Condemning the attack on a Los Angeles gurdwara in the US, Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh has said that it has hurt the religious sentiments of Sikhs deeply.
In a statement issued here on Wednesday, the jathedar described the growing hate crimes against Sikhs in the western countries as “unfortunate”. “Sikhs are being taken for Muslims and so being attacked,” he added.
Urging the US to ensure security of the Sikh gurdwara’s and community, Giani Gurbachan Singh said hate crime in the US had become common since the 9/11 attacks of 2001. He asked the Sikh organisations and gurdwara managements in the west to raise their voice against hate crime and make people aware of the separate Sikh identity.
A Gurdwara in Los Angeles was vandalised early Sunday morning with hateful graffiti addressed towards Islamic State. The graffiti included the phrase, ‘F@#k ISIS,’ and the word ‘Islam’, Washington-based Sikh council on religion and education said in a statement.