US man to do community service at gurdwara
Friday, 22/04/2016
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=155017&boxid=64371&uid=&dat=2016-04-22
Los Angeles: A 21-year-old man, who vandalised a gurdwara with hateful anti-ISIS graffiti following the San Bernardino shootings, has been sentenced to 80 hours of community service at the place of worship he targeted and 240 hours of graffiti cleanup. Brodie Durazo pleaded guilty to misdemeanour vandalism and vandalism of religious property charges in exchange for serving 80 hours at the Gurdwara Singh Sabha at Buena Park, a suburb of Los Angeles, as well as 240 hours of graffiti removal elsewhere.
Deputy District Attorney Jess Rodriguez told the judge that temple leaders had agreed to allow Durazo to work there for his community service. “They believe it can be a productive result, having him learn about them and their beliefs. They wanted to see something positive come from this,” Rodriguez said at the hearing on Tuesday.
Japnaam Singh, a longtime member of the gurdwara, said the sentence seemed just in light of Durazo’s apology to the congregation. “In our religion, forgiveness is a virtue, and something we abide by every day,” Singh was quoted.
