by We Are Sikhs — May 11, 2017
Chicago-area Gurdwara to Hold Community Event on May 14
On Sunday May 14, Sikhs in the Chicago area, in partnership with the national We Are Sikhs campaign, are inviting community stakeholders, including local elected officials, law enforcement officers, school district leaders and others, to participate in a special event designed to help inform the community about Sikhism and the many contributions made by Sikh Americans across the country. The event will take place at the Gurdwara, or house of worship, in Wheaton, IL. This event is part of the We Are Sikh’s National Month of Community Outreach which is running across the country from May 7 until June 25, 2017.
“The National Month of Community Outreach is a critical component of We Are Sikhs, because it will give local communities in Chicago and all across the country a first-hand experience with the Sikh faith,” said Dr. Rajwant Singh, co-founder of the National Sikh Campaign. “By inviting community stakeholders and members of all faiths to our Gurdwaras, we hope to foster a better understanding of the values that unite us all as Americans.”
Sikhs have been the targets of violent hate crimes since the 9/11 attacks, with over 300 hate crimes reported, including the 2012 temple shooting in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. This vicious hate crime, which was the largest act of violence against a faith community in the U.S. since the 1963 church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, left six people dead and four others wounded.
"Sikh Americans are pillars of their communities in every corner of the nation,” said Jasvir Kaur, a member of the American Sikh community of Chicago. “They run local businesses, serve on their local Parent Teacher Associations and lead Boy Scout Troops, for example. Sikhs believe deeply in the freedom to pursue one’s own success through hard work and serving their communities – ideals fundamental to the American Dream."
WHEN: Sunday, May 14, 2017
WHERE: Wheaton Gurdwara
2131 Creekside Drive
Wheaton, Illinois 60189
WHY: To share with the greater Chicago community information about Sikh values and share parts of the Sikh culture, including the importance of the turban.
About We Are Sikhs
We Are Sikhs is a new initiative, from the National Sikh Campaign, to improve the awareness of Sikhism and perceptions of Sikh Americans nationally and in local communities throughout the United States. This campaign will focus on increasing the Sikh American community’s presence within their neighborhoods.
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