Phoenix Sikh Community Responds to Avtar Singh's Reward Fund

On Wednesday, July 22nd, the US Attorney's Office, the Governor of Arizona, the Phoenix Police Department and the Sikh community announced a $22,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of Avtar Singh Cheira's assailants. Avtar Singh, a turbaned and bearded Sikh man living in Phoenix, Arizona, was shot on May 19th. The following statement was given on Wednesday by Guru Roop Kaur Khalsa on behalf of the Phoenix Sikh community.

"Today we have with us the brother of Balbir Singh Sodhi, Lakhwinder Singh Sodhi. Memories of the Balbir Singh shooting murder had not faded from the minds of our Arizona community when another Sikh man, Avtar Singh, was shot on May 19.

Avtar Singh, father of two boys, students at ASU, had lived in Phoenix for 18 years. He has been a truck driver for over 14 years and he had just recently bought a new eighteen wheeler.

That fateful night, Avtar Singh had just parked his truck a few blocks from his home, he called his son to pick him up, he was backing out of the cab when someone yelled "Go back to your own country." and opened fire, wounding Singh in the lower abdomen and upper thigh. His son, Hardeep Singh, found his father bleeding in the parking lot.

“Go back to your country?” We request those who strike out violently in hate to search - ask your parents, grandparents, great grand parents the reason that they immigrated to this country. It was for religious freedom and basic civil rights, these are our country's founding principles.

Avtar Singh came here 18 years ago because he deeply values this country and its founding principles.

At a time when hate crimes are still rampant, we deeply appreciate the U.S. Attorney, Paul Charlton, the FBI, the Phoenix Police Department and the Anti-Defamation League pledging a combined government - community reward. We must continue to make it clear that neither hate nor violence is a traditional American principle nor will it be tolerated.

The power of this combined community leadership confronting hate crimes made a strong statement of intolerance of hate-motivated violence on a local to international level after the death of Balbir Singh.

Two days after Avtar Singh was shot, Senator Durban detailed the Avtar Singh’s incident to the United States Senate and a hate crime Resolution was passed by the Senate condemning hate crimes against Muslims, Arabs, East Indians and Sikhs.

This week 500 religious leaders across the nation signed a letter to be sent to Congress with the message that the interfaith community supports the passage of comprehensive, national hate crimes legislation. We must also make this happen.

The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, S. 966, which is currently being discussed by congressional leaders in our nation’s capital would expand federal jurisdiction to reach violent hate crimes committed "because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, or disability" of the victim.

The law would further empower these federal prosecutors to act in concert with our local police and provide funding to these officials to further assist with investigations. This broader federal law will also help make up for the inadequacy and absence of inclusive hate crime laws in many states and municipalities.

Though legislation cannot remove hate from the hearts and minds of individuals, stronger hate crime legislation can help to create a society that is unbending in its intolerance of hate-motivated violence.

The Sikh Council On Religion & Education, based in Washington DC which is one of the organizers of the “interfaith community support towards the passage of comprehensive, national hate crimes legislation” has pledged $5,0000 to Avtar Singh’s reward.

SikhNet, the oldest, largest and most well known Sikh information and educational site on the Internet and serves the worldwide Sikh community has pledged another $2,000.

Sikhs throughout our history have defended the freedom of people of many other faiths, somewhere in America someone is being victimized because of their faith. According to Amnesty International, 9 out of 10 hate crimes go un-reported

That is why today, we take a stand because the fight against hate takes community leaders and police agencies willing to take a strong stand condemning hate crimes. And please let us evolve past our hate and fear by reaching out to others with increased understanding, respect and support.

Thank you."