SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, September 24, 2001: In a show of diversity, San Jose’s first major public memorial to the victims of the terrorist attacks was led Sunday by clerics representing six faiths: Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism and Islam. Many of the 1,200 people gathered not only to pray for the victims but also to show their solidarity with their adopted country. “Today we send the victims our prayers in every language and every faith. We will not forget them,” said San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales. “We must embrace each other, embrace our differences and share our common beliefs — democracy, liberty, tolerance and justice.” The more than 30 Indo-American groups that participated also kicked off a US$1 million fundraising campaign for the victims. The community is organizing volunteer efforts, ranging from a blood drive to a list of software engineers willing to help New York get back on line. About half of California’s 314,000 Indo-Americans live in the Bay Area.
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