Hate Crimes | | Page 6

Sonny Singh at a rally in New York. (Source: with WINGS and ROOTS)

with WINGS and ROOTS seeks public support

June 11, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

with WINGS and ROOTS is a documentary currently in production by filmmaker Christina Antonakos-Wallace in which she is presenting the stories of five people, living either in Berlin or New York, who come from recent immigrant communities. The film highlights the individual and collective struggles of immigrants in their societies. Among the individuals featured in the film is Sonny Singh, a Sikh living in New York. Part of his story became the topic of the 2011 short film Article of […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Hate Crimes, TV/Movies • Tags: Article of Faith, Berlin, Christina Antonakos-Wallace, Germany, New York, Sonny Singh, Where are you from from?, with WINGS and ROOTS

Punjab Singh was severely wounded during the mass shooting at a Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, last August. He has been in a long-term care facility ever since. Six other Sikhs were killed and one police officer was also severely wounded. (Photo source: Sikh Coalition)

“I have never been in the presence of someone so holy in all of my life.”

May 30, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Holly Sennett, a speech-language pathologist, writes about her patient Punjab Singh, who was severely wounded during the mass shooting at a Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, last August. He has been in a long-term care facility ever since: Punjab Singh traveled all over the world to share spiritual truths. He has taught about the oneness of all of life and the need to love and forgive. He was a visiting congregational leader on this August 5th day at the Oak […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, Profiles, Reflections • Tags: Holly Sennett, Oak Creek, Punjab Singh, Sikh Coalition, Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Wisconsin

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Attacker of Fresno, CA, Sikh senior charged with hate crime

May 30, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Gilbert Garcia, who is accused of brutally attacking 82-year-old Piara Singh on May 5 as he walked home from a Gurdwara in Fresno, California, has now been also charged with a hate crime. Garcia was initially charged with attempted murder and elderly abuse as well, for which he has pleaded not guilty. Interestingly, shortly after the assault, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer strongly suggested that the attack on Piara Singh was a hate crime, and it was reported that Garcia […]

Categories: Hate Crimes • Tags: California, Fresno, Gilbert Garcia, hate crimes, Piara Singh

Jasdeep Singh of Jakara Movement Misl Fresno discusses community engagement projects to help prevent future hate crime attacks in the community. (Source: YouTube)

A community effort against hate crimes

May 24, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Jasdeep Singh of Jakara Movement in Fresno, California, describes the community’s response to the alleged hate-motivated assault on 82-year-old Piara Singh almost two weeks ago: Animosity and hatred fester in places where people do not engage, interact and share with one another. Law enforcement can react but not prevent; the same is also true of legislation. One should not need to be “educated” or even require greater “awareness” to know not to attack innocent, elderly men. Read more at The […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Hate Crimes, Interfaith • Tags: California, Fresno, hate crimes, Jakara Movement, Jasdeep Singh, Piara Singh

President Barack Obama outlines future counter-terrorism efforts in a speech on May 23, 2013. (Source: The Washington Post)

What the President said, and didn’t say, about the Oak Creek, WI, shooting

May 23, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In his speech today about the US government’s counter-terrorism activities and strategy, President Barack Obama made reference to home-grown radicalized “individuals”, citing explicitly the mass shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek last August: Finally, we face a real threat from radicalized individuals here in the United States. Whether it’s a shooter at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin; a plane flying into a building in Texas; or the extremists who killed 168 people at the Federal Building […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Hate Crimes, Politics • Tags: Barack Obama, hate crimes, Oak Creek, Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Terrorism, White supremacy, Wisconsin

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Piara Singh speaks to local media about being attacked on May 5 in Fresno, California. (Source: ABC30/KFSN)

Piara Singh, 82-year-old assault victim, speaks about his attack

May 21, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Piara Singh, the 82-year-old Sikh man who was brutally assaulted in an alleged hate crime on May 5 in Fresno, California, spoke to local media about the attack that has left him with dozens of stitches, broken ribs and a punctured lung — injuries from which he is still recovering: “You have good people and you have bad people, this person was not a good person when he attacked me but there are very wonderful people who are out there […]

Categories: Hate Crimes • Tags: California, Fresno, hate crimes, Piara Singh

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Lieutenant Brian Murphy (source: WISN12)

Oak Creek hero to retire from police department

May 17, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Oak Creek Police Department’s Lieutenant Brian Murphy, who was the first police officer to engage the attacker during the mass shooting last August at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, has announced his retirement next month in a letter to Police Chief John Edwards: “It took him a while to write it. And he just said it was a tough letter to write,” said Chief Edwards. Lieutenant Murphy sustained severe injuries after being shot more than a dozen […]

Categories: Hate Crimes • Tags: hate crimes, Lt. Brian Murphy, Oak Creek, retirement, Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Wisconsin

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Pizza is prepared by members of Jakara Movement Fresno as part of community outreach in wake of attack on Sikh senior. (source: KSEE)

Pizza and kindness in Fresno, California

May 16, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In the wake of the apparent hate-motivated attack on 82-year-old Piara Singh near Gurdwara Nanaksar (a Sikh house of worship) in Fresno, California almost two weeks ago, members of Jakara Movement Misl Fresno are using pizza as means to engage with the local community in their “Know Your Neighbors” initiative: Local supporters will be sharing pizzas to local communities in appreciation of their support after the hate crime. The initiative is meant to get to know the neighbors better and […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, Interfaith • Tags: California, Fresno, hate crimes, Jakara Movement, Piara Singh, pizza

A taxi driver who was a victim of a stabbing speaks to the media while surrounded by supporters in August, 2010. (Seth Wenig | AP. Source: Christian Science Monitor)

Mitigating hate speech

May 15, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

At a panel discussion (about hate crimes faced by Sikh Americans) organized by law students at the University of Miami last month, law professor David Abraham discusses hate speech, hate crimes and the complexities around legislation to address them: “The U.S. is at the individualist and libertarian extreme. We let Nazis march in Jewish neighborhoods, Klansmen burn crosses, and talk radio go bonkers. Responding to their own historical experiences, other countries see speech as a contribution to democracy, and by […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Hate Crimes • Tags: Arvind Singh, David Abraham, hate crime, hate crimes, Hate speech, University of Miami

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Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Category Archives: Hate Crimes

with WINGS and ROOTS seeks public support

“I have never been in the presence of someone so holy in all of my life.”

Attacker of Fresno, CA, Sikh senior charged with hate crime

A community effort against hate crimes

What the President said, and didn’t say, about the Oak Creek, WI, shooting

Piara Singh, 82-year-old assault victim, speaks about his attack

Oak Creek hero to retire from police department

Pizza and kindness in Fresno, California

Mitigating hate speech