Boston blasts may trigger hate crime, fear US Sikhs
Thursday, 18/04/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130418/punjab.htm#2
Amritsar : Post-Boston blasts, Sikhs in the US fear that they may become a target of hate crime once again.
Talking to The Tribune on the phone from the US, Dr Rajwant Singh, chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE), said: “We are always fearful that an act of terror in the US will have a negative impact on the Sikhs because of mistaken identity. There have been attacks on Sikhs in the past and we hope that the Boston tragedy does not trigger similar incidents.”
He said they had asked Sikhs to display banners outside gurdwaras, expressing sympathy and support for the Boston victims. He said the gurdwaras had been asked to review their security procedures and to keep in touch with their local police departments.
American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (AGPC) coordinator Dr Pritpal Singh said: “We have asked the community members to remain alert even though the government has also initiated various measures. To make people more aware about Sikh identity, we are educating government agencies and participating in inter-faith events. We recently held an awareness rally in which a large number of people participated.”
The Sikhs had to bear the brunt of hate crime post-9/11.
