Bush's assurance to Sikh leaders

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, SEPT. 26. To reassure various communities that the United States was a country of tolerance, the President, Mr. George W. Bush, this morning met with the Sikh community which has been targeted and traumatised in the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington. Later in the afternoon, the President met Muslim leaders.

``It is my honour to welcome citizens from all across the country... to discuss our common commitment to make sure that every American is treated with respect and dignity during this period, during any period, for that matter, of American history, but particularly during this time,'' Mr. Bush remarked at a photo-op with Sikh leaders at the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

Recalling that an American Sikh had been unjustly killed, the President assured the community leaders that the federal government would do everything it can ``to not only bring those people to justice but also to treat every human life as dear and to respect the values that have made our country so different and so unique.''

Aside from the killing in Mesa, Arizona, there have been numerous cases of attacks and harassment of Sikhs as also others in the Indian American community and the South Asian community as a whole. The particular targets have also been Arab Americans. The people are being harassed for a number of reasons - in the case of Sikhs a thinking that they were Afghans because of the beards and turbans.

Quite disturbing as well are reports of abuse and intemperate language from enforcement agencies. And there have been instances of persons of Asian and Arab backgrounds forced to get off planes because of objections of passengers and the pilot, citing his rights, going along with the demands.

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Section  : International
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