Updated 6:20 p.m.: Palatine Police Commander Tom Murphy tells Patch department representatives met earlier with leaders of the Palatine Gurdwara, and patrols will be increased in the area around the clock.
Murphy said the police presence will be heightened, especially during services, but all information received so far indicate the incident was isolated, and is not a regional threat.
Earlier: The Wisconsin Sikh Temple tragedy has reached the hearts of the Sikh religion’s brothers and sisters who belong to the Palatine Gurdwara.
.
“As soon as we heard [about] it, it was dreadful, heartbreaking. It is things like this that make us lose our trust, and the openness that our religion encourages fires back on us,” said Sukhdev Ghuman, president of the Palatine Gurdwara.
Ghuman said a handful of the 2,500 members who attend services at the Gurdwara went to Oak Creek earlier today to track down loved ones and offer what assistance they could to the survivors and to the families who lost someone.
“One of our members who already traveled to Wisconsin contacted his sister, and she was luckily not there during the shooting because she and her family were running late,” Ghuman said.
The entire Gurdwara prayed earlier this afternoon for those who are injured and those who lost their lives.
“These people came for peace and worship, they did not ask to die,” Ghuman said.
Ghuman said a vigil will be arranged in the coming days at the Palatine Gurdwara. The service will include special prayer sessions to draw strength from God for those who have suffered because of the murderous rampage.
Dr. Balwant Hansra, past president of the Gurdwara, said crimes against members of their religion have occurred in the past at their Palatine location.
“After 9-11, many people thought we were related to Osama bin Laden, even though their followers don’t wear turbans or beards, and we received very poor, hateful treatment because of it,” Hansra said.
In the late 1970’s, Hansra said 13 windows were broken after Ayatollah Khomeini caused unrest in Iraq. It cost the Gurdwara $2,500 per window to replace them.
“This entire incident is a shock. We believe in brotherhood, sisterhood and humanity, and pray for our brothers and sisters in Wisconsin now,” Hansra said.
Both leaders are reconsidering the food pantry that is open to everyone in light of the tragedy, out of fear for the well-being and safety of their members.
A dispatcher for the Palatine Police Department, who did not give his name, said police have a heightened level of awareness in the area of the Gurdwara due to the Wisconsin shooting.
Here's some sad examples... that don't even include the insane kamikaze in WW II. How many died in the attack at Pearl Harbor? Bai Ningyang (18 yrs old) 5/8/2006 - Shiguan, China. Killed 12, injured 5 (school massacre) Wu Huanming (47 yrs old) 5/12/2010 - Linchang, China. Killed 9, injured 11 (school massacre) Kim Dae-han (56 yrs old) 2/18/2003 - Daegu, South Korea. Killed 198, injured 147 (Started subway fire. Sentenced to life). Zhang Pilin (37 yrs old) 5/7/2002 - Dalian, China. Killed 111, injured 0. Set fire to passenger cabin of an airplane (died in crash). Chen Zhengping (32 yrs old) 9/15/2002 - Nanjing, China. Killed 42, injured 300-400 (poisoning). Li Zhanin (34 yrs old) 3/29/2000 - Shajian, China. Killed 36-39, injured 30-50+ (killed by explosion he caused at a wedding). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rampage_killers
You'll hear about so-and-so shooting such-and-such over this-and-that "turf", and how so-and-so was "turning his life around"... But you'll never hear about how some criminal broke into a house, the homeowner held him at gunpoint w/o firing a shot until the police came to arrest the criminal - because depending upon your point of view it's either not sensationalist enough, or it doesn't play into the leftist agenda to disarm America...
I see you are just as disgusted by this discussion as I am. I will have to ask you to look the other way while we fight our little race hustling civil war. We should be discussing how everyone in the US should be free to practice their religion without fear or intimidation, and how if any of us live in fear simply because of what we believe, then none of us is really free. But, unfortunately some of us just can't let blood shed go to waste and so the rest of us have to spend time cleaning up their rhetorical mess. Last night I stood with the Palatine Sikhs in their Temple. I talk the talk, and I walk the walk.
You put that in quotes, therefore you meant it literally. I have never heard that. That is exactly the kind of slander you are accusing the right of promoting. You need to educate yourself about what people on the right are actually saying. Your sources are misleading you. You are being taught to indiscriminately hate your political enemy and you are coming on here and repeating the lies you have been told. There is a technical political term for people like you. Let's just say that the leaders on the left find you to be a very useful person.
http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/funnyquotes/a/anncoulter.htm http://www.onewhiteduck.com/2010/10/25/glenn-beck-says-if-you-are-a-liberal-you-probably-worship-the-devil/ Glenn Beck- "I'm thinking about killing Michael Moore, and I'm wondering if I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it. ... No, I think I could. I think he could be looking me in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out. Is this wrong?" (yes Glenn, that IS wrong) Gee, nothing here to stir up contempt for liberals.
