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Buena Park Gurdwara

Los Angeles Sikh temple vandalized with anti-ISIS graffiti

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January 13, 2015:

Brodie Durazo Could Get 3 Years in Prison for Vandalism of Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) Buena Park, California

Brodie Durazo, 21, was released Monday on $20,000 bail and is expected to appear in court Feb. 8. He faces felony vandalism of religious property and two misdemeanors on suspicion of vandalism that caused less than $400 in damages, according to court records.

Durazo have already apologized at Sikh Temple. Brodie Durazo said: “There isn’t the right amount of words to explain for my actions, but the truth is, it was an idiotic decision I made while intoxicated. consumed heavy amounts of alcohol that night and made a poor decision to graffiti random locations.”

“The only reason I wrote what I wrote on the truck was because I was intoxicated and I figured the truck travels through the state and through the country.” said Durazo. “I know your your faith and church have nothing to do with the Muslim religion or Islam, that is why I did not write the profanity on your walls or temple.”

Durazo faces up to three years in prison.

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Dec. 14, 2015:

20-year-old Man who vandalized Sikh Temple apologize to the congregation

Buena Park, California, Dec. 14, 2015

A 20-year-old Buena Park resident Brodie Durazo admitted to vandalizing the Sikh temple and a tractor trailer in the parking lot, after a backlash for the San Bernardino, California shooting in which a Muslim husband and wife killed 14 and injured 22 people.

On Dec 13, around 12.30pm, at regular Sunday program of house of worship at Sikh Temple, Buena Park, Brodie Durazo, along with his father and other family members met Sikh management officials, eat langar, stand at the podium in front of 300-400 people and said:

  • "I cannot imagine the amount of stress or tension that I brought upon your temple, especially with what is going on in this world at this time," Durazo said. "I do offer my sincere apologies, and, with all being said, I hope you can come to a realization that I did not mean for the gurdwara to feel targeted. I have lived alongside this temple for many years of my life and have never once seen you as anything but a peaceful people. I just hope that you will see by my presence that all I want is for peace as well."

At Sikh Temple, Brodie Durazo told Our NRIpress  senior representative: “I love and peace.”

“Durazo looks gentleman and peaceful person and the incident might have been part of anti-Muslim retaliation after the San Bernardino shootings because the graffiti included "Islahm (sic)" and "[expletive] ISIS,"  said  Darshan Singh

 “The Buena Park Police Department understands the sensitive nature of crimes like this and is providing extra police patrols and attention to the Sikh Temple,” the department said.

 For a Sikh, wearing a turban asserts a public commitment to maintaining the values and ethics of the tradition, including service, compassion, and honesty.

Despite being one of the world’s largest world religions, Sikhism remains one of the most unknown traditions in America. The lack of understanding has led to serious consequences, including traumatic school bullying and violent hate crimes.

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Dec. 07, 2015

Los Angeles Sikh temple vandalized with anti-ISIS graffiti
Sikhs always misunderstood to be Muslim.

Buena Park, California, Dec. 07, 2015
NRIpress-Club/Sukhjit/Gary Singh

A Sikh temple Gurdwara in Buena Park, Orange County, California (25 miles from Los Angeles) was vandalized with anti-ISIS graffiti last weekend, apparently in retaliation for the San Bernardino shootings.

It happened between Saturday night and Sunday morning, a community member’s truck in the parking lot, were vandalized with hateful graffiti. The graffiti included the phrase, “Fuck ISIS,” along with gang references.

“It is a case of mistaken identity, that is our main concern,” Inderjot Singh, president of Sikh Gurdwara Singh Sabha temple said. “It is a case of mistaken identity, that is our main concern.”

Inderjot Singh further said, “Buena Park police is actively cooperating with law enforcement.”

Ever since they arrived in the U.S. as farmers and lumber mill workers in the late 19th century, Sikhs have struggled with how little Americans knew about the faith. The Sikh population numbers make up the world’s fifth-largest religion, Sikhs are still misunderstood.

In 1970s Iranian hostage crisis, Americans often mistook Sikhs for Iranians. Vandals attacked some temples after the Oklahoma City bombing, committed by white U.S. Army veteran Timothy McVeigh.

