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associated press
A man wipes away tears outside the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wisc., where a shooting took place on Sunday, Aug 5, 2012.
Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012 | 12:36 p.m.
Sikhism is the world’s fifth-largest religion with 25 million followers, most of whom are in India, said Rajdeep Singh, director of law and policy for the Sikh Coalition, a civil-rights group. It is a progressive religion that believes in one God and universal equality, he said.
As a matter of tradition, Sikhs do not cut their hair and turbans are worn by men. According to the coalition's website, Sikhism is the only religion that requires members to tie a turban, although some Sikhs may not wear it -- straying from the the religious requirements does not exclude one from the Sikh community.
The Sikh religion advocates the ideas of karma and reincarnation, according to the website.
Especially after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Sikhs have experienced increased discrimination and hate crimes as people associate the men’s turbans and unshaved beards with al-Qaida terrorists, Singh said. He said that about 10 percent of Sikhs in New York and California have reported experiencing ethnic slurs and hate crimes, according to a Sikh Coalition study.
Singh said he did not want to speculate on who committed the fatal shooting in Wisconsin and added that it was “utterly tragic.” The coalition’s thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families, he said.
My heart and prayers go out to all those who lost life, or the lives of loved ones, those who are wounded, and their families, in this great tragedy.
This is so very sad. Innocent people should not be subjected to the perverse insanity that causes such actions by other human beings.
All the talk radio hysteria over the "Ground Zero Mosque" and the infiltration of the State Dept. by "the Islamic Brotherhood" fuels the hateful weak minds who can't tell a Sikh from a Muslim, stop the hate.
Also we need more mental health help for the Vets
Very true mred, the rhetoric tossed about by those who believe that real Americans are white-anglo-saxon-protestents, will destroy this country. Even Romney's campaign made reference to anglo's while in Europe, which was a veiled comment about Obama. It needs to stop, period!
Bless those who were at the temple in Wisconson, my heart goes out to them.
In America it is easier to get guns than mental health care.