Miami Herald Logo

After mass shooting in Wisconsin, South Florida Sikhs remember with prayer | Miami Herald

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Site Information
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Herald Store
    • RSS Feeds
    • Special Sections
    • Advertise
    • Advertise with Us
    • Media Kit
    • Mobile
    • Mobile Apps & eReaders
    • Newsletters
    • Social
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • YouTube

    • Sections
    • News
    • South Florida
    • Miami-Dade
    • Broward
    • Florida Keys
    • Florida
    • Politics
    • Weird News
    • Weather
    • National & World
    • Colombia
    • National
    • World
    • Americas
    • Cuba
    • Guantánamo
    • Haiti
    • Venezuela
    • Local Issues
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • In Depth
    • Issues & Ideas
    • Traffic
    • Sections
    • Sports
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Pro & College
    • Miami Dolphins
    • Miami Heat
    • Miami Marlins
    • Florida Panthers
    • College Sports
    • University of Miami
    • Florida International
    • University of Florida
    • Florida State University
    • More Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Auto Racing
    • Fighting
    • Golf
    • Horse Racing
    • Outdoors
    • Soccer
    • Tennis
    • Youth Sports
    • Other Sports
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The Florida Influencer Series
    • Sections
    • Business
    • Business Monday
    • Banking
    • International Business
    • National Business
    • Personal Finance
    • Real Estate News
    • Small Business
    • Technology
    • Tourism & Cruises
    • Workplace
    • Business Plan Challenge
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Cindy Krischer Goodman
    • The Starting Gate
    • Work/Life Balancing Act
    • Movers
    • Sections
    • Living
    • Advice
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Pets
    • Recipes
    • Travel
    • Wine
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Dave Barry
    • Ana Veciana-Suarez
    • Flashback Miami
    • More Living
    • LGBTQ South Florida
    • Palette Magazine
    • Indulge Magazine
    • South Florida Album
    • Broward Album
    • Sections
    • Entertainment
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Games & Puzzles
    • Horoscopes
    • Movies
    • Music & Nightlife
    • People
    • Performing Arts
    • Restaurants
    • TV
    • Visual Arts
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Jose Lambiet
    • Lesley Abravanel
    • More Entertainment
    • Events Calendar
    • Miami.com
    • Contests & Promotions
    • Sections
    • All Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Op-Ed
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Jim Morin
    • Letters to the Editor
    • From Our Inbox
    • Speak Up
    • Submit a Letter
    • Meet the Editorial Board
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Blog Directory
    • Columnist Directory
    • Andres Oppenheimer
    • Carl Hiaasen
    • Leonard Pitts Jr.
    • Fabiola Santiago
    • Obituaries
    • Obituaries in the News
    • Place an Obituary

    • Place an ad
    • All Classifieds
    • Announcements
    • Apartments
    • Auctions/Sales
    • Automotive
    • Commercial Real Estate
    • Employment
    • Garage Sales
    • Legals
    • Merchandise
    • Obituaries
    • Pets
    • Public Notices
    • Real Estate
    • Services
  • Public Notices
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Real Estate
  • Mobile & Apps

  • el Nuevo Herald
  • Miami.com
  • Indulge

Latest News

After mass shooting in Wisconsin, South Florida Sikhs remember with prayer

BY VEIT MEDICK

    ORDER REPRINT →

August 06, 2012 05:00 AM

The shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin is reverberating through South Florida’s small Sikh community.

To help deal with the tragic loss, a Broward congregation planned a candlelight vigil Monday night at its temple, 16000 Stirling Rd. in Southwest Ranches, to honor the victims of the attack.

“Our prayers go out to all the affected — to the families of the casualties, the injured and also to the traumatized children that had to witness the attack,” said Praveen Kaur Jolly, secretary of the Sikh Society of Florida, the umbrella group for about 1,200 Sikhs in the region. “But we also want the signal to be seen by ordinary Americans not only by the Sikh community.”

