WASHINGTON DC, USA—The National Sikh Campaign (NSC) led a coalition of nonprofit organizations to launch an innovative project titled “Know Your Neighbor” (KYN) and participated in a White House convening on religious pluralism.
The KYN project, created by NSC Executive Director Gurwin Singh Ahuja, calls on all Americans to share their own beliefs as well as understand and respect those of others.
The coalition is rooted in the belief that America’s strength comes from its diverse heritage. “We are a nation of Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, non-religious people, and more – we live and work together and we need to have faith in each other,” said Ahuja.
Developed after extensive research, including NSC’s “Sikhs in the United States” report, Know Your Neighbor seeks to protect and strengthen the fabric of one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world by acknowledging that our strength is derived from understanding and collaborating with each other.
“Americans know that minority religions, such as Sikhism, Islam and Hinduism, exist in the United States yet they don’t realize that they are their neighbors, friends and coworkers,” said Dr. Rajwant Singh, Senior Advisor to the National Sikh Campaign. “If we can make that realization for those who are unaware, we are bridging a major gap towards tolerance and acceptance.”
The coalition also seeks to address the recent uptick in hateful rhetoric against religious minorities, which has led to increased discrimination, mistrust, and violence – particularly against Sikh and Muslim Americans. Rana Singh Sodhi, brother of Balbir Singh Sodhi, the first Sikh man killed after 9/11 due to misplaced hate, understands that this is a monumental step.
“The rise in anti-Muslim sentiment has created a dangerous environment for all faiths – not just Muslims or Sikhs,” he said. “Truthfully, religious liberty and co-existence is at risk, and this interfaith effort to address these issues is more critical now than ever before.”
