By Valarie Kaur
Oak Creek, Wisconsin – On Friday, I participated in a memorial for the victims of the 4 August shooting in a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. I am a third-generation Sikh American, and as the ceremony drew to a close, I tweeted, “May this not be the last moment the nation watches and mourns with us. May this be the start of lasting solidarity.”
Now is the time that we, as Americans already embroiled in an increasingly bitter election year, must curb the rise of hate, fear and discontent in our communities and on the airwaves. We must call on our elected officials, media, educational institutions and faith leaders to renew their commitment to a nation where all can live, work and worship without fear.
Hope can come out of tragedy. In the past week, an untold number of Americans learned something about the Sikh religion. People of all ages, races and religions came together at memorials, in numbers far surpassing expectations. Politicians like New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg renewed the call for stronger gun control. Police officers who put their lives on the line to stop the shooting were hailed as heroes.
Tags: interfaith dialogue, religious freedom, Sikh, Valarie Kaur, Wisconsin
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