[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 117 (Tuesday, September 17, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1594]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF TERRORIST 
    ATTACKS LAUNCHED AGAINST THE UNITED STATES ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

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                               speech of

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 11, 2002

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, we are commemorating the terrible attack on 
America on September 11 last year. This was a terrible event in which 
about 3,000 people lost their lives. A year later, they are in our 
prayers.
  Also in our prayers are the other victims--those who were subjected 
to violent, unfair attacks in the aftermath of September 11. One of 
these was Balbir Singh Sodhi, a gasoline station owner from Arizona. He 
was murdered at his gas station by someone who apparently mistook him 
for a follower of Osama bin Laden. His brother, Sukhpal Singh Sodhi, a 
cab driver in the San Francisco Bay area, was recently killed in his 
taxicab. I am sure that we would all like to extend our sympathies to 
the Sodhi family.
  No one should be killed because of his religion. Even if Mr. Sodhi 
had been a Muslim and a follower of bin Laden, that would not justify 
murdering him. But what makes this crime even more disturbing is that 
this perception was a mistake. Mr. Sodhi was a Sikh, not Muslim.
  Sikhism is an independent, monotheistic, revealed religion that 
believes in the equality of all people, including gender equality. It 
is not part of either Hinduism or Islam, yet because of the turbans 
they wear, which are required by their religion, Sikhs are sometimes 
mistaken for Muslim followers of bin Laden.
  The violence has mostly ended, but there are still some unrelated 
violent incidents. Unfortunately, Balbir Singh Sodhi's brother was also 
killed just a couple of months ago in his taxicab outside San 
Francisco. I call for an end to all these attacks and for full and 
prompt prosecution of all the people responsible.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to place the Council of Khalistan's recent 
press release on the anniversary of September 11 into the Record at 
this time.

    In Memory of Those Killed in Last Year's Attack on United States


    Sikhs Suffered the Most After the Attacks; Council of Khalistan 
     Condemns Attacks, Calls for End to Violence Against Minorities

       Washington, D.C., September 11, 2002.--Dr. Gurmit Singh 
     Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, today 
     remembered the attacks on America a year ago that killed 
     almost 3,000 Americans. He also condemned the violence 
     against Sikh Americans and other minorities that broke out in 
     the wake the September 11 attacks.
       ``On behalf of the 21-million strong Sikh Nation and 
     especially on behalf of more than 500,000 Sikh Americans, we 
     remember with sadness and outrage the attacks on America a 
     year ago and offer our prayers and sympathies on this sad 
     anniversary to the people of the United States for the 
     terrible attack on the United States and for the loss of life 
     it entails,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``We especially pray for the 
     families of those who have departed.''
       ``America must do what it can to eradicate terrorism from 
     the world,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``We support all the efforts to 
     do so and we must do our part as American citizens,'' he 
     said. ``This sad anniversary reminds us that we stand 
     together as a nation. We must show unity on this occasion.''
       ``We also condemn the violence against Sikhs and other 
     minorities that took place last year after the September 11 
     attacks,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``Sikhs suffered the most in the 
     post-September 11 violence,'' he said. ``The very first 
     victim of this violence was Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh 
     gasoline station owner from the Phoenix area,'' he noted. 
     ``Recently, his brother was killed in his taxicab. All this 
     violence must stop,'' Dr. Aulakh said.
       ``Nobody should be killed for his or her religion, whether 
     Sikh, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, or whatever religion 
     one may follow,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``But it is important to 
     note that Sikhs are not Muslims nor followers of bin Laden. 
     We condemn bin Laden,'' he said. ``Unfortunately, because of 
     the turbans we are required to wear, many people mistake 
     Sikhs for bin Laden followers,'' he said. ``The Sikh religion 
     is an independent, monotheistic, sovereign religion that 
     believes in the equality of the hole human race, including 
     gender equality,'' he said. ``Daily we pray for the well 
     being of the whole human race.''
       In the wake of the September 11 attacks, a couple of young 
     Sikhs were attacked in Brooklyn. Sikh businesses have been 
     stoned and cars have been burned. A Sikh boy was even shot in 
     New York. Many Muslims and other minorities were also 
     subjected to violent attacks.
       ``We hope that there will not be any more of these 
     incidents in connection with the anniversary of the attacks. 
     ``Violence against innocent people of any religion or 
     ethnicity is unacceptable,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``It must be 
     condemned and the violence must be ended.''

     

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