Sikhs express shock after shootings at Wisconsin Gurdwara
Sikhs have sometimes been mistaken for Muslims and targeted in attacks post-9/11
Sikhs
living in the United States have expressed their shock and fear after a
shooting at a temple in Wisconsin on Sunday which left seven people
dead.
Some community members could not believe what happened. Others said they had feared such attacks since 9/11.A gunman entered the Sikh temple on Sunday morning and opened fire, killing six people and injuring a policeman.
A vigil for the victims was held in nearby Milwaukee as police searched the suspect's home.
FBI and bomb squad officers have surrounded the property of the alleged gunman in Cudahy, about 2.5 miles (4km) north of the Wisconsin Sikh Temple and evacuated local residents.
In total, seven people died in the attack in Oak Creek, a suburb of Milwaukee, including the gunman. A police officer and two other men were critically injured.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is himself a Sikh, said he was "deeply shocked and saddened" by the attack.
"That this senseless act of violence should be targeted at a place of religious worship is particularly painful," Mr Singh said in a statement.
Muslim confusion Officials have not yet identified the gunman or a possible motive, but Sikh organisations in the US say the community has been vulnerable since the 9/11 attacks.
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Sikhism at a glance
- Sikhism is a monotheistic faith founded more than 500 years ago in South Asia
- Observant Sikhs do not cut their hair; male followers often wear turbans and do not shave their beards
- The faith has about 27 million followers worldwide. There are up to 500,000 Sikhs in the US, where they have sometimes been confused with Muslims
- In Sept 2001, an Arizona gas station owner, Balbir Singh Sodhi, was shot dead by a man said to be seeking revenge on Muslims for 9/11
"This is something we have been
fearing since 9/11, that this kind of incident will take place," said
Rajwant Singh, chairman of the Washington-based Sikh Council on Religion
and Education.
"It was a matter of time because there's so much ignorance
and people confuse us [as] being members of Taliban or belonging to
[Osama] bin Laden," he told Associated Press."We never thought this could happen to our community," Devendar Nagra, 48, told Associated Press, "we never did anything wrong to anyone."
Sikhism hails from the Indian subcontinent and observant Sikhs wear turbans. Members of the community have been attacked in the past by assailants mistaking them for Muslims.
"That turban has tragically marked us as automatically suspect, perpetually foreign and potentially terrorists," Valarie Kaur, a filmmaker based in the US who has chronicled attacks on Sikhs, told the news agency.
Several hundred people turned up to an impromptu candlelit vigil in Milwaukee on Sunday evening for the victims of the shooting.
There are an estimated 2,500-3,000 Sikh families in and around the city worshipping at two gurdwaras and temples, including the Wisconsin Sikh Temple.
Distraught family members are still waiting for news in Oak Creek
"It will take a long time to heal. We're hurt very badly," he said.
'Terrorist-type incident' President Barack Obama expressed his condolences with victims of the attack, which comes just over two weeks after a gun massacre left 12 people dead at a Colorado cinema.
"As we mourn this loss which took place at a house of worship, we are reminded how much our country has been enriched by Sikhs, who are a part of our broader American family."
The US embassy in India said it was "deeply saddened by the senseless loss of lives and injuries" caused by the shooting.
"Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to the victims and their families," a statement said.
"The United States takes very seriously the responsibility to respect and protect people of all faiths. Religious freedom and religious tolerance are fundamental pillars of US society."
Local politician Mark Honadel called the attack "craziness".
The state representative told CNN: "Unfortunately, when this type of stuff hits your area, you say to yourself, 'why?' But in today's society, I don't think there's any place that's free from idiots."
Police have described it as a "domestic terrorist-type incident". The FBI are taking over the criminal investigation.
There was believed to be only one attacker, with eyewitness reports suggesting it was a white male.
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