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A HOOSIER'S RESPONSE:
SEEING LIGHT AND LESSONS AMIDST AN UNACCEPTABLE TRANSGRESSION

Respected Friends, Community Leaders, and Fellow Americans:

Another sad episode and outrage against a decent Sikh American family (see attachment).
This incidents, and many other similar unfriendly events, in recent months simply affirm that with some sense of urgency our civic leadership, educators, law-enforcement agencies and civil rights groups, media, and fellow Americans must take some needed steps and initiatives to safeguard and celebrate our fellow citizens. We should create and expand an environment where we are introduced to one another and educated about the many diverse cultures and communities, once-unfamiliar faiths and spiritual traditions that are today a growing and integral part of American cultural, ethnic, and spiritual fabric today. In an increasingly interdependent world, we are all the better for this new emerging richness and renaissance of unbound promise.

The basic rights, human dignity, and protections guaranteed by our sacred U.S. Constitution, State Laws, City Ordinances, and civic guidelines offer solemn understandings, reassurances and commitments of protections of life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, justice, and equality under the law. These inalienable rights must be honored of every citizen in this blessed land. Each of us has a civic and moral responsibility that the type of incident that occurred in Houston, and as reported by The Houston Chronicle, does not occur in Indiana or repeated elsewhere.

Leadership in the Hoosier Sikh American community, and Sikh Americans throughout the U.S., have been making a major effort to work closely with the City, State, and National officials, law-enforcement agencies, civic and faith leadership, and educators to dispel the unfounded stereotype about the Sikh community and their faith-mandated appearance and articles of faith, and simultaneously educating the Sikh families locating in Indiana and throughout the U.S.
about their rights and responsibilities and urging them to mainstream their talents, commitment, and presence in the communities where they work and live.

The involvement of law-enforcement officers, mandated with the responsibility to protect all citizens in the Houston incident and violation of that sacred trust, has sent shock waves throughout the Sikh American communities around the Nation. We hope that the authorities in Houston will look into this matter, resolve it peacefully, and use this incident as a teachable opportunity to learn about, respect and protect innocent fellow Americans engaged in peaceful pursuits and proudly contributing to making our nation "a more perfect Union."

I know that each of you care deeply and work very hard to make our cities, states, and Nation a welcome place for all who come to our shores in search of their dreams and making a difference in their lives and ours. I thank you for your generous support of immigrant communities, including the Hoosier Sikh community, that are making Indiana their home. Indiana has been my proud home for the past 41 years and we are witnessing our City and State become the envy of many across the Nation. We must together do what we must to avoid the negative treatment and unprovoked hostility that has been out there since 9/11 and innocent Muslims and especially Sikh Americans have been the frequent victims of racial profiling, unprovoked violence and mistaken identity due to their faith mandated turbans, beards, and sacred articles of faith.
Any violation of the rights and safety of innocent fellow Americans diminishes each of us.

I have come to believe that all cultures, faith communities, and "tribes" of humanity are converging on our shores by some Providential Decree and let us make the most of the light, spirit, wealth of experience that they are bringing with them to make America a "Shining City,"
dazzling with new hope and promise amidst the unfathomable Universe that surrounds our beautiful planet Earth. Each element that graces and contributes to the glow and strengths of this greatest and one of the most enlightened experiment under the heavens is precious.

With kind regards and best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and blessed Holiday Season.

KP Singh
Indianapolis, Indiana USA


Dear Dr. Patricia Payne:

Thank you for forwarding the attached article from The Houston Chronicle. It makes me and it would make most fellow Americans sad and angry. I hope that the authorities in Houston will address the problem and the matter will be resolved peacefully.

I also understand that all of us working together can dispel some of the issues raised in the article. You certainly have been doing an commendable job as an educator to educate each of us that diversity is not an adversity; interfaith is not just about religion, it is about entering into faith with one another to serve causes bigger than ourselves. Diversity in all its rich and colorful, and sometimes complex and uncommon, forms is our new frontier of opportunity to connect with one another as fellow Americans and world citizens and fight against prejudice and unfounded stereotype against any community that forms the ethnic, cultural, and spiritual fabric our human tapestry.

I am attaching your transmission and forwarding it to respected friends and community leaders with my prayerful comments (below) and hope that we keep our beloved City and State as a leader in addressing such concerns as occurred in Houston and occur somewhere everyday against Sikh Americans from happening here.

With kind personal regards and blessings, KP Singh Indianapolis, Indiana USA




 

 


“KP” Singh,
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