Over Seas
Michelle Obama met victims families of Wisconsin Sikh Gurudwara Terror strike
August 24, 2012 | By Sikh Siyasat Bureau
Wisconsin (August 22, 2012): According to information provided by “Sikh Council on Religion and Education” Sikhs have welcomed the visit by US First Lady Michelle Obama at Oak Creek, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Sikh Temple Gurudwara’s Secretary Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal has appreciated her visit to Oak Creek and welcomed her on behalf of the Sikhs in Wisconsin.
According to reports Michelle Obama privately met with families of those killed by white supremacist Wade Michael Page in a massacre at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin.
At Oak Creek High School, the US first lady expressed her condolences to Secretary of the Sikh Gurdwara, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal and said, “It’s my honor to be here with you. I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances, but I am anxious to meet with the families and lend whatever support I can.”
Obama spent about 30 minutes with the Sikh families. In addition, the family of Oak Creek Lt. Brian Murphy, who was shot more than eight times by Wade, met privately with Michelle Obama in a separate room.
Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal told Mrs. Obama, “it is very nice of you to come and share our grief. This means a lot to all of us and helps the situation. We truly appreciate for you to take time to visit all the affected families and convey your condolences and feelings.” He further stated, “First lady was very gracious. She told me that ‘please let me know if I can do anything to help’.
Amardeep Kaleka, son of Late Satwant Kaleka, who was killed while he tried to protect others, said about Michelle Obama’s visit. “It felt sincere. She knew about my father and what he’d done. She called him a hero . . . and said he should be remembered for the good that he had done.”
Santokh Singh, who was critically injured in the shooting and was released from Froedtert Hospital last week, shared his feelings with his nephew Gurjeet Singh. “He’s very excited. He can hardly walk or stand because of the stitches, but we’re going,” Gurjeet Singh said of his uncle.
Dr. Rajwant Singh, Chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education, and who has been in touch with the White House since the tragedy, said, “ This healing touch by First lady helps the families tremendously. Her visit goes a long way to assuage the feelings of hundreds of Sikh families across the nation. Sikh community is thankful to Obamas for their support and their kind gesture during this difficult time. Their embrace of the Sikhs represented the feelings of millions of Americans during this national tragedy. All Sikhs across the US say: Thank you America! We will continue to offer our prayers for the victims and Police officer Brian Murphy who has become a hero for the entire nation and Sikhs will always be grateful for his self-less and courageous acts.”
Later Obama spoke at a campaign event and the crowd at Bradley Tech applauded other members of the Sikh community when they walked into the rally.
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Related Topics: Sikh Diaspora, Sikhs in United States, Wisconsin Sikh Gurudwara Shootout
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