Desi talk

www.desitalkchicago.com – that’s all you need to know 4 CITY VIEWS August 15, 2025 Commemorating The 13th Anniversary Of The August 5 Oak Creek Massacre In Wisconsin A ugust 5, 2012 will be remembered as a horrific day in US history, when a white suprema- cist opened fire at a gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, taking seven lives. Activists and advocates hope the horror will be seared in US memory. Those concerned with hate crimes, both violent and non-violent, which basically means the whole population, can visit @sikhtempleofwisconsin.com/ memorial, where the biographies of each of those victims is available. This year the Sikh Temple ofWisconsin where the tragedy took place, is going to hold the memorial on Sunday, August 10, Lakhwinder Singh, a committee member told News India Times on the phone. On the actual day, he said, regular services were held. On Sunday, there will be shabd-kirtan, prayers, and langar will be served, he said, and around 300 people, the regular attendees to the gurdwara, are expected. “Today, everybody stays normal, everybody is living their lives normally without fear,” he said, adding that a security guard is assigned everyWednesday and Sunday. Additionally, after the incident, he said, “We have bullet- proof windows. the government did it.” The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy organization, de- scribes the 2012 incident as “one of the deadliest hate- fueled attacks on a house of worship in U.S. history.” The website of rememberoakcreek.org reminds people, “Today our wounds are still open and white nationalist violence continues to bleed us. But we are not victims. We are survivors, healers, artists, and war- riors. And our story can show America how to stand in solidarity, bravery, and love.” On the 13th anniversary of this deadly shooting, Sikhs and non-Sikhs around the country, commemorated the tragic event that took the lives of Paramjit Kaur Saini, Sita Singh, Ranjit Singh, Prakash Singh, Suveg Singh Khattra, and Satwant Singh Kaleka. They also honored the memory of Baba Punjab Singh, the 7the person to passed away in 2020, as a result of the injuries sustained in the 2012 attack. The Sikh Coalition also drew attention to those who have persevered with life-altering injuries, like Bhai Santokh Singh, and Police Lt. Brian Murphy, and others who suffer emotional trauma. “Amidst a challenging time for both hate violence and civil rights in our country, we urge sangats across the nation to stay vigilant,” the Sikh Coalition warns, as it continues to advocate for Congressional funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, NGSP, which pro- vides reimbursement for gurdwaras and other houses of worship that have to invest for building security preparedness. According to SALDEF, Sikh Americans are among the highest to face bias incidents, and 63 percent of turban-earing Sikhs report experiencing discrimina- tion. Over the past decade, this organization says it has trained thousands of law enforcement officers, and tried influencing state and federal policy, aand researched hate crime, among other activities. It is advising members of the community and oth- ers on how to be the voice that counters hate in one’s place of work or schools,to bring at least 6 non-Sikhs to gurdwaras that one may visit, and share Sikh-awareness resources while interacting with others. A Federal Bureau of Investigation Annual Hate Crime Statistics Report for 2024, just out is being quoted by Sikh advocacy organizations. It shows that in calendar year 2024, there was a slight reduction from 2023 when there was an overall decrease in reported hate crimes generally. Sikhs however, remain the third most -tar- geted religious group behind the Jewish and Muslim communities, 153 anti-Sikh victimizations. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released its an- nual hate crime statistics report for 2024. The number of anti-Sikh hate incidents reported in calendar year 2024 is a slight reduction from 2023, reflecting the overall decrease in reported hate crimes. According to these organizations, the FBI report shows Sikhs, however, remain the third most-targeted religious group behind the Jewish and Muslim communities, with 153 anti-Sikh victimizations. Rememberoakcreek.org notes all the other targeted massacres. “As we reflect on 13 years since Oak Creek – and additional acts of targeted mass violence in Charles- ton, Isla Vista, Pittsburgh, El Paso, Poway, Buffalo, and elsewhere across our country – we choose to take ac- tion,” the site says. It asserts that, “Not enough has been done to stem the rising tides of violent hate in the United States,” but insists the US Congress can act on “critical” pieces of legislation immediately, like the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act, and Improving Reporting to Prevent Hate Act, as well as conduct hearings to pursue legisla- tion on social media platforms becoming the conduit of white nationalist and supremacist groups. “Today, too many Americans don’t remember Oak Creek. We can change that together,” says remem- beroakcreek.org . By Ela Dutt PHOTO:CourtesySikh American Legal Defenseand Education Fund in newsletter. PHOTO:Screengrab fromvideo on rememberoakcreek.org PHOTO:SALDEF Victims of the Aug. 5, 2025, massacre at the Oak Creek, Wisconsin gurdwara. The premises of the Oak Creek, Wisconsin gurdwara. Commemorating the August 5, 2012 massacre at the Sikh gurdwara in Wisconsin.