Sikh teen asks for religious tolerance

Our take: Sikhism has made many headlines since the Wisconsin shooting, and articles informing Americans of the religion's practices and principles from an impersonal, journalistic standpoint abound. This letter to the editor of Akron.com from a Sikh teen helps to bring the discussion to a more relatable level.

I am writing to express my condolences to the entire Oak Creek Gurdwara Sikh community. As a teenage Sikh-American, I am moved to write this letter to speak out against injustice, ignorance and religious intolerance. My heart shrank in disgust and sadness as I watched the tragedy of the Wisconsin Gurdwara shooting unfold before my eyes; I am flabbergasted by the knowledge that someone would murder innocent worshippers in sanctity of a religious setting. I fail to understand how anyone could be moved to commit an act of violence against any human: Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, atheist, Sikh, etc.