Although the motives of the shooter in Wisconsin this morning are not yet clear, there is a bloody history of violence towards Sikhs in the United States since 9/11. Sikhism is a peaceful religion and its primary principles include equality and justice for all.
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September 15, 2001 – Mesa, Arizona
49-year-old gas station owner Balbir Singh Sodhi was fatally shot. Frank Silva Roque, the shooter, mistakenly believed Sodhi was Muslim because of the clothes he wore, his turban, and his beard. Within 25 minutes of his death, the Phoenix police reported four further attacks on people who either were Middle Easterners or who dressed with clothes thought to be worn by Middle Easterners. Frank Silva Roque was convicted and sentenced to the death penalty, but the Arizona Supreme Court overturned the sentence for life in prison, citing an extremely low IQ and mental illness. On August 4, 2002, Balbir's brother Sukhpal was shot to death while driving a cab in San Francisco. It did appear that his shooting was an accident — a stray bullet from a nearby gang fight. Balbir's son, Sukhwinder, was asked about the second tragedy and said "What are you going to do with anger? We like peace and we are a peaceful people."
Dec 12, 2001 – Los Angeles, California
47-year-old Surinder Singh Sidhi was beaten by two men who entered his store, accused him of being Osama bin Laden, and beat him with metal poles. They said, "We'll kill bin Laden today," then hit him over twenty times with the poles. "The crime was regrettable but not surprising," Kirtan-Singh Khalsa, spokesman for the Khalsa Council, an international council for Sikh affairs, said. "We're deeply concerned by this event. But we are not shocked. Sikhs are accustomed to ridicule because of wearing turbans."
February 19, 2002 – Palermo, New York
Three 18-year-old boys and one 19-year-old girl burned down the Sikh temple Gobinde Sadan. The teens told authorities that they believed the temple was named "Go Bin Laden."
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May 20, 2003 – Phoenix, Arizona
Avtar Singh, 52, a Sikh immigrant, was shot and wounded. Sigh parked his 18-wheeler in Phoenix and called his son to pick him up. While he was waiting, at least two young white men pulled up and started yelling. Singh said "I hear that voice: 'Go back to where you belong to.' And at the same time I heard the shot."
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