People
Valarie Kaur: A Young Leader To Watch
by RABBI NANCY FUCHS-KREIMER
Valarie Kaur, a 2011 graduate of Yale Law School, is also an award winning documentary film maker.
As the newly appointed Executive Director of a new multifaith initiative called Groundswell at Auburn, she exemplifies the young leadership that is making multifaith work so exciting today. Valarie is part of the most religiously diverse generation in American history. Coming into adulthood in "the ashes of September 11," Valarie, like many other emerging leaders, is embracing the challenges of pluralism in remarkable new ways.
When I entered this field in the 1970's, a typical "interfaith" event included Protestants, Catholics and Jews. I remember a Jewish mentor telling me that talking to Christians was a good idea.
"Tell them not to teach hateful things about Judaism and not to convert our children." Of course, there were those whose vision was greater than that, and in a future post I hope to write about the pioneers of interfaith work in America whose efforts should be honored.
But today, I want to call attention to Valarie Kaur and her generation whose spiritual drive, inclusiveness and passion for justice should hearten the most cynical soul.
Valarie was a college student when she decided to create a documentary about the first hate crime after 9/11, the killing of a Sikh-American. Sikhs are adherents of a religion that originated in Punjab in the 15 th century. Because of their turbans and beards, Sikh men are sometimes mistaken for Muslims. Valarie is a third generation Sikh-American and the days after 9/11 were frightening ones for her community.
The film she wrote and produced, Divided We Fall, is now widely used in teaching tolerance.
But Valarie did not stop there. She went on to become educated in other religions at Harvard Divinity School and then to acquire legal training. While in law school, she represented individuals arrested in immigration raids and helped secure a federal investigation into a local police department. In 2010, she co-founded the Common Ground Campaign, empowering young people to challenge anti-Muslim bias through creating programs for compassionate dialogue.
Groundswell's idea of multifaith extends beyond Christians, Jews and Muslims, beyond Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs.
The Groundswell Coalition at Auburn website states, "We believe that most Americans - people of faith, as well as atheists, agnostics and the seeking - are hungry to tap into a calling at the core of their being. Groundswell will offer one way for us to transcend bitter polarization, identify common ground, roll up our sleeves, and work together to repair the world."
In a time of fear and weariness, I find this vision generous and hopeful. I plan to stay tuned to Groundswell at Auburn and to keep my eye on Valarie Kaur.
[Courtesy: Multi Faith World]
May 16, 2011
Conversation about this article
1: Jesroshan Singh (Malaysia), May 16, 2011, 9:40 AM.
I have given up helping Muslims. I was eating lunch with a Pathan, an Egyptian Arab and a Sri Lankan Moor the other day. All three of them tried to convert me to Islam and they said that it has been proven that Islam is suitable for today's world. I was so disgusted as they were my friends and were doing this, that I walked away without looking back. Valerie Kaur should help the Sikhs and not help the Muslims because of some anti-Muslim bias, etc. Once they are entrenched with Valarie's help, they will turn their backs, just like my "friends". In Malaysia, UK ,Singapore, etc., Pakistanis are always tackling Sikh girls. A lady in my gurdwara succumbed and now she is stuck in Lahore. This is just one example. Heed my advice: Valaries, concentrate on leading the Sikhs ... they need good leadership! The sons of lions are better than the sons of snakes. I live in an Islamic country; I know.
2: Jassi (West Midlands, United Kingdom), May 16, 2011, 10:48 AM.
I agree with Jesroshan Singh from Malaysia. The amount of conversions taking place in the UK of Sikh girls to Islam after 'dating' and marrying Muslim men - who have only selected them for this purpose - is truly terrifying. We are losing generations of future Sikhs. We need to stand tall and help educate our sisters and brothers so that they have a solid and proud knowledge of the rich and brave Sikh blood that runs through our veins. Only this will equip them when they are exposed to these charlatans with false promises.
3: Brijinder Singh (New York, U.S.A.), May 16, 2011, 11:27 AM.
I have also met Muslims like the ones Jeroshan ji has mentioned. It's true that some of them prey on non-Muslim girls, with the intent of conversion or to just use and discard. It happens on college campuses. Not all Muslims are like this, but there are more than a few.
4: H.S. Vachoa (U.S.A.), May 16, 2011, 11:42 AM.
As a Sikh, I am really ashamed by the irrational hatred of Sikhs against Muslims. What is even more ridiculous is the fact that it works against Sikhs themselves and Sikhs themselves become part of it by doing it. How is hate going to solve anything? Is this how we are supposed to treat humanity?
5: Jaswant Singh (New Delhi, India), May 16, 2011, 12:05 PM.
I agree with H.S.Vachoa on this. We have swallowed - hook, line & sinker - the intense hatred that Hindus have for Muslims, while ignoring that much of the badmaashi done against us has been by the Hindus, and that our faith is closer to the Abrahamic faiths, having little in common with Hindu beliefs. We simply cannot abandon our principles and become anti- any group or community. It goes against everything we stand for. Kudos to Valarie for all she is doing. But yes, I do join the others in reminding Valarie that her optimum lies in taking a leadership role amongst the world's Sikhs.
6: Bibek Singh (Jersey City, U.S.A.), May 16, 2011, 4:14 PM.
Guru Gobind Singh said, repeating what had been asked of him by some Sikhs: "Bhai Kanhaiyya, why do you help and nurse injured soldiers of the enemy's army?" Bhai Kanhaiyya - "I see your image in every face, my Lord. I cannot distinguish between enemy and friend. They are all equally needy."
7: Dalvir Singh (Derby, England), May 16, 2011, 9:47 PM.
Valerie is a legend and I salute her for being a proper Sikh woman and taking a strong role in her life!
8: K. Kaur (Canada), May 16, 2011, 9:52 PM.
I think there is more 'mileage' in helping others than helping your own ... how else would you get articles written about you? We love to appear as 'holier than thou', and what is more holier and self-righteous than helping Muslims at this moment in time.
9: I.J. Singh (New York, U.S.A.), May 17, 2011, 10:47 AM.
To move the discussion a bit: I remember Valarie Kaur when she was an undergraduate at Stanford and, with her fellow Sikh and non-Sikh friends, instrumental in designing and putting up a student initiated course on Sikhism. I know because she was kind enough to invite me. A wonderful initiative that was, and I am glad that over the years she has not forgotten her ideals. Often it is in helping others that we help ourselves - sometimes in ways that are not so obvious.
10: Gurmeet Kaur (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.), May 18, 2011, 11:33 AM.
I have been familiar with Valarie's work ever since she started working on her film. It is so disheartening to see that the moment she broadened her focus, and the moment she got engaged to Sharat Raju, her co director/ producer, a good percentage of Sikhs turned against her. Now she is called an opportunist and a traitor. Let us never forget that through "Divided We Fall", never before in the history of this country, one single person has brought so much awareness about Sikhism as Valarie Kaur (actually, equal credit goes to Sharat Raju here). She continues to do just that by highlighting Sikh principles in any speaking engagement or articles, while putting them at work by speaking up for the oppressed. Keep going, Valarie, and don't worry about the narrow-minded, short-sighted few.