Brian Murphy took 15 bullets getting gunman out of the Sikh gurdwara – Photo: WISN videograb
By Joyce Garbaciak | WISN | United States |
MILWAUKEE COUNTY, Wis. — Next month marks 10 years since the attack on the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek. In all, seven worshippers died — and more would have — if it weren’t for the bravery of an Oak Creek police lieutenant.
Brian Murphy has since retired from the force, but he recently sat down with WISN 12 News’ Joyce Garbaciak to reflect on the shooting and the changes the event brought to his life.
To see Murphy today, you’d never know how close to death he came. Critically injured in the line of duty, he works now to offer true empathy to other police officers also hurt on the job.
“Almost every officer who’s been involved in that feels like they’re out on an island all by themselves,” Murphy said. “And people say, ‘I know what you’re going through.’ But unless you were actually shot or stabbed in the line of duty, you don’t.”
Murphy now works for Armor Express, the company that made the bullet-resistant vest that helped save his life almost 10 years ago.
On Sunday morning, Aug. 5, 2012, Murphy responded first to the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin with the Oak Creek Police Department after reports of an active shooter on the grounds.
The gunman, a white supremacist, came out of the temple when he saw Murphy arrive and confronted him in the parking lot. In the exchange of gunfire, Murphy was hit with 15 bullets. By getting the gunman out of the temple, Murphy saved many lives. After being shot by another officer, the gunman took his own life. He killed six worshippers that day; a seventh died later.
“I’m laying in the hospital and I’m watching the news and the president of the temple says, ‘We forgive him,'” Murphy said. “If they can forgive, and let’s not kid each other, I didn’t forgive spit. But I learned that I can’t change that. I can’t change that day. I can’t change him. But I’m not going to let him win by dictating my life because of what he did to me.”
Murphy received national recognition for his heroism, including being singled out by then-President Barack Obama during the State of the Union in 2013. But later that year, after 28 years in law enforcement, he retired from the force.
Now, the 60-year-old former police lieutenant travels the world, speaking at law-enforcement seminars about the temple shooting and post-traumatic stress.
Murphy will speak at a vigil on Aug. 5 of this year to mark the 10th anniversary of the temple shooting.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: asia.samachar@gmail.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines an apostle as a person who initiates a great moral reform or who first advocates an important belief and system [1]. Similarly, the Cambridge dictionary states that an apostle is someone who strongly supports a particular belief or political movement [2]. The Free Dictionary by Farlex describes an apostle as a person who pioneers an important reform movement, cause, or belief; a passionate adherent; or a strong supporter.
In the light of the above meanings of the term ‘apostle’, one can easily say that Guru Nanak was an apostle as he initiated great moral and social reforms in the Indian society of his times, as is evident from his life and works. He promoted an important belief system (moral code) of truthful living [4]. He states:
ਸਚਹੁ ਓਰੈ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਉਪਰਿ ਸਚੁ ਆਚਾਰੁ ॥ Sacẖahu orai sabẖ ko upar sacẖ ācẖār. Truth is the highest virtue, but higher still is truthful living. (M. 1, SGGS, p. 62)
Guru Nanak encouraged his fellow beings to do righteous deeds, cultivate the love of God in our lives and adopt a way of life-based on truthfulness.
ਅਮਲੁ ਕਰਿ ਧਰਤੀ ਬੀਜੁ ਸਬਦੋ ਕਰਿ ਸਚ ਕੀ ਆਬ ਨਿਤ ਦੇਹਿ ਪਾਣੀ ॥ Amal kar ḏẖarṯī bīj sabḏo kar sacẖ kī āb niṯ ḏėh pāṇī. Make good deeds the soil and let the love of God (Shabad) be the seed; irrigate it continually with the water of Truth. (M. 1, SGGS, p. 24)
He asserted that true peace can be attained by leading a life based on truthfulness.
