Washington: Sikh-Americans, who have faced hate crimes after every major attack in the US, are fearing a backlash following the Orlando gay club shooting, even as the Obama administration has assured them of their safety. In a bid to allay growing concerns within the community, the White House sent one of its top officials to a gurdwara in the Washington DC suburbs to meet members of the Sikh community and local leadership.
“We know, this is a time when some in the community fear unease,” Cecilia Munoz, director of the domestic policy council at the White House, said after her visit to the oldest gurdwara of Maryland — Guru Nanak Foundation of America. She also attended ‘sangat’ with its members.
“I shared the work that the federal government is doing to make sure that every child is safe and secure, every person is feeling safe and secure in the places of worship and the places where they work and the places where they study,” Munoz said, adding that there was no need to be fearful.
Her visit to the gurdwara was planned a few days ago, but her presence was very timely in terms of the new wave of fear that has gripped the community because of the Orlando incident — the deadliest mass shooting in America’s history, carried out by Afghan-origin Omar Mateen, which left 50 people dead and 53 injured on Sunday.
“This is a country of great diversity. We cherish that diversity. We celebrate it. We feel great gratitude to the Sikh community for the many many contributions to the United States,” said Munoz.
“It is fundamental to our democracy that people have freedom of worship, but also have freedom from fear,” she said, adding that the Obama administration has taken steps to address these challenges.
Paramvir Singh Soni, chairperson of the Guru Nanak Foundation of America, acknowledged that there is a sense of fear in the community and said the Sikh-Americans are touched by the steps being taken by US President Barack Obama in this regard. “We are still looking for stronger actions against hate crimes. I think we need to do some more work, but we are making progress,” he said. Singh said the community wants to have the next president as one who can address its challenge. Dr Rajwant Singh, Washington-based chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education, said the Sikh community, is very concerned about the possible backlash from the Orlando killings.