Sikhs leave their hair uncut and covered by a turban as outward demonstrations of and reminders of their faith. Both Muslims and Sikhs are visible minorities.

  • In September, a Sikh American father was viciously assaulted in a suburb outside of Chicago after being called “Bin Laden
  • • In 2014, Sandeep Singh, a Sikh American father in New York City, was run over and dragged 30 feet after being called a “terrorist.”
  • • Oak Creek, Wis.: Aug. 5, 2012, A gunman is shot dead by police after he opened fire in a gurdwara during Sikh prayer services, killing six.
  • • Sterling Heights, Mich.: Feb. 6, 2012, A Sikh temple is defaced with graffiti that includes a gun and references to 9/11.
  • • New York, N.Y.: May 30, 2011, Jiwan Singh, a MTA worker, who was assaulted in early 2009 in Queens, is attacked on the A train and accused of being related to Osama bin Laden.
  • • Elk Grove, Calif.: March 6, 2011, Two elderly Sikh men in traditional garb, out for a daily afternoon walk, are shot and killed. The perpetrator is not found. …The Sacramento Bee.
  • • Sacramento, Calif.: Nov. 29, 2010, Harbhajan Singh, a cab driver, is a attacked by passengers, who call him Osama bin Laden. They later convicted.
  • • Queens, N.Y.: Jan. 30, 2009. Jasmir Singh outside of a grocery store was attacked by a broken glass bottle and loses vision in his left eye. Racial slurs are heard.
  • • Carteret, N.J.: Oct. 29, 2008, Ajit Singh Chima, goes for a walk in his neighborhood, attacked by a man
    • Phoenix, Ariz.: Aug. 4, 2008, Inderjit Singh Jassal is shot and killed while working at a 7-Eleven
  • • Queens, N.Y.: June 5, 2008, A Sikh student is attacked by another student, who tried to remove his turban, and bullying the boy all the time.
  • • Bryan, Texas: Feb. 28, 2008, A Sikh man is assaulted in a Wal-Mart parking lot by calling him a terroristand punched him in the face and knocked his turban off the ground
  • • New Hyde Park, N.Y.: Jan. 14, 2008, A 63-year-old Sikh, Baljeet Singh, has his jaw and nose broken when attacked outside his temple by a man who lived next door.
  • • Joliet, Ill.: May 30, 2007, A decorated U.S. Navy veteran of the Gulf War, Kuldip Singh Nag is approached by a police officer outside of his home for an expired vehicle registration tag. The officer reportedly assaults Nag with pepper spray while hurling expletive-laced anti-immigrant statements
  • • Queens, N.Y.: May 24, 2007, A 15-year-old student has his hair forcibly cut by an older student at his high school.
  • • New York, N.Y.: July 12, 2004, Rajinder Singh Khalsa and Gurcharan Singh, cousins on their way to dinner at a restaurant, are beaten by two drunk white twentysomething men.
  • • Fresno, Calif.: March 13, 2004, Gurdwara Sahib, a local Sikh temple, is vandalized with graffiti messages: “Rags Go Home” and “It’s Not Your Country
  • • Tempe, Ariz.: Sept. 25, 2003, Sukhvir Singh, a 33-year-old convenience store owner, is stabbed to death
    • Daly City, Calif.: Aug. 6, 2002, Sukhpal Singh, brother of Balbir Singh Sodhi, who was the first Sikh murdered following 9/11, is shot while driving his cab.
  • • Los Angeles, Calif.: Dec. 12, 2001, Surinder Singh Sidhi, a liquor store owner in Los Angeles who took to wearing an American flag turban after 9/11 out of fear of being attacked, is beaten in his store by two men who accuse of him of being Osama bin Laden
  • • N.Y: Nov. 18, 2001, Three teens burn down Gobind Sadan, a gurdwara (Sikh temple) in New York, because they thought it was named for Osama bin Laden.
  • • Ariz.: Sept. 15, 2001, Four days after the infamous attacks of 9/11, Balbir Singh Sodhi, a 49-year-old Sikh, is shot and killed outside the gas station

Of the 27 million Sikhs worldwide, the majority live in India, where the religion was established in the 15th century. The exact number of Sikhs living in America is not known. Estimates range from 400,000 to 500,000…………..Gary Singh