News Bits | | Page 6

PGA golf pro Arjun Atwal, others to wear saffron ribbons in memory of WI victims

August 16, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

“My family and I knew we had to do something to help the victims of this horrible tragedy right after we heard about it” said Atwal, who is from India and a Sikh. “I know that we can’t bring any of the victims back, but we wanted to help out as much as we can to honor and bring awareness to those involved.” — PGA Tour golf pro Arjun Atwal discusses donning a saffron-c0lored ribbon this week in tribute to […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: Arjun Atwal, Gurdwara, Oak Creek, PGA Tour, Wisconsin

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Murdered Sikh in armed robbery was member of Oak Creek, WI Gurdwara

August 16, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Still grieving and recovering from their attack less than two weeks ago, another tragedy has reportedly befallen the Oak Creek, Wisconsin Sikh community: Multiple media outlets are reporting that a 50-year-old man fatally shot during an armed robbery attempt in Milwaukee was a member of the Oak Creek Sikh temple. Dalbir Singh, 50, was killed about 9 p.m. during a robbery at the Harmony Food Store near 38th and Locust, according to Patch’s media partners at Fox 6. The shooting […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: Dalbir Singh, Gurdwara, hate crimes, Milwaukee, Oak Creek, Santokh Singh, Wisconsin

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Prayers for the victims of the Wisconsin Gurdwara shooting

August 5, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

I have been watching television in disbelief, grief and frustration about the shooting at the Gurdwara in Wisconsin. I will leave the news reporting to news websites as I try to sort my thoughts and make sense of what has happened, its fallout and the implications. For now, I pray for peace for the victims and their families, and the Sikh and broader Wisconsin communities. And, I would like to express heartfelt gratitude to the officers whose heroic efforts put […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: Gurdwara, Milwaukee, Oak Creek, shooting, Wisconsin

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Cheering the Olympic Sikhs

August 2, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Like many others, I have been watching the Olympics and following closely the American national team in the many events that I don’t get to watch typically. And, like many Sikhs across the world (especially on social media sites), I have also celebrated the presence of Sikhs on the various national teams such as India and Canada (Sikh Canadian Arjun Bhullar made waves for wearing a turban during the opening ceremonies as he walked with the Canadian Olympic team). An […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: Alexi Grewal, Arjun Bhullar, athletics, Olympics, Sikh diaspora, Washington Post

New England Sikh Study Circle celebrates site of new Gurdwara

July 30, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

This past weekend, the New England Sikh Study Circle, currently housed in Milford, Massachussetts, held a ceremony on the site of their future Gurdwara in Westborough: [Sarbpreet] Singh said the Gurdwara will serve his community’s needs for several decades, once it is completed. He said he was looking forward to working with other churches and temples in the Westborough area in serving the community. “We do a lot of interfaith things,” he said. “We want to work closely with other […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: Gurdwara, Massachusetts, Milford, New England Sikh Study Circle, Westborough

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Millbourne, PA Sikhs represent changing diversity of Philadelphia area

July 26, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Daniel Denvir and Zoe Strauss write in the Philadelphia City Paper about the ethnic diversity of Millbourne, Pennsylvania (a suburb of Philadelphia), which has a large South Asian population. The authors describe their visit to the Philadelphia Sikh Society: As to how a hub of Sikh and South Asian culture landed in this dense pocket of small-town development, cab driver Iqbal Singh explains what many others will tell me: He came to Philadelphia because he already had family here. And […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: Daniel Denvir, Millbourne, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Philadelphia City Paper, Philadelphia Sikh Society Gurdwara, Zoe Strauss

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Lessons learned in NY and the CA Workplace Religious Freedom Act

July 26, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The New York Times published an editorial last month about the workplace discrimination case involving the city’s Metropolitan Transit Authority and their Sikh and Muslim employees: This settlement should have been reached years ago. By dragging things out so long, the M.T.A. has deepened the sense of injury in the Sikh and Muslim communities. Prominent in the Justice case was Kevin Harrington, a subway train operator and a Sikh who wears a turban. After the 9/11 attacks, he was commended […]

Categories: Civil Rights, News Bits • Tags: AB1964, California, Metropolitan Transit Authority, MTA, New York, New York Times, Workplace Religious Freedom Act

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Conflict at CA Gurdwara results in violence, police action

July 24, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Sikh24 presents news about a conflict over the management of the Sikh house of worship in El Sobrante, California (officially called the Sikh Center of San Francisco Bay Area) that turned into a physical altercation and required police intervention: One individual was hurt during the altercation, he later told the police that Darshan Singh had allegedly cut him on the forehead with his small kirpan. The victim had a two inch gash and was bleeding. This is a gross violation […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: California, El Sobrante, Gurdwara, Gurdwara conflict, Sikh Center of San Francisco Bay Area

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Stockton, CA Gurdwara hosts community clergy breakfast

July 23, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

“I see a community stepping up, rising up,” Johnston said. “Each of us has a role. It is a great gift to our community to have the Sikhs here in Stockton.” — Stockton, California Mayor Ann Johnston comments after her visit to the “Sikh-American birthplace”, the Sikh house of worship in Stockton, California that is considered the first and oldest Gurdwara in the country. The Gurdwara is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

Categories: News Bits • Tags: Ann Johnston, California, Stockton, Stockton Gurdwara Sahib

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Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Category Archives: News Bits

PGA golf pro Arjun Atwal, others to wear saffron ribbons in memory of WI victims

Murdered Sikh in armed robbery was member of Oak Creek, WI Gurdwara

Prayers for the victims of the Wisconsin Gurdwara shooting

Cheering the Olympic Sikhs

New England Sikh Study Circle celebrates site of new Gurdwara

Millbourne, PA Sikhs represent changing diversity of Philadelphia area

Lessons learned in NY and the CA Workplace Religious Freedom Act

Conflict at CA Gurdwara results in violence, police action

Stockton, CA Gurdwara hosts community clergy breakfast