PRINTER'S NO. 1665
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
319
Session of
2018
INTRODUCED BY McGARRIGLE, DINNIMAN, FONTANA, BROWNE, SCHWANK AND
RAFFERTY, APRIL 17, 2018
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, APRIL 17, 2018
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of April 2018 as "Sikh Awareness and
Appreciation Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Sikhism is the world's fifth-largest religion, a
monotheistic faith founded in the Punjab region of India
approximately 500 years ago; and
WHEREAS, The Sikh religion is based on a belief in one God,
universal equality and basic values of truth, nonviolence,
tolerance and peace; and
WHEREAS, Most of the world's 25 million Sikhs live in India,
but more than 500,000 make the United States their home; and
WHEREAS, In the 1970s, the Sikhs first entered Pennsylvania;
and
WHEREAS, In April 1973, responding to the social and
religious need of a growing population of followers of Hinduism
and other Indic religions, the Sikhs purchased a seven-acre
parcel of land in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, with plans for a
Hindu Temple; and
WHEREAS, In 1986, the name of the temple was changed from
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Hindu Temple to Hindu Jain Temple operated by the Hindu Temple
Society of North America, Pittsburgh; and
WHEREAS, In September 1990, the construction work was
completed on the gurdwara, a Sikh center of worship; and
WHEREAS, Hindu Jain Temple, the first unified Hindu Jain
Temple in North America, is a unique example of understanding,
tolerance and appreciation of diverse religious practices and
traditions; and
WHEREAS, For children and generations to come, the gurdwara
is a link to Sikh roots and a symbol of great Hindu heritage;
and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's Sikh community endeavors to enhance
understanding and respect among people of different religions by
leading and participating in interfaith thanksgiving prayers at
various places of worship and inviting various faith leaders and
members of their congregations to gurdwaras; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania stands with the Sikh community in
denouncing hate crimes directed toward any individual based on
their religious beliefs; and
WHEREAS, Since September 11, 2001, Sikhs are often mistaken
for Taliban members or followers of Al Qaeda because of the
commonality of their beards and turbans, and are subjected to a
disproportionately high rate of hate crimes; and
WHEREAS, The Sikh-American community continues to peacefully
overcome attacks on its identity and practices, whether in the
form of school harassment, employment discrimination or fatal
shootings, including the 1984 Sikh Massacre where thousands of
individuals were killed in India, the murders of six Sikhs
during the Oak Creek, Wisconsin, Sikh gurdwara shooting on
August 5, 2012, and the shooting of a Sikh man that occurred in
20180SR0319PN1665 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Kent, Washington, on March 3, 2017; and
WHEREAS, The faithful service of the Sikh-American community
to this Commonwealth merits appreciation as an integral thread
in the fabric of American plurality; and
WHEREAS, Our nation and this Commonwealth are enriched by the
unparalleled diversity of our residents; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of April 2018
as "Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month" in Pennsylvania.
20180SR0319PN1665 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8