8/6/2012

SAN MATEO, CA – Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo/San Francisco) today released the following statement in response to the tragic shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin:

“I am deeply saddened by the senseless act of violence at a guardwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin that took the lives of six Sikh-Americans and injured others in their house of worship. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families at this troubling time.  

“This hate crime is an affront to the peaceful values of the Sikh community and to our American ideals of religious freedom and tolerance. I have worked with the community for many years to overcome bullying, discrimination, and racial profiling at our airports and will continue to do so.

“Today, I join with Americans of all faiths to grieve the lives lost in this tragedy.”

###