NEW YORK: Freedom lovers from America, Afghanistan and Pakistan extended full support the Sikhs in establishing sovereign state of their own at the dinner hosted jointly by World Sikh Organization and Sikh Muslim Friendship Society. Prominent among those who attended the dinner were Mr. Habib Mayar, Chairman Afghan Community US, Mr. Joe Haneman, Chairman International Immigrants Association, Mr. Bill Qureshi (Republican) and Mr. Islam Pirzada, leader of Pakistani Muslims in us.
‘Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Habib Mayar said that Sikhs were victims of a communal persecution and their persecution will end only with their liberation. He assured the Sikhs that Afghans will fight shoulder to shoulder with them in their struggle for independence. He said that Afghans are not fighting only for the freedom of Afghanistan but “for all those who ‘are oppressed”. He recounted how valiantly a small country like Afghanistan was fighting a superpower like the Soviet Union, “Victory belongs to us and we shall have it”, he declared, He said that don’t ever trust communists and nor, for that matter, the Soviets,
Mr, Joe Haneman said “No body has the right to destroy a place of worship especially a beautiful shrine like the Golden Temple”, He disclosed that he found mental peace there during his visits. He said that the loudest message that he had ever come across was a silent procession arranged in New York some years back. He said if you want peace and talk’s peace, dial my number. He also supported the Sikh struggle for justice and freedom.
Mr. Islam Pirzada said that Sikhs were a brave people who have demonstrated that it was not easy to suppress those who know how to fight for their rights. He said that to end injustice was a universal responsibility and he predicted that Sikhs, Afghans and blacks of South Africa “will definitely be successful in realising their dream of freedom”. He said that in Islam there was no force or compulsion. A Muslim is a Muslim out of his own free will and conscience. If Muslims had used force, Spain and India today would have been totally Muslim countries because Muslims ruled over Spain for 800 years and over India for ‘more than 500 years.
Dr. Gurinder Singh Grewal, General Secretary of Sikh Muslim Friendship Society, said that there ‘was only one minority in India, that is, non-Hindus, India is bound to break, he declared and “I pray for it”. He regretted that Sikhs in India did not speak when Hindus were persecuting Muslims, Sikhs kept quiet even though there occurred over 7000 anti-Muslim riots during the last 39 years, Even now “We must realize that the rulers in India are engaged in the task of reconverting all minorities into Hindus”, He also traced the close kinship between Sikh and Islamic philosophy, He quoted from Quran to bring home his
Mr. Bill Qureshi, the Republican candidate for the Congress, Who had| unsuccessfully challenged the incumbent assured that he would make it to the Congress in 1988, because America had a system. “The system may not be perfect, but it works,” he said. Talking about Sikh struggle he quoted Congressman from Santiago, Mr. Duncan Hunter that “Sikhs mean business”. He said he was all for the Sikh cause.
- Didar Singh Bains and S, Gian Singh Sandhu in their speeches traced the Sikh struggle in its historical perspective and called upon all those who swear by Justice fair play and freedom to Look at the Sikh problem from an ‘objective angle rather than accepting the motivated and baseless propaganda of the Indian government as genuine.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 19, 1986
