US President Barack Obama on Wednesday greeted the Sikh community on Guru Nanak's birth anniversary, even as he remembered the lives lost in a Wisconsin gurdwara shooting earlier this year.
"I send my best wishes to all those here in the US and around the world who are observing the
birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Sikh Guru," Obama said.
"As always, this is a time to celebrate the principles of equality, respect, service and interfaith cooperation that are the core of the Sikh faith, and to recognise the extraordinary contributions that Sikh Americans make to our country every day," he said in his message on the occasion.
"This year, we also remember the innocent lives that were lost in the unspeakable violence directed against the Sikh congregation at the gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin," Obama said referring to the August tragedy that left six worshippers dead.
"I can think of no better way to honour their memory, and to join our Sikh friends as they mark this sacred time, than to recommit ourselves to the spirit of pluralism, equality and compassion that define both the Sikh community and our nation," the US President said.