SALDEF Honors Victims of Gun Violence

Dear Supporter,

unnamed-2On June 3, 2017, over 50 people joined SALDEF and the Wear Orange Campaign to honor the lives lost due to gun violence. The event was a great opportunity for community members, and Sikh speakers and performers, to come together for an important cause.

Kamal Saini, who lost his mother in the tragic shooting at the Gurdwara of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, attended and shared his story. He spoke about his commitment to honoring his mother, and emphasized the importance of solidarity. “Violence cannot cure violence”, said Saini. “In the aftermath of the Oak Creek tragedy, I learned that it takes unity, and it takes communities coming together for progress to happen.”

SEE: PHOTOS from SALDEF Wears Orange

unnamed-1Gurpreet Sarin, a past American Idol contender, sang an inspiring rendition of “Imagine” by John Lennon while SALDEF Media Fellow Vishavjit Singh, led an interactive workshop on gun violence statistics and spoke about how the Sikh American community has been directly impacted.

WATCH: Gurpreet Sarin sings “Imagine” at SALDEF Wears Orange Event

“SALDEF Wears Orange was an event to honor victims of gun violence. Local Sikhs came together with members from all communities and created a space within the Gurdwara to practice solidarity, and to celebrate the courage and resilience of our communities,” said Amrita Bamrah, Program Manager at SALDEF.

unnamedWe would like to thank Kamal Saini, Gurpreet Sarin, Vishavjit Singh, Ravinder Kaur Sawhney, Dr. Sawhney, Bhai Surinder Singh, the Sikh Gurdwara in DC and all participants who joined us on Saturday to make this event so impactful.