WASHINGTON: The LA verdict of police brutality on Rodney King has shaken the nation Once again discrimination and race issues have surged to the front and people who profess to have justice and equality have stepped forward to express their anguish and horror at inhuman treatment meted out to a certain section of the society. To root out this racism is a challenge to a civilized society. In Washington metro area an Inter Faith peace rally was held in front of the Justice Department by six major religions. Roman Catholics Jews Muslims Mormons Protestants and Sikhs joined hands to express their anger and shock and also to reaffirm their commitment to speak and act together in confronting this crisis. A joint statement released by the Inter Faith Conferences Executive Director Rev. Clark Lobenstine declared: Our commitment to act is drawn from the prophetic vision of a just and merciful world where each lie is infinitely precious and where justice is the foundation for true peace. The Hebrew Bible and the New Testament proclaim that every human being is formed in the image of! God and envisions time when “justice will flow down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” The Koran emphasizes that every person is created in excellence endowed with a nature that is good and that all persons are to live justly with others. The Sikh scripture The Guru Granth Sahib identifies each ones soul with the supreme soul of God and calls all Sikhs to defend the just cause of another. Such teachings undergird our common conviction that life is sacred and that the pursuit of peace with justice is a shared calling of all people of faith.”
Sardar Harminder Singh Jassal Chairman of Guru Gobind Singh Foundation based in Washington D.C. led the Sikhs of the metro area and in a highly charged emotional appeal he said “All human beings are manifestations of the same Divine Light. None is better or worse that the other” If this is the unity of thought in all religions then why can’t we get along? He also stated that in the wake of the LA verdict we strongly believe that justice paralyzed itself by exonerating four police officers accused of excessive violence and brutality nonetheless this incident has sent shockwaves around the globe and has awakened the slumbering conscious of the people. We cannot let this discrimination go on any longer and it must be put to an end in the best interest of humanity. Riots that followed in the aftermath of verdict took an unnecessary toll of precious human lives and tremendous destruction of property we express our grief and sympathy for those who are affected by this and extend our helping hand in rebuilding this beloved community of our adopted land.
The event received wide media coverage by a local NBC and CBS affiliate television station that projected the Sikhs as a caring and concerned community.
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