Arson in New York
On November 18, 2001 Godind Sadan USA was the victim of an arson attack committed by 3 local teens who mistakenly associated the name with Osama Bin Laden. While the 100 year-old main structure was completely destroyed, inexplicably, the Guru Granth Sahib, the 1,430 page holy book, remained unharmed, though surrounded by charred wood and ash. All three teens were later arrested and charged with committing arson as a hate crime. They have been supported by Gobind Sadan in their rehabilitation.
In a statement transmitted through Ralph Singh, Baba Virsa Singh Ji forgave the teens and called for forgiveness from the community for those involved in the crime. Though it was viewed as a tragedy, the event, with all the media coverage it received, became an opportunity to bring a variety of people together to assist in the rebuilding of the devotional center.
Read more about this topic: Gobind Sadan Institute
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