Gurdawara killer's mother apologizes to Sikh victims

London: The mother of an ex-soldier who shot dead six people at a Sikh temple in the US said she was devastated when she heard about the shooting. 

Laura Lynn told the MailOnline that she has had no contact with her 41-year-old son Wade Michael Page since she and his father Jesse Alvin Page divorced. 

"My heart goes out to all the people who lost their loved ones, that's all I can say, I am so sorry," Lynn said. 

Page, a white supremacist, was leader of End Apathy, a white power music band affiliated with the Hammerskins, a white supremacist group. 

The band's MySpace page states that End Apathy's "music is a sad commentary on our sick society and the problems that prevent true progress". 

Lynn said: "He was such a precious little boy, that's all I can say, he was a very fun-loving, typical little boy. He was just a very soft spoken, gentle young man." 

Page was kicked out of the army in 1998 after serving six years. 

The victims of his shooting spree at the gurdwara have been identified as Bhai Seeta Singh, 41, Bhai Parkash Singh, 39, Bhai Ranjit Singh, 49, Satwant Singh Kaleka, 62, Subegh Singh, 84, Parmjit Kaur Toor, 41. 

The injured are Bhai Punjab Singh - who is in critical condition - and Santokh Singh. 

IANS

with thanks : ZEE NEWS : LINK for detailed news.

Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting in USA

O mere dil ke chain.........by money vohra

Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting

Sikh temple shooter was a white supremacist, officials say

OAK CREEK, Wis. -- The gunman who killed six people inside a Sikh temple in the U.S. and was killed in a police shootout was a 40-year-old army veteran, officials said Monday, and a civil rights group identified him as a "frustrated neo-Nazi" who led a white supremacist band.

Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting

Police called Sunday's attack an act of domestic terrorism. The FBI said there was no reason to think anyone else was involved in the attack, and they were not aware of any past threat made against the temple.

The shooter was Wade Michael Page, said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Haanstad in Milwaukee. Page was discharged from the army in 1998 and declared ineligible to re-enlist, according to a U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release information about the suspect.

Officials and witnesses said the gunman walked into the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin and opened fire as several dozen people prepared for Sunday morning services. Six were killed, and three were critically wounded.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said the gunman used a legally purchased 9mm handgun and multiple magazines of ammunition. Local authorities said they had had no contact with Page before Sunday.

"We never thought this could happen to our community," said Devendar Nagra, 48, whose sister escaped injury by hiding as the gunman fired in the temple's kitchen. "We never did anything wrong to anyone."

The New York-based Sikh Coalition has reported more than 700 incidents in the U.S. since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which advocates blame on anti-Islamic sentiment. Sikhs are not Muslims, but their long beards and turbans often cause them to be mistaken for Muslims, advocates say.

Page was a "frustrated neo-Nazi" who led a racist white supremacist band, the Southern Poverty Law Center said Monday. Page told a white supremacist website in an interview in 2010 that he had been part of the white power music scene since 2000, when he left his native Colorado and started the band, End Apathy, in 2005, the civil rights organization said.

He told the website his "inspiration was based on frustration that we have the potential to accomplish so much more as individuals and a society in whole," according to the SPLC. He did not mention violence in the interview.

Page joined the military in 1992 and was a repairman for the Hawk missile system before switching jobs to become one of the Army's psychological operations specialists, according to the defense official.

So-called "Psy-Ops" specialists are responsible for the analysis, development and distribution of intelligence used for information and psychological effect; they research and analyze methods of influencing foreign populations.

with thanks : Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/20120806wisconsin-sikh-temple-shooting-gunman-identified.html#ixzz22pVOUjyZ

Statement by President Obama on the Shooting in Wisconsin

President Obama today released the following statement on the tragic shooting in Wisconsin:

Michelle and I were deeply saddened to learn of the shooting that tragically took so many lives in Wisconsin. At this difficult time, the people of Oak Creek must know that the American people have them in our thoughts and prayers, and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who were killed and wounded. My Administration will provide whatever support is necessary to the officials who are responding to this tragic shooting and moving forward with an investigation. As we mourn this loss which took place at a house of worship, we are reminded how much our country has been enriched by Sikhs, who are a part of our broader American family.

Strongly condemn the attack : DSGMC

Firing in Gurdwara in USA : Hate crime doubted

Waheguru !

"SikhsIndia - Sikh Sangat" : Join the new group on Facebook by SikhsIndia

SikhsIndia has launched its group : "SikhsIndia - Sikh Sangat", for creating awareness on various issues related to Sikhs. Please join us & share your views on issues raised.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/369945649743580/

SikhsIndia - Sikh Sangat

 

Thanks

Team : SikhsIndia

Fauja Singh parody invites ire on social networking sites

Mumbai: The producer of a satirical Internet TV show has been receiving death threats by the dozen and his phone has been ringing off the hook, after he allegedly poked fun at 101-year-old British marathoner Fauja Singh. 

Running machine: Born on April 1, 1911, Fauja Singh is a British centenarian marathon runner of Punjabi Sikh origin. He is a world record holder in his age bracket. File pic 

Abhigyan Jha — producer of the satirical Internet TV show Jay Hind had uploaded an online segment of his show in December 2011, but strangely he has been receiving threatening calls from members of some Sikh organisations since the past two days.

The online segment of his show featured a parody on Fauja Singh and it did not create any sort of controversy anytime last year, until now. 

The clip was apparently downloaded from YouTube by a forum named Sikhchannel, which re-edited the footage, added comments and re-uploaded it on July 30, 2012. 

All of a sudden, it has stirred up a row on popular news channels and has brought in abusive comments on popular social networking sites. Insisting that the segment was in no way meant to malign the Sikh community, Jha said, “The video was a parody on Fauja Singh, yes, but it was routine comedy. We’ve done similar things with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Amitabh Bachchan.” 

He added that the underlying message has obviously been lost on those who took offence. “Fauja comes across as an intelligent person with a cheeky sense of humour. So our intent was to highlight the perpetrators who have troubled the community in the past,” Jha said. 

He added that his company has been around for almost two years and has never ever cracked a Sardar joke. 

“Santa Banta quips are not for us. How many Indian comedy portals can claim that? Sumeet Raghavan and Rajeev Nigam, who are associated with the show, have been victims of violent threats as well. As a result they have resorted to police protection,” he said. 

The trigger
In the video, Fauja Singh is shown as a Canadian marathon runner, when in reality he’s British. On being asked since when he took to running, Fauja replies 1984, a clear reference to the Sikh riots. He also takes a dig at the US by making a sly comment on the racial attacks against Sikhs post-9/11. Even the visa problem faced by the minorities when it comes to emigration is highlighted. There are many such seemingly ambiguous statements in the segment. After the steady flow of hate mails and comments, the video has been removed from public viewing.


with thanks : IBNLive : LINK