It's scorched-earth waste-no-crisis hard-ball politics at its worst. The good news is that they have only one card left to play, and they always play it the same way. Now that one card, the race hustle card, is a VERY powerful card and it has gone undefeated for almost 50 years. We have almost no defense against this, and the table is set up so that nearly every attempt we make to defend ourselves is twisted into more proof that we are the vile people they accuse us of being. How do you prove you don't hate without getting mad at the injustice and sounding like a hater? How do you prove you are not a racist when it is politically incorrect for a person of our color to even discuss the topic? They win the race hustle game as long as two conditions are true: 1. They can intimidate their targets into silence. 2. They get the sanction of their victims by convincing a majority of them that they are guilty of the crimes for which they have been wrongfully accused. WE are making sure #1 comes to an end right here on the Patch. But it's our refusal to accept guilt that really drives them crazy. They simply can't believe we don't see ourselves as horrible racist monsters.
Actually, I think in part you are making some sense. But do you see when the rhetoric from both sides is the standard stuff, the discussion doesn't move to individual responsibility? For example, though you may not agree with Rev. Wright, throwing him up to attack the president comes off shallow. Mr. Obama has done what any parent would be proud of, but imputing Rev. Wright onto Mr. Obama comes of as racist. The president is his own man. I have associated with persons that say and do things I don't completely agree with, its is unfair to conclude I accept their view completely. Would it be correct to impute on Catholics the many shortcomings of the Catholic Church? I don't think it would. I recall years ago an interview with Henry Kissinger regarding the Viet Nam War. He stated that there were “honorable positions of both side of the argument”. That what is missing today, abandon the day to day retorts that stop the discussion from moving to a point of mutual understanding and shared interest.
You are not understanding my original comment. My point originally is that if like minded voices don't counter overtly inflammatory opinions, lessor equipped persons may act on the opinions, as is the case in Oak Creek. Its not about "blame" its about the integtrity of the discussion. Review a number of my comments and you'll glean my greatest concern is the course discussion prevents substantive discussion about real problems. China must be sitting back as America argues over hyperbolic assertions, while ignoring and addressing the challenges before us. Again, as Henry Kissinger said years ago there are "honorable arguments" from both sides. However, accusing our president of not being an American is not a subtantive claim rooted in fact. Please don't put up silly links that contain unsubtantiated claims. Get the bigger picture I am speaking to.
Its never to late, to change course.
I still want to know when you and the Democrat leadership are going to stop calling peaceful citizens "terrorists" and "hostage takers". I still want to know what you are going to do about the Democrat party's support for the anti-Semitic, violent, anarchic Occupy Wall Street movement which directly provided inspiration for the Sikh shooter. You guys are avoiding that. Now don't get me wrong. I am NOT blaming anyone. I just want the same answers you do. You are not to blame, but you must unilaterally solve the world's problems while the other political party undermines you in every way possible. Those are the rules, right? Be fair here. I asked when you would stop beating your wife before you asked me, so you go first. Well..... we're waiting. See how this works? Around and around we go, until you folks decide to stop the political demonization and work together to fix the real problems we face.
lets get with the article here. we were targeted by a Hammerskin follower, who apprarantly kill, torture,and perform all sorts of cultish behavior to get rid of any minority group. read some of their "performances" and you will get a feel of who this man was. I can only speak of how horrible I feel for my community. we lost a persident of the Sikh temple in oak creek, and members of the sangat, as well as 4 of our temple priests and that is nothing to do with any political viewpoints.. the killer was a racist PIG thats all.. Moving forward, All we can do as Sikh Americans, is to get the word out, and HEAL. and eventually forgive with time.We would be breaking all grounds and principles of a wonderful and peaceful religion if we didnt do so. I really hope that this will teach the general public that any racial comments should not be tolerated and taken very seriouly, toward ANY group or culture, be it white, black, asian, hispancic etc.Teach your children that being of a different skin color doesnt make you any less than your neighbour down the street and theres beauty in diversity we all should live in harmony. Im very proud to say that I will continue to use the principles of Sikhism to bring people together and very proud to be a Sikh American.
Alex my original post is not about blame; it’s about how silent white people are toward public comments political groups and individual politicians make that stoke animosity toward, for example, our president. You know the pitches, Mr. Obama wasn't born here, is Muslim, and therefore not a legitimate president. It’s political and it’s a question to conservatives; when will conservatives speak out against the unsubstantiated comments toward people of color that they are “taking the country from us”. The most distained groups discussed by conservative politicians are black welfare queens, undocumented Mexicans’, and terrorist Muslims (anyone Arab in appearance). It’s not rocket science, just common sense, words have consequences.
I think you are the new and improved "Joe Thompson". If not please advise. Mr. Thompson one of your responses to me is: "I recall several occasions during the D46 school debates and other posts where you were blatantly making racist comments. Others pointed them out specifically in the past, too." However, I have not ever made racist comments toward anyone on this blog. On the other hand, I do call out white people for their apparent ignorance as to how words about other ethnic groups have consequences, and as I've stated in this thread I believe the Oak Creek matter is one example of the consequences. As a side note in no way do I believe this is a second amendment issue, just in case you are tempted to veer of into another topic.
Come on, name calling? Take this to heart Alex, if you were in grade school, you'd be scolded for resorting to name calling. I don't agree with all comments, but calling someone a "mouron" is more like taking your ball and going home. To much heat, then get out of the kitchen, but don't sulk if you are unwilling to answer a question.