Hate Vandals Strike New Hyde Park Gurdwara as Jain Temple Plans New Facility in Nearby Floral Park

In August 2021, vandals spray-painted hate speech and racial slurs on the under-construction Darbar Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji gurdwara in New Hyde Park, New York, just days before the ninth anniversary of the Oak Creek, Wisconsin massacre that killed six Sikh worshippers. New York politicians, including Indian American Senator Kevin Thomas, rallied in solidarity with the community, invoking the Sikh spirit of Chardi Kala—eternal optimism. Nearby, the Jain Temple of New York has been developing plans for a new purpose-built facility in adjacent Floral Park, Queens, reflecting the Long Island South Asian community's steady and growing investment in permanent religious infrastructure.

Hate Vandals Target Under-Construction New Hyde Park Gurdwara with Slurs and Graffiti

Vandals attacked the construction site of the Darbar Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji gurdwara in New Hyde Park, New York, sometime between the night of August 2 and the morning of August 3, 2021, spray-painting the site with hate speech and racial slurs. The timing carried painful symbolism: the attack came just days before the ninth anniversary of the 2012 Oak Creek, Wisconsin gurdwara shooting, in which a white supremacist fatally shot six Sikh worshippers and wounded four others during Sunday morning prayers—the worst mass shooting the Sikh American community has experienced. New York State Senators Kevin Thomas and Todd Kaminsky met with leaders of the Darbar Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji gurdwara on August 6 to express solidarity. Senator Thomas, an Indian American politician representing a Nassau County district that includes New Hyde Park, issued a statement on Facebook invoking the Sikh concept of Chardi Kala, meaning eternal optimism: "Their resilient response to these attacks embody the Sikh spirit of Chardi Kala—meaning eternal optimism. We stand with our Sikh brothers and sisters." Thomas also stated: "This act of hate and intolerance against the Sikh community here in Nassau County is heart breaking. We must always choose love over hate." The incident drew renewed calls for accountability around hate crimes against religious communities in Nassau County, and was covered by the India-West newspaper, which reported on the community's response and the political solidarity it drew in the days following the attack. [3]

🪔 Jain Temple of New York Plans New Purpose-Built Facility in Adjacent Floral Park

The Jain Temple of New York announced plans to develop a new purpose-built facility at 259-16 79th Avenue in Floral Park, Queens, directly adjacent to New Hyde Park, according to New York YIMBY, which covers real estate and development news across the city and its suburbs. The project would give the Jain community a permanent, purpose-designed space intended to serve its needs for worship, religious education, and community gathering. Jainism is an ancient Indian religion with an established diaspora presence across the tri-state area, particularly among communities of Gujarati origin. Jain temples in the United States serve as centers not only for religious observance but for the transmission of core Jain principles including ahimsa, or non-violence; vegetarianism; and a rigorous ethical orientation toward all living beings. The planned Floral Park location places the temple at the crossroads of Long Island's diverse South Asian population, which includes substantial communities of Indian origin in New Hyde Park, Hicksville, and surrounding Nassau County neighborhoods. The project reflects the Jain community's confidence in its long-term presence in the region and its desire for a permanent space that reflects the tradition's distinct communal and spiritual identity. New York YIMBY categorized the planned structure as a community facility, consistent with how houses of worship are typically classified in New York City's development permitting framework. The facility would join a network of South Asian religious institutions that have taken root across Nassau County over recent decades. Its development alongside the region's gurdwaras and Hindu temples underscores the breadth of South Asian religious community-building on Long Island, where multiple faith traditions are simultaneously investing in permanent homes. [4]

Sources: [3] The New York State Senate (.gov) · [4] New York YIMBY