US Muslims and Sikhs Condemn Killing of Sikh Man
Los Angeles , CA: The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) along with the California Sikh Council and the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) has condemned a recent vicious murder of a Sikh man, Jaspal Singh, in Pakistan.
According to news reports, the Pakistani man was kidnapped along with two other Sikhs by militants in the Khyber region on the Afghanistan border in January. Singh was beheaded on February 21, after his relatives reportedly failed to pay the ransom. Pakistani security forces earlier this month rescued two of the three Sikhs kidnapped.
Pakistani media report that Khyber area has witnessed an increase in criminal groups involved in kidnapping, drug trafficking and carjacking. Criminals are also believed to have established links with militants in recent years.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said:
"We condemn this barbaric attack, offer condolences to the loved ones of the man killed and call for the swift apprehension and prosecution of the perpetrators. We commend the Pakistani security forces on their success in rescuing the two other victims and call on all religious communities, in particular Pakistan's Muslim majority and Sikh minority, to promote unity and reject all those who spread hatred and extremism."
