November | 2012 |

Sikh Community Center volunteers serving hot meals in the Far Rockaways, via AP. (source: Gawker)

NY Sikhs respond during Hurricane Sandy

November 26, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The BBC provides a listen on the response by New York’s Sikh community in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy: The group United Sikhs has been coordinating storm relief activities with various city agencies to identify areas of greatest need, and they have been cooking and distributing up to 1,500 meals a day. [Volunteer Jagjit] Singh says the Sikhs were among the first group to bring hot meals into hard hit Far Rockaway in Queens. The efforts by the local Sikh […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: BBC, Far Rockaway, Hurricane Sandy, New York, Queens, United Sikhs

Picture of the Day: Tracy, CA, Sikhs participate in clothing giveaway

November 26, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

As in years prior, Sikhs in the city of Tracy, California came together to provide warm clothing to needy families this weekend: Organizers estimated that 2,000 to 3,000 men, women and children picked out new coats, gloves, socks and blankets at the Larch Clover Community Center on West Larch Road. Now in its 14th year, the event is organized by Tracy Sikhs and spearheaded by Mike Sandhu, co-owner of Sandhu Brothers Farms. “We are trying to help the needy people, […]

Categories: Picture of the Day • Tags: California, Guru Gobind Singh, Mike Sandhu, Sahibzada Fateh Singh, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh, Tracy

In honor of Guru Tegh Bahadur

November 26, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

This week, Sikhs around the world commemorate the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru of the Sikhs, who was executed in Delhi, India in 1675 by order of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The Guru had presented himself to the emperor in order to challenge the state’s oppression and forced conversion of Kashmiri Hindus. When he became Guru at the age of 43, Guru Tegh Bahadur was already a celebrated soldier and spiritual mystic. The Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh […]

Categories: Sikhism • Tags: Aurangzeb, Guru Tegh Bahadur

Cartoonist Vishavjit Singh speaks about backlash to Sikh superheroes

November 23, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In an interview on NPR, editorial cartoonist Vishavjit Singh, of sikhtoons.com, discusses the backlash he received after he wrote an opinion piece proposing the concept of a Sikh superhero that fights hate crimes: I did not expect – I mean, I am used to critique. As an editorial cartoonist, I’m used to that. I’m actually even used to threats to my life at times, because I do very hard-hitting political cartooning. But this piece, I think what happened is people […]

Categories: Art, Hate Crimes • Tags: Captain America, cartoons, comics, hate crimes, NPR, Vishavjit Singh

Still from Lt. Brian Murphy's Dash Cam video showing the mass murderer during his attack on the Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin

Discounting the “lone wolf” murderer

November 21, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Despite the conclusion by the FBI that the white supremacist acted alone in his massacre of six Sikhs in Oak Creek, Wisconsin last August, an article back in September by the Center for American Progress suggests that such “lone wolves” are not really so: Indeed, the lone wolf portrayal of far-right extremism ignores the fact that these alleged loners on the right are actually embedded in networks that do preach violence. While there is no evidence to date of networks […]

Categories: Hate Crimes • Tags: Center for American Progress, FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, hate crimes, Oak Creek, Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Southern Poverty Law Center, Wisconsin

UC Santa Cruz instructor Nirvikar Singh, left, speaks to Hannah Elston, center, Kevin Deutsch, second from right, and Virginia Perez, right, during lunch at the Sikh Gurdwara in San Jose. (David Butow, For The Times / October 21, 2012)

Sikh academics in California’s universities

November 21, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

A recent article in the Los Angeles Times looks at the growth of academic Sikh studies programs, including the Sikh and Punjabi Studies Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in the broader context of efforts to raise awareness about the Sikh American community: For Nirvikar Singh, leading Santa Cruz’s program has been an act of seva, or selfless service expected by the Sikh faith. “I felt I really could not pass this up,” said Singh, a professor of […]

Categories: Civil Rights, News Bits • Tags: California, Los Angeles Times, Nirvikar Singh, Santa Cruz, Sikh and Punjabi Studies, University of California

FBI concludes that Oak Creek, WI murderer acted alone

November 20, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The FBI field office in Milwaukee, Wisconsin put out a press release today about the conclusion of its investigation into the shooting at the Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin last August: Teresa Carlson, special-agent-in-charge of the FBI’s Milwaukee office, issued a four-paragraph statement saying the agency had concluded its investigation into the Aug. 5 incident and found no evidence to suggest shooter Wade Michael Page had any help or was carrying out any directive from any white-supremacist group. Investigators also […]

Categories: Hate Crimes • Tags: FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Gurdwara, Oak Creek, Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Wisconsin

Second man arrested in Yuba City, CA, Gurdwara riot

November 20, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

After the violence ten days ago at a Gurdwara in Yuba City, California, in which a director of the Gurdwara was arrested, Sutter County police have announced that a second man has been arrested : Parminder Kooner, 47, turned himself in to the Sutter County Sheriff’s Department for having stabbed Ajaib Malhi, 30, in the back during the fight. Kooner will be charged with assault with a deadly weapon, according to Capt. Lewis McElfresh. Reports indicate that up to 100 […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: American Red Cross, California, Gurdwara conflict, Mangal Singh Sanghera, Parminder Kooner, Yuba City

Ensaaf Decade of Disappearances Art Contest

Ensaaf’s “Decade of Disappearances” art contest

November 19, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Ensaaf (meaning justice) is a non-profit organization that works to document and bring justice to those involved in state-sponsored crimes perpetrated in India, particularly in Punjab during the 1980s and 1990s when human rights violations were rampant as part of a counterinsurgency. To bring more awareness to this issue, Ensaaf is hosting the “Decade of Disappearances” art contest: We are calling on artists to create print media pieces that shed light on human rights abuses and state-sponsored disappearances in Punjab, […]

Categories: Art, Civil Rights, Events • Tags: Decade of Disappearances, Ensaaf

Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Monthly Archives: November 2012

NY Sikhs respond during Hurricane Sandy

Picture of the Day: Tracy, CA, Sikhs participate in clothing giveaway

In honor of Guru Tegh Bahadur

Cartoonist Vishavjit Singh speaks about backlash to Sikh superheroes

Discounting the “lone wolf” murderer

Sikh academics in California’s universities

FBI concludes that Oak Creek, WI murderer acted alone

Second man arrested in Yuba City, CA, Gurdwara riot

Ensaaf’s “Decade of Disappearances” art contest