ਸਚੀ ਰਹਤ ਸਚਾ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਏ ॥ Sacẖī rahaṯ sacẖā sukẖ pā▫e. Living a truthful way of life, one finds true peace. (M. 1, SGGS, p. 1343)
The second part of the current topic is related to the term “Peace.” Peace has always been among humanity’s highest values. The most popular (Western) view of peace is an absence of dissension, violence, or war. But peace is also seen as concord, or harmony and tranquility. It is viewed as peace of mind or serenity, especially in the East [5]. Peace of mind (also called inner peace) indicates a state of being mentally and spiritually at peace. It refers to having enough knowledge and understanding to keep oneself firm during discord or stress. We need some degree of inner peace in our own lives to be effective in helping to build peace in our organizations, communities, societies, and the world.
An individual is a microcosm of the global community. If the world is to finally come to an era of sustainable peace and harmony among civilizations, peace must be founded on humankind’s this fundamental social unit. In other words, an individual is the central building block of society and is an instrument for peace and reconciliation [6-7].
Now let us examine that can we call Guru Nanak an apostle of peace. An apostle of peace is a passionate adherent to the cause (peace) or a strong supporter of it. To understand Guru Nanak’s approach to peace whether in one’s life or the world, let us have a look at his hymns as enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of the Sikhs.
As in the present time, even during Guru Nanak’s lifetime, human conflicts were galore. After a thorough understanding of the situation, he pinpointed the primary cause of all such conflicts as the egoistic behavior of humans. He proclaimed:
ਹਉਮੈ ਕਰਤਿਆ ਨਹ ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਇ ॥ Ha▫umai karṯi▫ā nah sukẖ ho▫e. Acting in egotism, peace is not obtained. (M. 1, SGGS, p. 222)
He elaborated that if the actions are done in egoism, they lead to suffering among humans.
ਸੁਖੁ ਮਾਂਗਤ ਦੁਖੁ ਆਗਲ ਹੋਇ ॥ Sukẖ māʼngaṯ ḏukẖ āgal ho▫e. People beg for peace, but (acting in egoism) they undergo suffering. (M 1, SGGS, p. 222)
He pointed out a way out of this predicament. He suggested that human suffering can be overcome by eradicating one’s self-concept.
ਸੇ ਸੁਖੀਏ ਸਦਾ ਸੋਹਣੇ ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਵਿਚਹੁ ਆਪੁ ਗਵਾਇ ॥ Se sukẖī▫e saḏā sohṇe jinĥ vicẖahu āp gavā▫e. Those (people) are peaceful and pleasant forever, who eradicate self-conceit from within. (M1, SGGS, p. 1281)
He elaborates on how to eradicate egotism as:
ਹਉਮੈ ਮੇਟਿ ਸਬਦਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਈ ॥ Ha▫umai met sabaḏ sukẖ ho▫ī. Eradicating egotism, one obtains peace through spiritual enlightenment. (M.1, SGGS, p. 1040)
To attain inner peace, Guru Nanak advises us to avail of the company of holy (spiritually enlightened) persons.
ਸੰਤ ਸਭਾ ਸੁਖੁ ਊਪਜੈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਮ ਅਧਾਰੁ ॥ Sanṯ sabẖā sukẖ ūpjai gurmukẖ nām aḏẖār. In the company of the Saints, (inner) peace wells up; the adherents imbibe the love of God in their life. (M. 1, SGGS, p. 58)
To overcome egoistic behavior and eradicate egotism he emphasizes another practical way of life i.e., truthful living; He asserts.
ਨਾਨਕ ਸਾਚਿ ਰਤੇ ਸੁਖੁ ਜਾਣਿ ॥ Nānak sācẖ raṯe sukẖ jāṇ. O Nanak, those who are attuned to the Truth know peace. (M. 1, SGGS, p. 941)
To obtain peace in one’s life and thereby in the world as well, he advises us to adopt the attitude of selfless service to all.
ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਸੇਵ ਕਮਾਣੀਆ ॥ Sukẖ hovai sev kamāṇī▫ā. you shall find peace, doing selfless service. (M. 1, SGGS, p.25)
To enhance harmony and peace among beings, Guru Nanak urges us to share our bounties of life with others and asserts that this is the best way to live one‘s worldly life.
ਘਾਲਿ ਖਾਇ ਕਿਛੁ ਹਥਹੁ ਦੇਇ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਰਾਹੁ ਪਛਾਣਹਿ ਸੇਇ ॥
Earn your living by honest means and share a part of it with others too. Nanak says that who do so know the true way of life. (M. 1, SGGS, p 1245)
Thus Guru Nanak urges us to lead an exemplary life based on strong ethics and love for God and all beings. A lifestyle based on the principles of Honest Labour (Kirat Karo), Sharing with others (Wand Chhako), Seva (Selfless Service), and Simran (Love of God or Meditation) leads to inner peace in an individual, providing a basic framework for fostering peace not only at the family level or in society but in the world too [7].
In this way, Guru Nanak, not only enunciated the basic cause of human conflict but also suggested and promoted practical ways out of such a situation. Thus, being a passionate adherent and a strong supporter of the cause of peace, we can certainly say that he was an apostle of peace.
References
Definition of apostle. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apostle
Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS), 1983 (Reprint). S.G. P. C. Amritsar, India.
Rummel, R. J. (1981) What is peace? Chapter. 2 in Understanding Conflict and War, Vol. 5 The Just Peace. Sage Publications, CA, USA.
Singh, D. P. (2015). Relevance of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in the Twenty-first Century, The Sikh Bulletin, USA, 17 (7 & 8). 18-22.
Singh, D. P. (2018). Peaceful Co-existence and the Role of Sikhs, in Science and Sikhism – Conflict or Coherence, Singh Brothers Publishers, Amritsar, India. 283-301.
Dr. D. P. Singh, M.Sc., Ph.D. is Director, Center for Understanding Sikhism, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. He is a physicist by training, a teacher by profession and a writer by choice. He specializes in writing on Science, Religion and Environmental topics. Currently, he is working as Director, CanBridge Learning & Educational Consultant to various educational institutions in Canada. Email: drdpsn@gmail.com
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here
She was well respected for her love and care for everyone. Our Iron Lady welcomed everyone into the family and remains to be our pillar of strength for everyone Today Heaven has gained a true angel.
| Entry: 21 July 2022 | Source: Family
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: asia.samachar@gmail.com | Twfffitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here
In 2017, a video began to spread across Twitter and Facebook, capturing an “impromptu neighborhood dance party” that began when neighboring Punjabi and Mexican families in suburban Stockton, California, combined their respective house parties in the street. Clips of the party captured on cell phone were edited to show how partygoers took turns dancing to each other’s music in the suburban street of Stockton, California. “THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN TWO CULTURES MEET” BuzzFeed News proclaimed, emphasizing that the virality of the content was to be found in the ostensibly novel fusion of South Asian and Latino music and dance.
But the blending of the ‘traditional’ styles of Punjabi and Mexican dance in Buzzfeed’s 2017 report was no outlier. In fact, a couple years earlier, just a few miles east in San Francisco, the Duniya Dance and Drum Company and Ensembles Ballet Folklorico de San Francisco collaborated to develop choreography that brought together Bhangra, a folk-dance originating from Punjab region of India and Pakistan, with the Mexican regional styles of Ballet Folklorico. The performance, entitled “Half and Halves,” was organized to commemorate the community of Punjabi-Mexican families that emerged from the conditions faced by immigrant populations in early 20th century California, including immigration restrictions, racial segregation, and anti-miscegenation laws.
