Sikh temple attack united victim’s son and former racist

In fact,they’ve grown so close that they got matching tattoos on their palms — the numbers 8-5-12 — the date the gunman opened fire at the gurdwara before killing himself minutes later.

It wasn’t easy for Kaleka to meet Arno Michaelis,a 42-year-old who admits he contributed so heavily to the white-power movement that he might have helped influence the shooter. Kaleka knows Michaelis’ history. But he also saw the good work Michaelis has done since he quit the racist movement in the mid-1990s. Kaleka,37,wanted his father’s death to be a catalyst for peace,and he saw in Michaelis a partner whose story could reinforce the message that it’s possible to turn hate into love.

“We were both hoping … we could take something tragic and turn it into something positive a learning experience for the entire community,” Kaleka said. “We were both on that same mission,in our different ways.”

Michaelis had written a book called “My Life After Hate,” in which he describes how he lashed out at the world starting in kindergarten and how the birth of his daughter made him realise he needed to change. He also works with kids on community service projects.

The two men have teamed up to create Serve2Unite,a community group that works to counter violence with peace.

Sikhs welcome US support for victims

Washington: The Sikh community in the US has welcomed the announcement of the Obama administration to provide financial help for those affected by the Oak Creek gurdwara shooting.

They also appreciated the decision by the US to initiate a mechanism for tracking of the hate crimes in the US. “This gesture means a lot to Sikhs across America. The community is grateful for all the support and assistance by the US government and it sends an important signal that Sikhs are considered an integral part of America,” said Rajwant Singh,chairman of Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE).