AMRITSAR: Sikh NGO, United Sikhs has asked the FBI to declare Wisconcin Gurdwara tragedy as an act of hate and take constructive action to prevent future similar acts. Staff Attorney, International Civil and Human Rights Advocacy, United Sikhs, Manmeet Singh informed TOI on Thursday that “unless this fact is acknowledged, measures cannot be taken to address it.” He informed that Teresa Carlson, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Milwaukee office, announced on November 20 that the agency had finished its probe into the Oak Creek,Wisconsin shooting on August 5, this year, that killed six Sikh worshppers and injured four individuals. He informed that the FBI concluded that the shooter, Wade Michael Page, acted alone. They found no evidence that he had help or was carrying out any orders from any white supremacist group.
He said, Teresa also stated that nothing in this attack suggests any ongoing threat to the Sikh community and the events that transpired on August 5 in Oak Creek, Wisconsin serve as a stark reminder that despite having coexisted in US for more than a century, the Sikh identity was not accepted. “And it is this fact that should concern everyone,” he said.

“The shooting that occurred in Wisconsin shows us that we have allowed individuals such as Wade Michael Page, a “frustrated neo-nazi”, who led a white supremacist music group, to steer the direction of US. He used his privilege as a white supremacist member of society to show US that diversity must be counteracted with violence, hate, and ethnic cleansing”, he said, adding that this was not the message that they wanted to send to the world, or to our children.

He went on to add that no one was oblivious of the fact that the massacre was fueled by hate. “We want FBI to acknowledge this fact, akin to the statement issued by attorney general Eric Holder on August 10 where he called the attack a “hate crime”.