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It was an evening to remember in Washington. On Tuesday, December 11, three months to the day, after the September 11 Tragedy, Sikh Leadership of all ages from the across the United States and Canada gathered under the dome of U.S. Capitol Building for the First Annual "One Nation United Memorial Program" sponsored by the Washington based Sikh Council on Religion and Education. They came to remember, to pray and to stand together as a community.
They were not alone! Senators,
Members of Congress, Government officials and top leadership from Commerce,
Labor and the Interfaith Communities turned out to show their support and
solidarity. The lawmakers and Capitol Hill staffers representing both
major American political parties attended the standing room only event.
Some of the many luminaries included: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator
Richard Durbin, Senator Jeff Bingaman, Congressman Mike Honda, Congresswoman
Connie Morella, Congressman Tom Udall, Congressman Ed. Royce, Congressman
David Bonior, Congressman Rush Holt, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren as well as
officials of the Executive Branch representing the Justice Department and the
Department of Transportation Also in attendance was Congressman J.D. Hayworth
whose district includes Mesa, Arizona where Mr. Balbir Singh Sodhi 's life was
taken.
This was the first event of its kind for the Sikh Community to host in
Washington. The program started with a welcome and prayer by Fr. Daniel
Coughlin, Chaplain of U.S. House of Representatives. Interfaith prayers
followed from Christian, Jewish, Sikh and Islamic clergy. Reverend C. Welton
Gaddy, National Director of the Interfaith Alliance, the leading U.S.
interfaith organization, provided the Invocation. The melodious sounds of the
Sikh Kirtan, performed by Bhai Gurdarshan Singh and Sawinder Singh of Maryland
and Bhai Mohinder Singh from Chicago, reverberated from the walls of the
Capitol Building,
A Memorial Service and Tribute was paid to the countless victims and heroes of
the September 11th Tragedy and its aftermath. Balbir Singh Sodhi, the first
person to be killed as a result of 0911, in a Mesa, Arizona hate crime
was a focal point of the solemn ceremony. His son, and brother, were in
attendance and participated. Gururoop Kaur Khalsa, a family friend and a
leader of the Arizona Sikh Community, delivered a tearful and personal tribute
to his memory.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered a strong and compassionate speech to
those in attendance. "We will always remember the sacrifices that were
made by the Sikh Community in the wake of the terrible terrorist attacks of
Sept. 11. No community suffered greater loss as a reaction to the
terrible losses" on that fateful Tuesday in September. "I offer my
condolences and sympathy to the entire community".
In underscoring and praising the critical work that the Sikh Council on
Religion and Education and other Sikh Organizations have been doing in
educating the public, Senator Clinton said "there were many Americans who
did not know what a Sikh was, did not understand the rich history, traditions,
beliefs of the Sikh people" prior to September 11. "My husband and I
were privileged to have friends and many supporters who are Sikhs".
Firefighter Bill King, a member of NYFD Engine No. 6, was present and
remembered his fallen comrades who heroically perished trying to save lives
during the collapse of the World Trade Center. Clearly moved by the occasion,
Mr. King summed up his personal thoughts, and captured the essence of the
program, when he commented after the program, "it was very gratifying to
see how compassionate and understanding the Sikh community is regarding the
events surrounding September 11th and its aftermath. I was shocked and
dismayed to learn more of the tragic death of a member of the community and
the devastation it wreaked on his family. I'm glad I was able to share
in an outpouring of sympathy from the community and to pray for healing and
understanding in these difficult times."
Senator Richard Durbin and Congressman Mike Honda were the Guests of Honor.
The Senior Senator from Illinois in summarizing what inspired him to introduce
his resolution in the Senate recalled that "on the morning of September
11, 2001, our world as we knew it changed forever. Unfortunately, in the
aftermath of September 11, there were those, who in misguided anger and fear
turned on their neighbors and fellow Americans."
He proudly reflected upon his Lithuanian Ancestry and the broad cross section
of cultures, nationalities and religious freedoms that have made America
great.. noting that "we must embrace the diversity that makes America
what it is, a diversity that our enemies cannot understand or accept. We are a
land of immigrants, and from the beginning of our Nation's history, we have
always welcomed people from other nations. Of the thousands who perished that
tragic day of September 11, citizens of over 80 countries were included among
Americans. Sikh-Americans share with us the pain and sorrow of September 11
tragedy. Hate crimes and violence, especially violence stemming from bias and
bigotry should never be tolerated. That is why I submitted the resolution
condemning bigotry and violence against Sikh Americans."
