Joint Statement by President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on the Anniversary of the Birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji

To our Sikh friends across the United States and around the world, we send our warmest wishes as you observe the anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism.

For more than five centuries, Guru Nanak's teachings on spiritual enlightenment, service to humanity, and moral integrity have endured and are embodied each day by Sikhs in America and around the world, as we have seen during this challenging year. We are grateful to all of the Sikh Americans who continue to stand by their neighbors as essential workers of the pandemic, and who open their hearts and community kitchens in their gurdwaras to prepare, serve, and deliver countless meals for people most in need. And during the summer of protest, we saw Sikhs of all ages marching peacefully for racial and gender equality, religious pluralism, and fidelity to truth and justice — core tenets of the Sikh faith and central to who we all are as Americans.

On this day, let us all remind ourselves that Guru Nanak's timeless and universal message of compassion and unity can inspire and help us heal as people and as a nation.