The U.S. Southwest is dotted with Punjabi-Mexican enclaves in states like California, Texas, and Arizona. One such enclave is Yuba City, California. The Punjabi-Mexicans of this locale trace their origins to a population of Punjabi migrant men who settled as agricultural laborers in California during the first decades of the 1900s, before the Asiatic Barred Zone Act of 1917 restricted nearly all immigration from Asia. These men were largely restricted from entering the United States with wives or other family members because of anti-Asian immigration policy, which sought to prevent the entry of nonwhite immigrant populations into the U.S. except as a source of cheap, and disposable labor.
“Half and Halves”
The first recorded marriages between Punjabi men and Mexican women occurred in 1916. Punjabi men sought local women whom they could legally marry, for both companionship and as a source of domestic labor. As Karen Leonard, a professor of anthropology at the University of California at Irvine explained in her book Making Ethnic Choices: California’s Punjabi Mexican Americans, “Many Punjabi’s married the Mexican women that worked on their land because of their cultural similarities and proximity. And when they’d show up at the county record office, they could both check ‘brown.’ No one knew the difference.”
In the early 20th century, Mexican women often lived and worked in close proximity to male Punjabi immigrants, increasing the likelihood of marriages between the two groups. Moreover, driven north by the political and economic tumult of the Mexican Revolution, an even greater number of Mexican families began to settle in the agricultural regions of Southern California throughout the 1910s. Thus, it was no coincidence that many Mexican families picked cotton alongside Punjabis.
The El Centro, Calif. Sikh Temple, photographed in 1951. Source: https://earthjustice.org/blog/2021-may/how-asian-american-farmers-shaped-our-cultural-food-landscape
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: asia.samachar@gmail.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here
Parents: Late Sdr Naranjan Singh & Late Mata Dhan Kaur
Wife: Sarjit Kaur d/o Najar Singh
Siblings: Late Sunder Singh (Punjab) Late Sukhminder Kaur (Kajang) Sukhminder Singh (Punjab) Sukhdarshan Singh (Punjab) Lt Col Sirendar Singh RMAF (R) (Klang) Mohinder Singh aka BT (Ampang)
Host of nephews, grand-nephews, nieces & grand-nieces.
Our family lost a JEWEL
Deeply missed by wife, brothers and host of relatives.
Path Da Bhog: 24 July 2022 (Sunday), from 10am to 12pm, at Gurdwara Sahib Guru Nanak Shah Alam
Contact:
Sarjit Kaur (017 6521615) (wife)
Sirendar Singh (016 2512441) (brother)
| Entry: 19 July 2022 | Source: Family
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: asia.samachar@gmail.com | Twfffitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here
Balbir Kaur – Photo: World Scientific Singapore Facebook
Balbir Kaur is the first woman to serve as a regimental sergeant major in Singapore. She shares how she was inspired by her dad to join The Republic of Singapore Air Force:
As she grew up, she was drawn to a career in the armed forces, thanks to her father. “I joined the service in late 1978,” she said. “My family, particularly my dad, was instrumental in me joining the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). He used to work for the RAF (Royal Air Force) as an administrative staff and had a very high regard for military service. He felt a military career would build character and be a good career choice for me. I applied and was selected after the first round of interviews. I also met my husband in the RSAF, and I must say he is the pillar who has always been there for me and supported me in all my decisions.”
Her unprecedented appointment to what used to be a man’s job has not gone unnoticed. The MINDEF newsletter, Cyber Pioneer, turned the spotlight on her in 2007 when it reported: “After being in the air force for 27 years, the most memorable experience for Master Warrant Officer Balbir Kaur, Officer Commanding, Air Operations Systems Specialist Training Flight, came in 2000 when she was appointed regimental sergeant major.”
“In this appointment, you have to be good in operations,” she told the reporter. “You also have to deal with men on the ground, and deal with regimentation, discipline and taking on parades. That was quite challenging for me.” She added, “I think I have excelled, but we can only be successful with the support and belief of our commanders and the men on the ground.”
