Spokane Interfaith Council Sets up Fundraiser for Damaged Gurdwara; Vandal Thought Sikhs were ISIS

SPOKANE VALLEY, WA, USA—A fundraiser has been setup for the damaged Spokane Valley Gurdwara that was attacked yesterday early in the morning by a naked man.  The Gurdwara (Sikh place of worship) sustained damages over $50,000.  The Sikh scripture and living guru was also ripped by the vandal.

The goal of the fundraiser is $20,000, and close to $5,000 has been collected in less than 20 hours.

While Sikhs living in Spokane area are still in a state of shock, non-Sikhs have expressed sympathy.  

A donor named Sarah commented on the fundraiser page, “I am so sorry you had to suffer for one man’s blind hatred….all faiths should be welcome in this country! Please take this to help rebuild your holy space.“

Another donor with the name Karen Colvin stated, “My heart breaks to see what hatred and ignorance has done to your place of worship. #becauseitmatters“

Several non-Sikhs have contributed to the campaign through generous donations and many have offered their help in the cleanup and rebuilding process.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said in a press conference that the suspect broke in randomly.  He may have been on drugs or have a mental illness, and when he noticed the religious symbols of the Sikhs, he thought the Gurdwara represented ISIS and began causing damages.

Sikhs have often been targeted due to their distinct identity.  Such attacks have been a cause of concern since 9/11 World Trade Center Attacks, however, they have only escalated in recent months.  Several Sikhs in the United States have been targeted mistakenly as supporters of ISIS.  Sikhs are followers of the world’s fifth largest religion and the Sikh faith is completely independent from other religions.

The Gurdwara released this statement –

“We don’t know the motivations behind the vandalism yet, but we do know that police are treating the case seriously and that the perpetrator has been arrested. There are no immediate indications that bias was involved.

No house of worship in America should ever be vandalized. The Sikh articles of faith, which include the turban and beard, show our commitment to equality, justice and freedom for all. These are not just Sikh values, they are American values.

We would love take this opportunity to invite local Spokane community members to come to an open house at our Gurdwara. We are your classmates, colleagues, neighbors and we would love to turn this negative act of vandalism into a positive opportunity for the community to learn more about each other. That approach to life is embedded in the Sikh ethos.”

For details on vandalism incident yesterday, please refer to this story.