Vandals deface temple in Fresno

Fresno Bee ^ | 3/15/04 | Charles McCarthy

[MineralMan]

Hate graffiti is painted on place of worship for area Sikhs.

Niranjan Singh uncovers one of the acts of vandalism Sunday morning for Fresno police at Gurdwara Sahib, the temple where the Sikh Association of Fresno worships, on Dakota Avenue just east of North Fresno Street. Police are treating the weekend incident as a hate crime.

[MineralMan]

Another case of apparent mistaken identity for the Sikhs, who are not Moslems, and who are attacked by Moslems in many parts of the world. Right in the home town of Free Republic. A shame!

[aardvark1]

This must be driven by Mel Gibson.

[MineralMan]

Well, it's driven by some pretty ugly ideas, in any case. I have no idea who did this, but I hope they catch them.

[ambrose]

Yep. I am tired of these morons who confuse Sikhs with Muslims. They're probably Pit Bull owners and drive pick-up trucks.

[MineralMan]

"Yep. I am tired of these morons who confuse Sikhs with Muslims. They're probably Pit Bull owners and drive pick-up trucks."

Well.....

Wasn't there a Sikh man killed in Arizona last year? I seem to remember something about someone killing a Sikh, after doing some anti-Moslem things elsewhere. Very sad. Every Sikh I've met has seemed a pretty good person.

[the OlLine Rebel]

I'm lucky I went to scientific school. You learn alot about the differences. I had a good pal in college who was a Sikh; ONE day later on he didn't wear his turban (boy was I shocked and confused w/that huge ton of hair!). Sikhs are Hindus.

In any case, it's asinine that such a thing happened, regardless of the culture or the vandalism. Whoever did it should be punished well.

But then, I am still skeptical about these "hate" crimes being committed either just to stir up anger at "the white man", or just to capitalize on known sensitivities by using racist-type vandalism (as a sort of "joke" to make it extra aggravating).

[MineralMan]

"But then, I am still skeptical about these "hate" crimes being committed either just to stir up anger at "the white man", or just to capitalize on known sensitivities by using racist-type vandalism (as a sort of "joke" to make it extra aggravating)."

I doubt that's the case here, frankly. While some might fake vandalism, it doesn't seem the Sikh way to do that, as far as I can tell. My guess is that it's some dumb teenagers with too much beer an too little sense.

[MD_Willington_1976]

Sihks and muslims don't play well together, the muslims did a lot of nasty stuff to the sihks in India...

[Jaded]

I'm surprised that this sort of thing happens in California of all places. The tolerance capital of the world. /so

I hope they catch and prosecute the vandals.