http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wYSSUNuIl0

It was just six years ago that Harvard University’s Civil Rights Project called Sacramento ‘America’s Most Integrated City’ and ‘Most tolerant of diversity.’ But then a wave of slavic evangelists flooded into the Capital City’s suburbs and brought with them a virus of hatred and homophobia from abroad, foreign to a gentle city.

It caught the residents of Sacramento by surprise.

Violent protests by Russian-language immigrants began at lgbt community events in 2006, then Satendar Singh, a Fijian-born immigrant, was attacked and killed by Russian evangelical immigrants because they believed him to be gay.

These evangelical and pentacostal extremists claim to love God, but show no signs of honoring God’s commandment, “Thou Shalt Not Kill.” I have spoken with many of these protestors and they are quick to defend Singh’s killers as justified and never once did they show remorse for the death of Satendar. As if there is any justification for killing a man. And of course they can claim any outrageous deed they want, for they have killed Satendar and he cannot defend himself. But woe to them, for they’ve killed the one man who could confirm their unbelievable story.

There are few people who more soundly deny the faith found in scripture than these evangelists, profoundly noting the hypocrisy in their praise of Jesus while ignoring his words of compassion and love. It is shameful. Perhaps one day they can find their way back into God’s loving embrace. We can all pray for their salvation. They harm their own children by teaching them only to hate – a trait which will prevent them from becoming contributing members of this country’s secular society.

In case you are wondering – the number of times Jesus condemned homosexuality in the bible? Zero. The number of times he condemned hypocrites? 16. Jesus proclaimed with compassion, “That which you do unto these, the least of my children, you do unto me.”

This video marks the one year anniversary of the death of Satendar Singh at the hands of evangelical immigrants. It is meant to keep this violent act in our consciousness until all those involved are brought to justice. It was more than just Andrey Vusik who was involved. Vusik and Shevchenko’s friends at Lake Natoma that day, they too MUST face justice. Please remind District Attorney Jan Scully that more must be done to prosecute these criminals.

Help capture Andrey Vusik – Singh’s killer. He is a fugitive from justice most likely aided in flight by the evangelical community from which he came.

The idea for this video began with one of the signs held up by a young protestor that read: “Woe to them who call evil good and good evil.” It struck me that the lgbt community’s response to the protestors includes that very same quote from scripture (Isaiah 5:20).

The lyrics of the song, and the pictures, objectively taken, trust the viewer/listener to draw his or her own conclusion. – Thanks for watching and please remember in your prayers Satendar Singh, Matthew Shepard and all gay, lesbian and transgendered victims of violence spawned and ignited by the kind of ignorance and fanaticism shown here. Sacramento is a beautiful, historic capital city and the place I call home. It is home to many good people – too many for the actions of these few to have any lasting effect. Song credit: “Hallelujah!” by lesbian singer K.D. Lang.

Note: Scripture which supports loving all of God’s children: Luke 6:31: “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” Galatians 5:14 “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”; “All are the sons and daughters of God, good people all, Brothers and Sisters, since created by One Father. No rooted difference is there between them.” (From Hindu scripture, since Singh was Hindu in this secular, not solely christian, country); “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother?” (Judiasm, Malachi 2:10); Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, for this is the law and the prophets.”

The murders of Satendar Singh and Matthew Shepard are the same issue as Proposition 8. It’s a matter of love versus hate. Hate killed Satendar. Hate killed Matthew. And hate spawned Proposition 8. It is about hate and love. No more and no less.

To read more about the search for Fugitive Killer Andrey Vusik, read Bay Area Reporter article by Dan Aiello: http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=3309

http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/970295.html

So sad. I watched the video clip… doesn’t seem like they were doing anything other than minding their own business

The preliminary hearing for the man charged with a hate crime against Satendar Singh (not the man charged with his death, that person fled to Russia) began today in Sacramento.

Today at the hearing an 18 minute home video made by the Satendar group hours before the assault became the center of attention.

Prosecution may use it as part of the proof Satendar was assaulted because he was perceived gay.

Defense will use it to try to discredit a key witness because the witness said she didn’t know if Satendar was gay. The defense attorney’s words to channel 13 news: “She [key witness] said I don’t know if he’s gay, Surinder [sic] was gay or not, he didn’t share it with us because of our culture. Well you watch this video and it’s impossible – its impossible!- not to form that impression.” The defense laywer said if she lied about knowing Satendar was gay, all her testimony should be thrown out. The defense lawyer mispronounced Satendar’s name the entire afternoon and was even corrected by the judge.

The 18 minute home video is at channel 13 news: http://cbs13.com/local/lake.natomas.brawl.2.608909.html

The hearing continues tomorrow, Wednesday Dec 12, 2007.

Today the man accused of a hate crime, Aleksandr Shevchenko, appeared in court with his attorney and pleaded “not guilty” to the crime (officially “intimidating and interfering with the victim’s rights”). He has a preliminary court date September 26 and remains free on bail.

Nobody in their party – Mr. Shevchenko, his attorney, his sister, other relatives and friends – said a thing except his attorney:

Defense attorney David Henderson said after court that neither he nor his client would discuss the case. “We’ll just let the process work its way through,” Henderson said, standing beside Shevchenko in a courthouse elevator

.

I’m thinking the attorney told them to all to shut up! considering all the wacky and sometimes contradictory things they have now blurted out to the press and TV cameras.

The second suspect Andrey Vusik, who threw the punch and is accused of manslaughter and hate crime, remains in Russia “on business”. More likely he is afraid to return to face the music.

Satendar Singh’s side has not said much. They may still be following the sheriff’s recommendations not to discuss the case.

Still a lot of unanswered questions remain about this case that hopefully will be explained during the trials.

There is a local contingent of Asians and gays that are following this case closely, about 12 of us today.

The story was bumped out of TV news today by a large forest fire near by, with only a brief mention on one channel. Otherwise it would have made it, all 3 networks had camera crews present.

Now there is a second similar story in the news. In mid July an East Indian man was attacked and beaten severely by a couple at Lake Tahoe after racial slurs. They will be charged with hate crimes.

Suspect in Lake Natoma attack pleads not guilty at sacbee.com August 22, 2007 http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/338842.html

Asian community alarmed by assault at Lake Tahoe Couple’s alleged attack on Indian man is compared to fatal incident at Lake Natoma earlier this summer. at sacbee.com August 22, 2007 http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/338310.html