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[Photos] Sikh Americans Remember Oak Creek by Rallying for Justice
August 5, 2014 (New York, NY) - Exactly two years after a racist gunman took six lives and injured many others at a Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, New Yorkers of diverse backgrounds—led by the Sikh community—rallied in support of Sandeep Singh, a Sikh American father who was run over by a truck last week moments after the driver called him a “terrorist” and told him to “go back to your country.”
Remembering the lives lost at Oak Creek, Sandeep Singh’s wife—Prabhpreet Kaur—spoke at the rally and demanded justice for her husband. She also read a moving statement from Sandeep, which he recorded from his hospital bed:
“I am in a great deal of pain, but I will survive. I was attacked because I am a Sikh and because I look like a Sikh. Justice should be served so that no one else goes through what I have been through. We need to create a world without hate.”
Click here to read Prabhpreet Kaur’s statement
Click here to listen to Sandeep Singh’s recording
Click here for photos from the press conference
Remembrance and Action
The Sikh Coalition is inspired by the courage of Sandeep Singh and Prabhpreet Kaur. Their call for justice and “a world without hate” was a moving tribute to those who lost their lives in Oak Creek two years ago. As we remember Satwant Singh Kaleka, Paramjit Kaur, Prakash Singh, Ranjit Singh, Sita Singh and Suveg Singh—and as we pray for the recovery of Baba Punjab Singh—let us continue to hold our heads high in the face of adversity, in the spirit of Chardi Kala (eternal optimism), and rededicate ourselves to eliminating hate and promoting justice for all people.
| “Sandeep is very fortunate to be alive, but we want more law enforcement resources devoted to finding the hate attacker,” said Amardeep Singh, Program Director for the Sikh Coalition. “Given that this attack was preceded by racial and religious slurs, it is an attack not only on Sandeep but also on the whole Sikh community. We call on the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI to work with the NYPD to investigate it as a hate crime.”.......source |
As the Oak Creek community continues to show us—and as Sandeep Singh, Prabhpreet Kaur, and the New York Sikh community showed us today—the Sikh spirit will never be broken.
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August 5, 2014 My name is Prabhpreet Kaur. I was born and raised in this country. I am a Sikh and I am an American. Last Tuesday, my husband Sandeep Singh nearly lost his life at this intersection. That night, he was out at dinner with his friends and family, after a long day at work. When he didn't come home that night, the hours began to drag and I began to worry. Once 2:00 am hit, I knew something was terribly wrong. And then I received the phone call that no one wants at the dead of night. I rushed to grab a taxi to the hospital at 5 am, with my infant child. And that's when I learned the horrors my husband had endured that night. A man in a truck called him a "terrorist" and told him to "go back to your country." When Sandeep protested, the man ran him over, dragged him for 30 feet under the truck, and left him to die. My husband is strong. He clung for his life and he will with God's grace survive. I am thankful to the medical workers and doctors who saved my husband's life. Our children are lucky to have their dad. I want to read you a statement from Sandeep. He says: "I am in a great deal of pain, but I will survive. I was attacked because I am a Sikh and because I look like a Sikh. Justice should be served so that no one else goes through what I have been through. We need to create a world without hate." Exactly two years ago, six of my fellow Sikhs lost their lives to hate at the Oak Creek Gurdwara in Wisconsin. As we remember them today, I urge the NYPD AND FBI to investigate the attack on my husband as a hate crime. What happened to my husband was an act of hate perpetrated by a man who expressed bigotry before running him over. This attack is not only an attack on my husband, it is an attack on the Sikh community. It is an attack on Americans. I ask that anyone who has any information about the man who attacked my husband to please step forward. We cannot create a world without hate unless we deliver justice to people like Sandeep. We will not rest until our community and Sandeep have justice. |
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Related Article:
http://www.sikhnet.com/news/critically-injured-sikh-man-calls-peace