Resolution against hate crimes targeting Sikh-Americans moved

It came hours after the House passed a resolution introduced by Republican Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan condemning the Wisconsin gurdwara.

The new Congressional resolution gives fresh support to a public call for the Department of Justice to begin collecting comprehensive data on hate crimes committed against Sikhs.

In April,93 members of Congress signed a letter urging the FBI to document and quantify the commission of hate crimes against Sikh-Americans.

“This resolution recognises that America is proud of the Sikh-American community,their hundred year history in this country and their countless achievements and contributions to the nation,” Crowley said.

“Tragically,the brutal attack in Oak Creek and attacks over the previous year shed light on the ongoing threats faced by Sikh-Americans in the United States. Unfortunately,this was not a one-time event and what’s clear is that there is a disturbing and violent trend that must be confronted and brought to an end,” he said.

“While there is much more that must be done,this measure sends a strong signal that Congress stands behind the Sikh-American community and that we must take greater strides in working to prevent crimes against Sikhs. That includes documenting hate crimes against Sikhs,something which has not happened in the past,” he added.

Honouring the memory of six Sikh worshippers killed by a white supremacist in Wisconsin gurdwara,Congressman Jerry McNerney praised the Sikh community’s unified and peaceful response to this hateful attack.

“I ask my colleagues to join me in honouring the memory of the six Sikh Americans shot and killed in a senseless act of violence on August 5,2012. Bhai Seeta Singh,Bhai Parkash Singh,Bhai Ranjit Singh,Satwant Singh Kaleka,Subegh Singh,and Parmjit Kaur Toor were slain without regard to human dignity or the sanctity of life,” McNerney said,adding that in the US there was no room for the prejudice,intolerance and stereotypes that perpetuate hate acts and hate language.