White House assures Sikhs of their safety and security
WASHINGTON: The White House has assured American-Sikhs of their safety and security in view of the increasing threats and hate crimes against the community members in the recent past.
In a rare gesture, Melissa Rogers, special assistant to President Barack Obama and head of the office of faith based and neighbourhood partnerships office of the White House, visited a Gurdwara in Maryland to deliver the message of reassurance from the President.
Asserting that the US government’s stand with Sikhs in America, Rogers also expressed empathy with the Sikh community over the recent incidents of violence against Sikhs and a reported case of vandalism at Los Angeles Gurdwara, a media release said.
“I want to offer our deepest condolences for some recent violence and attacks against Sikhs and Sikh institutions. These reports are of tremendous concern to us as we they are to you. We feel a deep sense of loss for victims of these crimes,” Rogers said in her address to the community at the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation (GGSF) Gurdwara.