WSO Condemns Racist Vandalism of Edmonton Gurdwara

Edmonton (January 9, 2015):  The World Sikh Organization of Canada condemns the racist vandalism of the Sri Guru Singh Sabha gurdwara in south Edmonton.  Two phrases, including “Leave Canada” were found spray-painted on the outside of the gurdwara today. 

The WSO has been in contact with members of the Sri Guru Singh Sabha gurdwara and offered its support and assistance in dealing with this incident. 

The WSO’s Alberta Vice-President, Tejinder Singh Sidhu said, “these sort of incidents are born out of ignorance and fear and we feel the best way to deal with them is to educate and reach out to those in the community who may not know who Sikhs are. The vandals would have made better use of their time if they simply went inside the gurdwara, asked a few questions and enjoyed the free meal available to all visitors.”

WSO National Vice-President, Kulmeet Singh Sangha said, “Sikhs have been in Canada for well over a century.  This is our home and we are proud of it.  The vandalism of the Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Edmonton shows that racism is still out there and we must continue to remain vigilant.  We commend the managment committee at the gurdwara who have reacted to this situation with grace and recognized that the best way to combat ignorance is education.”

The WSO encourages community members to remain alert and to report any suspicious activity around gurdwaras  to the authorities.

The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) is a non-profit organization with a mandate to promote and protect the interests of Canadian Sikhs as well as to promote and advocate for the protection of human rights for all individuals, irrespective of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, and social and economic status.