Since the horrific massacre against our Sikh brothers and sisters at their temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, we at the American Islamic Forum for Democracy have taken time to join with them across the nation in prayer. We send our deepest condolences to the people of Oak Creek and especially to the friends and family of those lost in the Sikh Community.

Our dear friend and long-time AIFD board member and adviser, Soul Singh Khalsa has taught us the beauty of your faith and the deep bonds that we in the Muslim community share with you. Not only as an author and a minister, Soul has been an inspiration to all that we do at AIFD from our beginnings long ago. These senseless and brutal attacks upon a people who live a transparent life lifting up the purity of their spiritual connection is simply incomprehensible.

We join with all our friends in the Sikh community in this time of sorrow and reflection. Especially during this time of reflection and atonement in our month of Ramadan, in our tradition we are all reminded that our time on earth is not ours to decide but to God we return:

Truly, to God we belong and truly, to Him we shall return. [Qur’an 2:156]

Verily, with God alone rests the knowledge of when the Last Hour will come: and He [it is who] sends down rain; and He [alone] knows what is in the wombs: whereas no one knows what he will reap tomorrow, and no one knows in what land he will die, Verily. God [alone] is all-knowing, all-aware. (Qur’an 31:34)