In light of Shooting at a Sikh Gurudwara(temple)

ate         It is very sad that a shooting has taken place in a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin.Along with the gunman six innocent people have died and many got hurt.Three are in critical condition,including a police officer of the police department.

Most Americans do not know the difference between Sikh or turban wearing Taliban.whose leadership harass minorities in Pakistan as well were responsible for hosting Osama Bin Laden mastermind of 9 11 attack in New York, DC and Pennsylvania.The gunmen had  a  911 tattoo on him and he thought he was revenging 911 attacks by attacking the culprits or the people responsible for attack in United states on that sad day of 9 11 2001.This was a senseless violence where collectively a unrelated group was targeted.

If anything good came out of this tragedy is America is thinking about its race relations.Has learned a
more about the Sikh community.I was saddened to hear some speakers wanted to say that Sikhs were different from Hindus.One speaker who was a  Sikh who did maintain long hair used the term Hindu Sikh to define the community.Less than 10 percent of Sikhs who visit Temple weakly have long hair .They remain Hindu as their guru asked all Sikhs(students) to not cut hair.It was sad to see that These turbaned spokespeople wanted to define all  Sikhs by their own behaviour.They forgot that their own children and brothers were cutting hair for their own reasons,If we want to be very exclusionary soon we all will be extreme minority of one.

Indian community in USA has about 3 million people if we were starting to separate ourselves by language,sects,religious order or state and village we will become even more isolated than we already are.It is a great times that we celebrate our common heritage with the greater American community.There is too much common among all human beings to complain about our differences.

just sharing a letterto editor by Mr Shukla in NY Times.

“Offerings to the Hindu Gods End Up as Jamaica Bay Trash” (front page, April 22) could have presented a broader context to the causes of pollution in Jamaica Bay.

According to a 2007 report by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the health of Jamaica Bay has been threatened for decades. Excessive dredging, millions of gallons of waste and untreated storm water, sewer overflow, wind-blown trash, soot and chemicals from transportation, and large-scale development are the real causes of pollution — not just the occasional ritual offerings of devout Hindus.

John Zuzworsky, a former park ranger who was quoted in the article, is correct that “a lot of the Hindu traditions are based in respecting the earth.” Thus, Hindu New Yorkers share both a civic and a dharmic duty to keep the water and wildlife of the bay safe and clean.

Rituals are central to Hindu practice but are often reinterpreted to comport with environmental realities. The beauty of Hinduism lies in its adaptability to time and place without compromising its eternal truths.

SUHAG A. SHUKLA
Kensington, Md., April 22, 2011

The writer is managing director and legal counsel of the Hindu American Foundation.

Julia Roberts prettiest "Pretty Woman" a hindu.

"Pretty Woman " professes to be a practicing Hindu.She finds peace in going to temple and chanting and dancing and praying there.Good Luck.
I hope She is at peace or seeking peace.

This movie based on the life of an American woman who traveled and lived a year (if my memory is correct)in India with her Brazilian boy friend.It seems like an adolescent story just happening to a 40 or so years old woman not in seventies but year 2005 or so.

Hinduism and Buddhism do not try to convert people to their faith.Dalai Lama says Hinduism is like older wiser brother of Buddhism .Beauty of Independent India's political can be role model for all the advanced societies.India has had Muslim ,Sikh and Hindu presidents.Current prime minister is Sikh.President is a woman.Most powerful politician is catholic woman born in Italy.While India is 75 percent Hindu.

You go Julia any faith which teaches acceptance and tolerance like they have shown by ballot box in India deserves respect.Finally the great saying of Hindu Sages come to mind
"World is one Family"