By Khalida Sarwari
For Dr. Mohsena Ahmad, a dentist from Saratoga, a routine screening at the airport security checkpoint recently turned out to be anything but when her daughter, an eighth-grader at Redwood Middle School, was asked by a TSA agent if she was hiding a bomb. The experience resulted in unnecessary discomfort–not to mention embarrassment and difficult questions–for the family.
In light of minority groups, particularly members of the Muslim-American community that includes the Ahmad family, being targeted following the shooting in San Bernardino last month, the Saratoga Hindu Temple is bringing together religious leaders for an interfaith dialogue about standing up to injustice and discrimination and celebrating diversity. Titled “Unity in Community,” the event will be held Jan. 17 at the Joan Pisani Community Center, 19655 Allendale Ave.
“Even though we might be different, we might have different accents or wear different clothes, we are all working together for the good of our local communities,” said Saratoga City Councilman Rishi Kumar, who also serves as the Hindu Temple’s founding director. “That’s what we’d like to bring out at this particular event.”
Kumar said he was inspired to organize the event after hearing about Ahmad’s experience, particularly since he’s a personal friend of his.
“They are phenomenal community members,” he said of Ahmad and her family. “[Her] husband works for NASA; she’s a dentist. To see these things happening … I said, ‘Hey, we have to speak up,’ because if our community doesn’t speak up then who will? When we see injustice happening, do we want to keep quiet or do we want to call it out? I felt calling it out was the right decision.”
The lineup of panelists includes Rabbi Philip Ohriner from Congregation Beth David, an imam from West Valley Muslim Association, Bishop Kevin Cole from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Bhai Sahib Satpal Singh Khalsa from Guru Ram Das Sikh Mission of America, and Acharya and Krishna Pandey from the Saratoga Hindu Temple.
Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian, Assemblyman Evan Low and state Sen. Jim Beall have been invited to attend.
The event will also give community members an opportunity to share their personal stories and experiences, said Kumar. He said he plans to turn the event into an annual affair.
The program is free and open to the public. It takes place from 4 to 5 p.m. To ensure a spot, interested attendees are encouraged to RSVP online at tinyurl.com/interested2attend.