Congressman Mike Honda, who sponsored the House resolution condemning the
attacks on Sikhs, "It is a testament to the integrity of the Sikh
American community that so many people of different faiths and backgrounds
have come together to support them and join us in our effort to promote racial
and religious tolerance in the aftermath of September 11th.I am very pleased
to have worked with the Sikhs to convince Congress to pass a Resolution that
informs all those who would target their fellow Americans simply because of
their appearance or faith, that acts of hatred and brutality will never stand
and will not be tolerated." He assured those in attendance that he would
"continue to work with Sikh Americans, Arab Americans and all the groups
representing the diverse mosaic of culture and religion in our nation to
protect our most sacred principles of civil liberty and free exercise of
religion" Calling his murder a tragedy that should have never happened,
U.S. Rep. Ed Royce addressed the tragic consequences of hate during the
memorial service for Balbir Singh Sodhi. "We all mourn this loss.
He was the father of three children and moved to the United States 10 years
ago. Neighbors and customers said that he always had a kind word to say
and that he used to hand out candy to children. It is nothing short of a
tragedy that someone would take his life in such a cold-blooded way,"
Royce said.
Royce, co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on India, praised the courage
and strength of the 500,000 Sikh-Americans. "Sikh-Americans have
suffered both verbal and physical assaults as a result of misguided anger
toward the Taliban," Royce said. "This is only the latest
hardship Sikhs have endured through a long history of oppression, but their
faith, courage and strength will carry them through."
He also said out that every American, regardless of their background, should
be treated with respect and dignity and should promote religious tolerance.
In fact, Royce recently asked Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, Orange
County Sheriff Mike Carona and local district attorneys to prosecute acts of
violence, intimidation and hate crimes against the to the fullest extent of
the law. "I am proud to be an original cosponsor of a resolution in
Congress condemning bigotry and violence against Sikh-Americans. Every
American should be treated with respect and dignity, and we should all work
harder at promoting religious tolerance in the United States and India,"
Royce said. Congressman Tom Udall observed that through it all, the American
people and the Sikh Community in the United States have persevered and come
together. "Out of the heart of darkness comes the heartbeat of
renewal. With their support, the Sikh community has shown that they are going
to be full partners in restoring New York to its rightful place and I thank
them." In summary, Dr Rajwant Singh, Founding President of the Sikh
Council said, "The tragic events of September 11 brought out the very
best in most of us as individuals and as a country. Unfortunately, at a time
of great grief, sorrow and heightened security, the aftershocks were not
altogether positive. Sikhs, and friends of the Sikh Community,
representing California, New York, Illinois, Florida, New Jersey, Delaware,
Virginia, Maryland, Arizona, New Mexico, the District of Columbia and Canada
were here with us today. They came to grieve, to be heard, to
support each other and renew their commitment to their faith and country. .
They left motivated to do what is necessary to play a role in the community
and society."
Placing the program in context, Dr. Singh emphasized, "The One Nation
United Memorial Program was indeed the culmination of a lot of blood seat and
tears.but should be viewed as the beginning.not the end. What September
11 taught us. is that we have much work to do and that we cannot expect the
general public to know about Sikhism, our virtues and our values. To the
contrary, it our responsibility to be proactive, to educate, to be involved
and to reach out. In the end, our measure of success will be what we do
to build upon the foundation of understanding that we witnessed tonight."
In addition to the "One America United Memorial Program," the Sikh
Council has been active on a number of fronts since the September 11 Tragedy.
On September 26, Dr. Singh was asked to serve as spokesperson, by the White
House, when President Bush met with Sikh leaders from around the country to
discuss the severity of the crisis. The organization represented the Sikh
Community at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) 6th National Religious Leaders Summit, in late October, as well as
worked with other Sikh Organizations to secure passage of the aforementioned
Congressional Resolution. Also in October and November respectively, the
Council opened offices in Washington and New York. The organization has
continued its participation in local and national Interfaith and Civil Rights
activities. Having participated in a meeting with other Sikh Organizations in
both a meeting with Secretary of Transportation Mineta and the drafting of
suggested FAA Guidelines to guard against Sikh and other profiling. In early
November, the Sikh Council chaired and coordinated a meeting with Department
of Transportation Officials to discuss and address issues of concern. Other
Sikh, Interfaith, Arab-American and Civil Rights Organizations were invited
and attended the meeting. During Thanksgiving Week, the Sikh Council
offered a five thousand dollar reward leading to the arrest and conviction of
persons responsible for the burning a Sikh Temple in Oswego County, New York.
Amanprit Singh, Director of the Sikh Council's New Your Office, provided on
the ground support to the Owego County Sikh Community, announced the reward
and met with local officials and the media. The Sikh Council secured greetings
from the White House on the occasion of the Founder of the Sikh Religion 's
Birthday, Guru Nanak, in late November. Leadership, from the Council, were
invited and served on a wide range of panel discussions sponsored by, but not
limited to, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the Metropolitan
Washington Interfaith Conference, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, the
Congressional Black Associates, the National Puerto Rican Coalition, the
University of Pennsylvania and the National Conference for Community and
Justice.
Founded in 1998, The Sikh Council On Religion and Education, based in Washington, serves as a think tank and represents Sikhs in various forums and venues. Its leadership has been invited repeatedly to the White House, to Congress and by various non-governmental organizations to present the Sikh perspective from its inception, and most recently, since The September 11th Tragedy.
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