FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 19, 2025
Contact: media@saldef.org
SALDEF Endorses September 11th Congressional Resolution
Washington, D.C. – SALDEF endorses a House Resolution introduced by Representative Pramila Jayapal, which acknowledges the hate and targeting that the Sikh, Muslim, Arab, Middle Eastern, and South Asian communities faced in the aftermath of September 11, 2001.
We are grateful that the bill acknowledges the murder of Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh man who was murdered in Mesa, Arizona on September 15th, 2001. This was the first fatal act of hate violence in the post 9/11 aftermath.
The same divisive and xenophobic rhetoric that resulted in hate violence against the Sikh community continues to cause harm. Communities are often targeted with overreaching policing, surveillance, and criminalization, as outlined by the bill.
The bill does not simply recognize the attacks against our communities, but also advocates for the creation of an independent commission to work with community-based organizations to review harmful government policies and to provide recommendations for dismantling them, as well as build out support avenues for victims of hate and State violence.
We thank the co-leads and sponsors of the resolution: Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), Rep. André Carson (IN-07), Rep. Jim Costa (CA-21), Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04), and Rep. Lateefah Simon (CA-12)