Balbir’s brother with his photograph
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer is signing a bill to remove Balbir Singh Sodhi’s name from the state’s 9/11 memorial and sell his memorial plaque as scrap metal.
Arizona Representative John Kavanagh introduced the bill because Sodhi “was not a 9/11 victim.” In fact, Mr. Kavanagh believes the tragic hate crime was unconnected to 9/11.
In a statement, Saldef said it was outraged at the disrespect the Arizona state legislature has shown Mr. Sodhi’s memory, family, and the Sikh American community. “The efforts by Mr. Kavanaugh and his colleagues to deny the fact that Mr. Sodhi’s murder was a consequence of 9/11, is completely unfounded, unacceptable, and shows a complete failure in leadership.”
Saldef has implored the Sikh American community to take action against letting Arizona rewrite history and trivialize the first hate crime in the wake of 9/11. It has urged the community members and others to sign the petition urging Gov. Brewer to veto this insensitive and offensive bill.
It said, “As we mark the ten year anniversary of Mr. Sodhi’s death, this is a blow to the Sikh American community as a whole. We should not allow the voice of victims of hate to be silenced.”
India Post News Service
