From everyday citizens to community leaders, let’s fight hate together

AUG. 5, 2012, is a day Sikh Americans will never forget.

On that Sunday morning, a neo-Nazi gunman took the lives of six Americans and permanently injured several more at a gurdwara (Sikh house of worship) in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

As Sikhs in Greater Seattle pray for those who lost their lives and loved ones five years ago, Americans of all faiths and political persuasions should pledge to make bias prevention a top priority.

The Sikh religion was founded over five centuries ago by Guru Nanak. His message of universal equality and community service foreshadowed the highest ideals of America. The turban that Sikhs wear to express their faith is a constant reminder to lead an ethical life. Sikhs feel at home practicing their religion in America, but we have not always been welcomed.

More than a century before Oak Creek, a mob of xenophobic bigots assaulted Sikh workers in Bellingham and drove them out of town. In the post-9/11 environment, Sikhs have endured violence that is often rooted in confusion about what the turban represents.

In 2007, a Sikh taxi driver in King County was hospitalized after being attacked by a passenger who called him an “Iraqi terrorist.” Just weeks after the Oak Creek shooting, another Sikh taxi driver in Federal Way was assaulted by a passenger who called him a “raghead” and “towelhead.” This past March, a Sikh was shot and injured in Kent by a man who told him to “go back to your own country.” Ominously, the gunman is still at large.

Sikhs are not the only Americans who experience hate crimes. The Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that there were 250,000 hate crime victimizations in our nation every year between 2004 and 2015. An attack on any person, for any reason, is a threat to our collective security.

It is tempting to believe that hatred among people is inevitable, but I believe that progress is possible if schools, elected officials and interfaith groups take small but consistent steps toward combating bias.

The first place to start is our schools. According to a 2014 Sikh Coalition survey, 45 percent of Sikh youth in Greater Seattle told researchers they had experienced bullying and harassment at school because of their religion. Some even had their turbans pulled off their heads. In response to such challenges, parents and teachers must work together to strengthen bullying-prevention programs in our schools. The best long-term investment in the fight against bias is teaching our children to respect each other.

At the same time, our elected officials must use their power to unify Americans. Political rhetoric trickles down to our cities and neighborhoods. When our political leaders perpetuate stereotypes about Muslims and immigrants or deny equal rights to the LGBTQ community, I believe this makes hate crimes more likely against the targeted communities. On the other hand, if political leaders use their convening authority to speak out repeatedly against hate, this will set a positive tone for our national discourse and reduce the risk of hate crimes.

Finally, I believe the interfaith community has a unique role to play in building bridges among Americans. For example, if places of worship across Washington sponsor interfaith dialogues and community-service projects, it will allow Americans of different faith backgrounds to recognize our common humanity. Through this process, fear and mistrust born of dogmatism will give way to friendship and solidarity among communities of faith, all of whom share a common interest in combating hate.

As we remember the lives lost in Oak Creek and pray for the loved ones lost, let us not wait for another tragedy to spur us into action. Starting right now, all of us can work with our schools, politicians and faith leaders to end hate in our nation.