‘Treat attacks against Sikhs as hate crimes’

A resolution was introduced Friday in the US House of Representatives to make it mandatory for law enforcement agencies such as the FBI to treat attacks on Sikhs as hate crimes, HT reports.

A resolution was introduced Friday in the US House of Representatives to make it mandatory for law enforcement agencies such as the FBI to treat attacks on Sikhs as hate crimes.

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This came just a day after a resolution was passed by the House condemning the shooting at a gurudwara in the US state of Wisconsin in which six Sikhs died on August 5.

The resolution “urges the US department of justice to begin documenting and quantifying hate crimes and other acts of violence perpetrated against Sikh-Americans”.

The Wisconsin incident “was not a one-time event and what’s clear is that there is a disturbing and violent trend that must be confronted and brought to an end,” said Joe Crowley, who introduced the resolution, co-sponsored by 81 members cutting across party lines.

The earlier resolution, also bipartisan, was introduced by Republican VP candidate Paul Ryan.