Current Events
Yet Another Horrendous Tragedy!
Janam Da Firangee,
Sikhi Mai Mangee
FATEHPAL SINGH TARNEY
My wife and I have given much thought to last week’s horrendous Orlando tragedy.
We are at our summer home in Michigan right now, but live in Florida most of the year, about a three-hour drive from Orlando and a mere hour and a half drive from the town where this shooter lived.
In a democracy, of course, it is impossible to predict and prevent ISIL-inspired attacks and, sadly, military weapons are too readily available in the USA to virtually anyone on the street for the asking.
The questions of Who, Where, How, and When have no easy answers regarding such monstrous crimes. Mercy and compassion are Sikh virtues and I was pleased to hear from a committee member from my Gurdwara Sahib back in Florida that a candlelight vigil had been planned to honor those killed and injured, and to pray for their loved ones, in this cruel and contemptible attack.
Whenever there are incidents of terrorism in the name of Islam, whether here at home or elsewhere in the world, I cannot help but think of the effect they might have on Sikhs, given the “mistaken identity” phenomenon. I wish that all faiths could be seen as within the mainstream of American society, but that is certainly not the case yet.
I’ll end with saying that the dead, the injured, and their families have been at the center of my wife’s and my prayers since the Orlando tragedy occurred. And our thoughts and prayers are with the LGBTQ+ community which has borne the brunt of the evil man's crime against humanity.
Another source of concern I cannot help but mention here. A very good, devout Christian neighbor of ours here in this small Michigan town, said this to me the other day: “You are too nice a person NOT to be a Christian!”
Duh!?
Given all I have said hereinabove, this was a most worrisome “compliment”, to say the least!
June 17, 2016
Conversation about this article
1: Rajvinder Singh (Melbourne, Australia ), June 17, 2016, 6:36 PM.
Your response to your neighbor should've been: “But you think you're a nice enough person to be a Sikh?"
2: Ajit Singh Batra (Pennsville, New Jersey, USA), June 18, 2016, 10:58 AM.
Fatehpal Singh ji, You should apprise or tell your Christian neighbor that All is One - Ik Onkar. Guru Gobind Singh in Akaal Ustat: "dayhoraa maseet soyee ...". That is, "The temple and the mosque (and all places/forms of worship) are one". It applies to every religion. God has many manifestations.
3: Trilochan Singh (West Bloomfield, Michigan, USA), June 27, 2016, 7:02 PM.
Dear Fatehpal Singh ji: You are a great inspiration to a 'born' Sikh like me. My wife and I feel lucky to have met you at the Florida Gurdwara during our winter break there. You show us how to implement gurbani in our daily life. By praying for the victims of Orlando, one is implementing the verse from gurbani: na ko bairi naahi bigaana sagal sang hum ko bun aai ..." - 'I have no enemy, no one is a stranger to me, I am friends with every one ..." And again, "sab mein rav reha prabh eko / pekh pekh Nanak bigsai ..." - 'One God resides in every one; Nanak is happy to see every one ..." Fatehpal ji, keep up the great work you do.