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Summary This is a very tragic time for our community. We must remain calm, Nirupama said.
Indias ambassador to the United States on Sunday mourned the killings of Sikhs at a temple in Wisconsin, praising the community as showing the best qualities of Indian Americans.Our hearts bleed for the precious and innocent lives lost in Oak Creek, a suburb of Milwaukee, Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao wrote on Twitter.This is a very tragic time for our community. We must remain calm, she said.The Sikhs are among the best Indian Americans -- patriotic, law-abiding, industrious, generous and giving. I grieve with them today, she said.Rao said she received telephone calls from John Brennan, the anti-terrorism adviser to President Barack Obama, and Wendy Sherman, the number three at the State Department, to condemn the attacks.In a modern twist to diplomacy, the Washington-based ambassador of Indias historic rival Pakistan, Sherry Rahman, took to Twitter to voice sadness over the massacre.The Indian embassy in Washington said in a statement that it was monitoring the incident, which left at least six people dead.The embassy said that it was in touch with the White Houses National Security Council and that a diplomat had been sent to the scene.Sikhism originates in India. While the gunman was not immediately identified, the US Sikh community -- estimated at 500,000-700,000 strong -- has faced attacks in the past by assailants who mistakenly believe they are Muslim.