Jolly didn’t want to jump to conclusions on the reasons behind the attack or whether it was religiously motivated. “Shootings like this can happen anywhere to anyone,” she said before the prayer service. “In my view this was an attack on Americans in general.”

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Miami Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

The mass shooting in suburban Milwaukee came just weeks after the shooting in Aurora, Colo. and shocked religious groups and policymakers throughout the United States. Six people plus the shooter are dead.

On Monday, officials identified the shooter as Wade Michael Page, who served in the U.S. Army for about six years. Police, however, are still trying to investigate the motive. Speculation involves Page possibly mistaking the Sikhs for Muslims because of their similar appearance.

Jolly said being mistaken for Muslims occasionally “happens here in Florida as well mostly because of our turbans.”

“In general we are living very peaceful here, our neighbors are excellent, we have no problems worshipping.”

In solidarity, Florida Muslims have spoken out on the Wisconsin killings.

“The Coalition of South Florida Muslim Community is deeply shocked and saddened by Oak Creek tragedy against the Sikh community,” said spokesman Shabbir Motorwala in a statement. He demanded the law enforcement to be more vigilant in protecting minorities.

Jolly called on other Sikh communities across the country to keep with routine.

“We must not create a feeling of fear, “ she said. “It does not correspond with our values. If we live in fear we cannot live. Fear takes you nowhere.”

To show that the congregation has no plans to seal off from society after the shooting, Jolly said that her organization will have an open house next Sunday.

“Everybody is welcome,” she said.

  Comments  

Videos

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó crosses bridge into Colombia

Venezuela opposition leader Guaido appears at aid concert

View More Video

Trending Stories

Federal prosecutors broke law in Jeffrey Epstein case, judge rules

February 21, 2019 02:51 PM

Americans arrested in Haiti with arsenal of guns won’t face U.S. charges

February 21, 2019 04:06 PM

Patriots owner Robert Kraft is among the hundreds charged in Florida sex traffic sting

February 22, 2019 12:23 PM

These players Miami Dolphins are discussing in team’s plans. These they probably aren’t

February 21, 2019 03:08 PM

It’s about to get easier for legal immigrants in Miami to get their papers. Faster, too.

February 22, 2019 03:14 PM

Read Next

Here’s what you need to know about the UM men’s basketball game vs. Georgia Tech

University of Miami

Here’s what you need to know about the UM men’s basketball game vs. Georgia Tech

By Michelle Kaufman

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 22, 2019 05:06 PM

The University of Miami men’s basketball team hopes to get back to winning against Georgia Tech on Saturday. The Hurricanes are 2-2 over their past four games after starting 1-8 in the ACC.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Miami Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE LATEST NEWS

14th-ranked UM women play No. 22 FSU at home Sunday. Here’s why it’s such a big game

University of Miami

14th-ranked UM women play No. 22 FSU at home Sunday. Here’s why it’s such a big game

February 22, 2019 12:08 PM
The Latest: R. Kelly arrives at Chicago police precinct

Latest News

The Latest: R. Kelly arrives at Chicago police precinct

February 22, 2019 09:22 PM
Rodent poop on dog food in two stores. Handwashing issues. Grocers fail inspections.

Food & Drink

Rodent poop on dog food in two stores. Handwashing issues. Grocers fail inspections.

February 22, 2019 12:11 PM

Latest News

Senior-level hires and promotions for the week of Feb. 25, 2019

February 22, 2019 06:00 AM
Trump threatens to deport Venezuelan military officials’ families that have fled to Miami

Venezuela

Trump threatens to deport Venezuelan military officials’ families that have fled to Miami

February 22, 2019 07:21 PM
Cypress Bay girls’ soccer attacks but comes up short in Class 5A championship

Broward High Schools

Cypress Bay girls’ soccer attacks but comes up short in Class 5A championship

February 22, 2019 08:36 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Miami Herald App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Public Insight Network
  • Reader Panel
Advertising
  • Place a Classified
  • Media Kit
  • Commercial Printing
  • Public Notices
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story