Sikh Community Donates $7000 for Avtar Singh Reward Fund

On Wednesday, July 22, a $22,000 reward fund was set up for anyone who has information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators in the Avtar Singh Cheira case. Avtar Singh, who wears a turban and beard in keeping with the tenets of the Sikh faith, has lived in Phoenix, Arizona for the last 18 years. On May 19th, while waiting for his son to pick him up from work, Avtar Singh was shot by two young men driving by in a car who shouted at him, "Go back to your own country." The shooting was classified as a hate crime and authorities from the federal government are leading the investigation.

The U.S. Attorney's Office and the Governor's Office each pledged $5000, as did the Anti-Defamation League. The Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE), a Washington-based group that has helped organize interfaith community support for the passage of national hate-crime legislation pledged $5,000. And SikhNet, the oldest and largest Sikh education and information website, pledged $2000 that it had collected in donations from its user base.

The Sikh community in Phoenix has worked hard of behalf of the family to interface with the different government organizations and inspire this joint effort for the reward fund. In addition, the local Sikh community in Phoenix, Arizona has been working with Avtar Singh's family to cover medical expenses and take care of the family during this difficult period.

Both SCORE and SikhNet issued statements yesterday, along with their reward pledges.


Statement from SCORE

The Sikh Council On Religion & Education—SCORE—announces an additional $5,000 to add to the reward fund to be given to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the shooting attack on Avtar Singh last May.

SCORE has always been a champion of human and civil rights. We have been particularly concerned about religious intolerance, hate crimes and negative profiling since the increase of such activities against Sikh Americans since September 11, 2001. We have worked on the local, national and international level to bring a greater understanding of Sikhism to American society as well as to promote harmony among all people of faith.

Today we are here to join the coalition of support for the Singh family and to send a resounding message that we will not be splintered and fragmented by hate and that we will continue to affirm our freedom to observe our religion and way of life as all Americans are entitled to do.

The Singh family has endured great pain and frustration in recent months. They have suffered the pain of religious intolerance and senseless violence. They have felt first-hand the ignorant and brutal force of people who have allowed the terrorist acts of Sept 11, 2001 to be the excuse for acting on their personal hatred and attacking their neighbors.

We stand by the family of Avtar Singh. We come here today with our message of hope and support this for this family and this community as it struggles to free itself from racial and religious intolerance. We applaud the courage of the Singh family and announce that we will remain source of support and strength to all people who are oppressed by hate and ignorance.

We are also thankful for the support of the Anti-Defamation League for its $5,000 commitment to the fund to apprehend and convict the perpetrators of this crime and specifically ADL Regional Director Bill Straus. We thank the law enforcement agencies—the FBI and the Phoenix police—as well as the political leaders who have been so pivotal in bringing a just resolve to this crime. We must also acknowledge the immense support of Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano. Her leadership and support have contributed to the message that we are all American citizens. In fact, we are grateful for the support of the citizens of Arizona and the American people. It is the spirit of the American people who make real the promises of the constitution and the bill of rights which assure American’s personal religious freedom.

We are proud to be here on this day and we will continue to express the important message that we will not disappear because a few are intolerant but that we will grow in our families, in our communities and in our resolve to be recognized and accepted for who we are: Sikh Americans.

Thank you and may God bless you.


Statement from SikhNet

On behalf of the Sikh community, SikhNet has raised $2000 for the Avtar Singh Cheira Reward Fund. It is our sincerest prayer and hope that this money will encourage someone who has information about the May 19th shooting of Avtar Singh in Phoenix, AZ to come forward and bring the perpetrators to justice. The details of this crime are particularly disturbing as the sole motivation for the shooting was hatred against another person for his race and religion. The worldwide Sikh community calls on the Phoenix Police Department, the FBI
and the US Attorney General to relentlessly pursue this case until the perpetrator has been caught. We applaud the commitment of government officials to stand up against hate in Arizona and the United States, and to protect all innocent people from misguided attacks based on prejudice and fear. The right of people to practice their religion freely and the right of people to pursue their lives in peace and happiness are Sikh values as well as American values. Let the Sikh community and the United States government work hand in hand to insure that these common values are protected and upheld for all.