) suffered the most devastating attack against Sikhs in our nation’s history. As ever, our hearts remain with the families of Prakash Singh, Paramjit Kaur Saini, Sita Singh, Ranjit Singh, Satwant Singh Kaleka, Suveg Singh Khattra, and Baba Punjab Singh–as well as those who were injured during the shooting, and those who carry the burdens of trauma and loss forward to this day,” stated the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin.
“This anniversary means many things to many people. Some still feel painful loss and absence in their households and families ten years later. Others have come of age in the past decade, learning how to lead and finding their voice in the shadow of tragedy. And still others have joined our growing community and become a part of our continuing story.
There is room for this commemoration to hold the unique truth that each of us feels,” the temple stated.
“As we reflect on this anniversary, we know that 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,” it stated.
