US hate crime: Sikhs in Washington express concern, fear

TIL Desk/World/Washington-Alarmed by incidents of the recent killings of Indian citizens in the United States, the Sikh community in Washington DC has expressed their concerns and conveyed the need to prevent such incidents and protect the Indian community.

“The Sikh community in United States is saddened by the incident in Kent Washington. A Sikh gentleman was shot in the arm. He was told to “go back to your own country. That has really created a heightened sense of alert and concern throughout the United States. It’s the similar situation,” said Dr Rajwant Singh, Founder and Chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education.

Asserting that there is deep concern for the safety of the community members, Singh said it’s very important that the national leadership comes forward and make a very powerful and strong statement against these kinds of hateful acts.

“Our heart goes to all the people who have faced similar circumstances. An Indian-American was killed in Kansas just few days ago and the Jewish community has seen the rise of threats against the community and their centres. So this is not the American that we have always felt so proud of. We feel America is a great country but there are some fringe elements who have now come out and they are trying to create hate among communities and against minorities,” he added.