Image: Sikh Temple of Wisconsin
Dear Tanenbaum Community,
Today marks 12 years since the 2012 attack on the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek; the deadliest act of anti-Sikh hate in U.S. history. We remember the six lives taken that day: Paramjit Kaur Saini, Sita Singh, Ranjit Singh, Prakash Singh, Suveg Singh Khattra, Satwant Singh Kaleka, and Baba Punjab Singh who passed away in 2020 from his injuries.
Oak Creek serves as a devastating reminder of where hate and intolerance can lead. Since 2012 alone, there have been at least 20 fatal attacks against houses of worship reported globally.
Yet, the response to Oak Creek also shows the force of a small-town community mobilizing against religious hatred and gun violence. These demonstrations of unity permeate the violence and fear, like the friendship between former white-supremacist, Arno Michaelis, and Sikh community member, Pardeep Kaleka, who lost his father to the Oak Creek shooting. Arno’s transformation and their friendship prove that hate can be overcome through education, empathy, and humanizing each other.
Sikh scripture shares,
“To act without understanding is to lose the treasure of this human life.” – Sri Guru Granth Sahib
Today, we hold our Sikh friends and family particularly close and offer resources to cultivate understanding for religious differences, raise awareness about Oak Creek, and rise above bigotry.
Listen
- Oak Creek in Memoriam Revolutionary Love
- Courageous Conversations A discussion with former White Supremacist, Arno Michaelis and former Muslim Supremacist, Mubin Shaikh about explicit bias.
Read
- The Lessons of the Oak Creek Massacre HuffPost
- Faiths Unite Against Gun Violence on Anniversary of Sikh Temple Shooting Washington Post
Watch
- Waking in Oak Creek Not in Our Town
- Valarie Kaur on Oak Creek and Sikhism PBS
Act
- How to Organize a Vigil in Honor of the Victims of the Oak Creek, Wisconsin, Shooting Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund
- The Story of Oak Creek Remember Oak Creek
In commemoration,
Rev. Mark Fowler, CEO, Tanenbaum