Source: World Scientific Singapore Facebook. Her story was published in “Inspirations of a Nation: Tribute to 25 Singaporean South Asians” published in 2016. The book paid tribute to 25 Singaporean South Asians who pioneered and excelled in their respective fields from 1950 to 2015.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: asia.samachar@gmail.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here
Hargun Kaur Matharu from Pune and three other students emerged as the top students for the All-India Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE). You can imagine their elation!
All four secured 99.8% in the Class 10 exams.
“I have not yet decided what I want to pursue but I’m very interested in science, engineering and robotics,” Matharu told the Hindustan Times.
Matharu’s mother Sukhvinder Kaur Matharu is a banker and her father Dev Singh Matharu is an IT professional, the report added.
“I was expecting good marks, but never expected to be the topper. At the moment, I am interested in robotics and will take up science in Std XI and XII so that I can prepare for the Joint Entrance Examinations. I haven’t decided on engineering or pure science research as yet,” Hargun told TOI.
Hargun lost one mark in English. She was the head girl in her school and has always been good in studies.
The other three students who shared the top spot with Hargun are Anika Gupta from Kanpur, Kanishka Mittal from Lucknow and Pushkar Tripathi from Balrampur.
RELATED STORY:
(Asia Samachar, x 2022)
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: asia.samachar@gmail.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here
Grandchildren: Kevin Hilani Jason Hilani Harish Singh Jasleen Kaur Sidhu Eshleen Kaur Sidhu
Last Respects: 18 July 2022 (Monday), from 10.45am to 12pm, at Shamshan Bhoomi, Jalan Loke Yew Crematorium, Kuala Lumpur.
Saskar / Cremation: 18 July 2022 (Monday) at 12.30pm at Shamshan Bhoomi, Jalan Loke Yew Crematorium, Kuala Lumpur
Contact:
Karamjit Kaur 017 327 9001
Gurubachan Singh @ Bachan Setapak 012 259 3664
Your kind message of condolence was greatly appreciated, and we received comfort and strength from all your uplifting words. It is hard to imagine how different life is going to be for us, but we are thankful that we have the support of treasured friends like you.
Dear Daddy, you were our hero and our strength, our number one supporter who we could always turn to when in need. You constantly gave us great advice. As you are aware, we were not great at expressing our emotions, but we want you to know that we truly loved and appreciated you. Thank you for being the best father! We wish you the best of luck and health in Heaven. Dad, we love you!”
| Entry: 18 July 2022 | Source: Family
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: asia.samachar@gmail.com | Twfffitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here
Last Respects: 18 July 2022 (Monday), from 2.30pm to 4.30pm, at Shamsham Bhoomi, Jalan Loke Yew Crematorium, Kuala Lumpur
Saskaar / Cremation: 4.30pm, 18 July 2022 (Monday) at Shamsham Bhoomi, Jalan Loke Yew Crematorium, Kuala Lumpur
Path Da Bhog: 31st July 2022 (Sunday), from 10am to 12 noon, at Gurdwara Sahib Sentul, Kuala Lumpur
Contact:
Amarjeet Singh (+6019 2228287)
Baljeet Singh (+6019 214 3389)
Sukhvindar Singh (+6012 5936616)
| Entry: 17 July 2022 | Source: Family
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: asia.samachar@gmail.com | Twfffitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here
Thousands of brochures were disseminated and lots of turbans were tied at a United States convention that attracted a huge number of school counselors. This surely makes a real difference as you engage the education frontliners.
The American Sikh Council (ASC) volunteers took part in the three-day American School Counselors Association (ASCA) Convention in Austin, Texas, on July 11.
The volunteers interacted with some of the 4,500 school counselors, graduate students, specialists, experts, educators, professors attended this conference.
Brochures covering the Sikh Turban, Sikhs and Scouts, History of Sikh Americans, Bullying of Sikh American Children and the Sikh Genocide 1984 – 1998 were displayed and distributed, according to a ASC report.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: asia.samachar@gmail.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here
