MESA, AZ — A Mesa community gathered Tuesday night to mark 25 years since the killing of Balbir Singh Sodhi, a gas station owner who was murdered four days after the Sept. 11 attacks by a man who intended to kill Middle Eastern people.
The memorial service was held at the gas station Sodhi owned, where community members observed the solemn occasion and championed the cause of peace among people of different backgrounds.
Sodhi's brother, Rana Singh Sodhi, remembers him as a loving man who wanted to put his arms around his neighbors.
"I think when justice is served, it gives you peace. That's what we look at," Rana Singh Sodhi said.
Rana Singh Sodhi also spoke about the role of education in combating hate.
"I think the hate is part of the education. People don't have enough education to respect and other people. As soon as people get more educated, the hate will go away," Rana Singh Sodhi said.
Balbir Singh Sodhi's five children are doing well — two of whom have relocated to India. One manages the gas station. Rana Singh Sodhi said he appreciates American freedoms and longs to see more acceptance and understanding.
The Sikh Coalition estimates between 750,000 and a million people from the Sikh culture live in the United States, including those who worship at a temple in central Phoenix.
Aasees Kaur, who represents the Sikh Coalition — the largest civil rights organization for people of that faith in the U.S. — said acts of violence against people from her culture are on the rise.
"We gather tonight to remember him," Kaur said.
Kaur also stressed the importance of education in preventing hate violence.
"I'm a firm believer that education is key to prevention and for us to see a reduction in hate violence and to minimize the harm we can sometimes cause each other," Kaur said.
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