March 28, 2024

Don’t let fear win

When I traveled for the first time to Montana in the summer of 2014 I was able to meet and get a photo with Gov. Steve Bullock on my first day in Big Sky Country.

Bullock was likely the most prominent and influential person I met during my trip. He gave a powerful speech about building inclusive communities, and I really appreciated him being a part of a conference that celebrated such efforts.

However, it wasn’t a politician who made a lasting impression on me, it was a group of men who profess the Sikh faith. My favorite image from that trip isn’t of me and the governor; it’s of me smiling up at Kanwardeep, a tall, brown-skinned man who wears both a full beard and a turban. Likewise, my favorite memory is of Kanwardeep dancing carefree and joyously following a long day that repeatedly revisited the tragedy in his hometown of Oak Creek, Wis.

The 2012 incident in which a white supremacist gunned down six people in the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin is well-documented. Kanwardeep’s uncle was among them — he was slayed while trying to defend his house of worship. The men and women were killed on a Sunday morning while practicing their faith, and how the community pulled together and healed together is a powerful story and one I’d recommend you explore.

Kanwardeep, now a medical student, served in a pivotal role of connecting community leaders to the unfamiliar Sikh community. Pardeep and Kami, who both lost parents in the shooting, are equally as inspiring. Pardeep founded a nonprofit that works to foster cultural understanding and peace in Milwaukee schools. Inspired by a police officer who was shot 15 times on the scene of the Sikh temple shooting, Kami was exploring a career in law enforcement.

Last week I thought of these men because I know that despite not being of the Muslim faith, they might be suffering because of the assumption. Sikhs aren’t Muslims or Hindus, as was repeatedly over-reported in the wake of the Oak Creek tragedy. To clarify the difference leaves the perception there is something wrong with the other faiths.

Characteristics like brown skin and beards have conjured up misunderstanding and hate ever since 9/11. Now, following the Paris attacks, a new paranoia has arisen — and it’s wrong. We are letting fear win.

This is perpetuated by leaders who suggest it’s an acceptable practice to lump a group of people from one country, culture or faith and label them as good or bad. This practice, which encourages us to look for differences instead of similarities, oftentimes glorifies their own Christian faith. As human beings we have to realize we’re all in this together.

My Sikh friends didn’t let fear win after their religious community and families were savagely attacked. Instead they became more committed to learning about others, and helping them.

While threatened, these men of the Sikh faith sought peace for themselves and others. It’s an example that should be emulated.

We are foolish if we don’t think people of different faiths and ethnicities aren’t being wrongly targeted because fear is winning. Are you willing to stand up against hate and say no to fear?

Contact Abigail Pelzer
at 641-792-3121 ext. 6530
or apelzer@newtondailynews.com