Sikhs Join With Other Faiths to Answer Terror in Wisconsin

"When it comes to crimes against humanity we are all together," Sharanjit Singh Thind, who publishes both English language and punjabi papers on Long Island says he's been trying to get this message across to his readers.  It's never been more important than right now.

All across the U.S., people of all faiths and ethnicities are mourning the senseless murders of six Sikhs praying inside a Wisconsin temple.  And even as police try to unravel 40-year-old Wade Michael Page's rage and white supremacist motives, here in New York an interfaith group is using the domestic terror attack as a reason to come together.  Thind says his papers work daily to end bias.  "There should not be a place in any civilized community for any discrimination," he says bluntly.

Thind is part of a triumvirate of interfaith leaders.  Gurmeet Sodhi, also a Sikh who hosts a television program for her community, talks about how leaders of various faiths have been reaching out to their peers in the Sikh community and formulated a response to the violence that has torn at the hearts of citizens across the country--hold a prayer vigil and invite all faiths to attend.  Educate each other about the similarities we all share, while praying for the dead and wounded. 

So far, more than 400 have pledged to attend a prayer vigil at the Nassau County Government seat on Thursday evening from 5:30 to 7:30, hoping that by educating others about Sikh practices, it will spread the message that we are actually more alike, than different, and take away biases.

Zahid Syed, a Muslim, is the Commissioner of Nassau County's Human Rights Commission.  His message to his Sikh brothers is simple, "We are with you.  What happened with you can happen to someone else as well."