On Sunday, August 5th, 2012, Priests had assembled in the sprawling Sikh temple in preparation for their usual Sunday service in the suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Instead of the worshipers, an armed man, 40-year-old Mr. Wade Michael Page, came through the door and started firing. In that incident, six people died while three people were wounded (Magnier, 2012).
It is unclear why the gunman had targeted that congregation since the police did not release the details about the gunman or his motives. However, the theory formed around this attack at the gurdwara was that it was a targeted hate crime against Muslims (Yaccino et al. 2012) . Mr. Page, a US Army veteran, was believed to belong to a white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups and was reported to be a member of the Hammerskins, a White Supremacist Power Rock music group. Before this incident, attacks against the Sikh had not been reported (Magnier, 2012). However, after the 9/11 attacks, members of the Sikh said that they felt a sense of a rise of antipathy. They claim that this was because people mistake them for Muslims. The police’s theory, on the other hand, was that this was an act of domestic terrorism. The FBI was still investigating the attack for domestic terrorism, but they had not yet found any motives for the attacks (Yaccino et al. 2012) .
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Following the incident the Sikh community in India responded by protesting against the attacks (Magnier, 2012). At a gurdwara near the Pakistani border, officials said that they would hold a three-day vigil in honor of the victims. The Indian Sikhs held peaceful demonstrations at the US embassy in New Delhi as Nancy Powell, the US ambassador to India, visited the largest gurdwara in the region, calling for stronger gun laws in the US (Magnier, 2012). This was a show of solidarity between the Sikhs in India and the United States. The US-based Sikhs, deeply enraged by that attack, vowed to offer assistance to the victims and their families and urged the Sikhs in America to organize interfaith vigils with them (Kelleher, & O’Brien, 2012). By providing support to the victims of the incident, they were fulfilling the Vand Chakna. This scripture teaches believers to be giving and be selfless in the act to those who are in need and the community around them (Kelleher, & O’Brien, 2012). The attack against the gurdwara was unfortunate. The act to stand in solidarity to protest against the attacks was a show of solidarity. This was an act of unity among the faithful and was in line with the beliefs of the Sikh.
References
Magnier, M. (2012 August 5). India reacts with grief, outrage over Wisconsin killing of Sikhs: Los Angeles Times . Retrieved from: https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/08/india-reacts-with-grief-outrage-over-wisconsin-killing-of-sikhs.html
Yaccino, S., Schwirtz , M., & Santora , M. (2012 August 5). Gunman Kills 6 at a Sikh Temple near Milwaukee: New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/06/us/shooting-reported-at-temple-in-wisconsin.html
Kelleher, J.B., & O’Brien B. (2012 August 6 ). Small, tight-knit Wisconsin Sikh community shocked by shooting: Reuters. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-wisconsin-shooting-community/small-tight-knit-wisconsin-sikh-community-shocked-by-shooting-idUSL2E8J608120120806
