In the spirit of Chardi Kala (eternal optimism) Sikhs and non-Sikhs participated in 20 service projects across 16 cities, which showcased that we will never allow misguided hatred or bigotry to prevail
While the Unity 5K began as a remembrance of those lost at the Sikh Temple shootings in Oak Creek Wisconsin in 2012, this year the groups remembered those lost in the recent shootings in Charleston, SC and Chattanooga, TN.
This short documentary film by Raina Ambika is entitled Harleen. In her own voice, 22-year-old Harleen Kaur exposes her personal experiences of growing up in Wisconson and her relationship with her religion, nationality, and identity.
August 5th, 2015 marks the three-year anniversary of the shooting inside the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek. On that tragic day, six people lost their lives, and four others were injured when Wade Page opened fire on a sunny Sunday morning. This weekend, memorial events are planned to honor the victims who lost their lives in this shooting.
Perhaps I may not get my wish for Baba Punjab Singh to recover, however he has taught me so much about walking the talk of the Guru's teachings. Gently, quietly with every last breath, he continues to impact the lives of others. Silently, I speak to him with gratitude for being purely chardi kala, ever rising spirit.
The shock and sadness of the day his father was shot at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin flooded back for Raghuvinder Singh when he heard of the recent mass shooting at a black church in Charleston, S.C., that left nine dead.
For every Sikh American, it was also impossible to ignore the tragic parallels between the Charleston violence and the grief our community experienced nearly three years ago in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
Thousands of Sikhs honoured braveheart Brian Murphy who took 15 bullets in his body to stop a white supremacist on shooting spree at the Oak Creek Sikh Temple in August 2012, at the 21st annual International Punjabi American Festival (mela) here on Sunday.
More than 10,000 Sikhs from Elk Grove to Yuba City this weekend came out to honor Lt. Brian Murphy, a retired cop they consider their American hero. Murphy took 15 bullets battling a white supremacist who’d already massacred six worshippers and wounded three...
"We are very grateful to the Attorney General for his exemplary service and for his role in assuring that all communities are safe during these challenging times, especially in the aftermath of the terrible shooting at the Oak Creek Gurdwara.
Obama also said that around the world we have seen intolerance, violence and terror perpetrated by those who profess to be standing for upholding their faith "We have to guard against any efforts to divide us on sectarian lines or any other thing," he said.
...as my planning progressed, I could see that the days and events seemed to run together. What was intended for one day was spread into six. It was as if the victims were trying to say to me, “We lived as a sangat, we died as a sangat - remember us as a sangat.”
[VIDEO] "I was a founding member of the same group Wade Page belonged to... In many ways I used to be the man that he was, literally." Now he helps encourage diversity with the inspiration of the Sikh slogan: "Chardi Kala"!
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..
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, commended the STWOC stand on this issue: We must take a stand against violence by coming together with kindness and love.
Through tragedy, the Sikh community has triumphed. There's still a long way to go, but I'm proud to say that the Hindu American community and organizations like the Hindu American Foundation stand ready to work alongside our Sikh brothers and sisters.
You don't need a costume, or muscles built of steel, to be a superhero. We can all be heroes flying in stealth mode, capturing the hearts and minds of our fellow Americans, leaving no room for Osama's ghost and the racism and xenophobia that continues to haunt us.
On Wednesday, the Congressional Badge of Bravery will be awarded to retired Oak Creek police Lt. Brian Murphy — the first officer on the scene of the shooting, who was wounded about a dozen times by the shooter — and officer Sam Lenda.
On Sunday, members of the Sikh Gurdwara of North Carolina, a temple off North Roxboro Road in Durham, marked the anniversary with a “day of seva,” or selfless community service, the first of what will likely become an annual tradition.
Families came out to learn about diversity and the tragedy that happened in their own community. Among those at Saturday's event was retired Oak Creek Lt. Brian Murphy. He was shot 15 times while trying to stop the attack at the temple.
Punjab Singh spent a lifetime preaching the Sikh principles of optimism and hope — the very principles that his family now rely upon to sustain them during his slow recovery from being shot in the head two years by a white supremacist.
August 5th 2012, there was as brutal shooting at the Oak Creek Gurudwara killing six innocent people. Instead of giving into the hate and fear we came together as a community, people and nation.
Sikh volunteers helped build Habitat for Humanity on Saturday. They later assisted in cleaning up two parks and distributing free meals to homeless and hungry people in Modesto. Sikh groups nationwide provided similar services.
To commemorate the two-year anniversary of the horrific mass shooting at a Gurdwara, the Oak Creek Sangat is organizing the Chardhi Kala 6K Memorial Run and Walk to be held this Saturday, August 2, 2014.
Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, an active Sikh organization based in Washington, will honor Oak Creek Police Officer Brian Murphy with a Sewa (service) Award.
[VIDEO] "Waking in Oak Creek" documentary showing today in Wis. Days after the event film makers began creating a documentary which will be viewed by the public for the first time today. The film was made as an awareness campaign by PBS.
Announcement: The PBS documentary, part of the 'Not in Our Town' series will premiere in mid March this year. The series "documents hundreds of stories across the country in which people stood up against hate and took action to prevent the next hate crime from happening in their town."
