Washington:
The US Justice Department will begin keeping numbers on hate crimes committed against Sikhs and six other groups, in connection with Monday's one-year anniversary of the killing of six Sikh worshippers.
Attorney General Eric Holder made the announcement today in a blog post, which The Associated Press obtained ahead of its official release.
The country's top lawyer said FBI Director Robert Mueller had approved a recommendation from the agency's advisory policy board to track hate crimes against Sikhs, Hindus, Arabs, Buddhists, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Orthodox Christians.
"Having accurate information allows law enforcement leaders and policymakers to make informed decisions about the allocation of resources and priorities, decisions that impact real people, and affect public safety in every neighbourhood and community," Holder wrote.
The addition had long been sought by members of the Sikh community.
A year ago Monday, Wade Michael Page, who had ties to white supremacist groups, walked into the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin and opened fire. He killed six priests and worshippers and wounded five others, then fatally shot himself after he was wounded by a police sniper.
Holder called the attack a "heinous act of hatred and terror."
Pardeep Kaleka, son of former temple president Satwant Singh Kaleka, who died in the massacre, said he appreciated anything that can draw attention to people being victimised for things like their race, religion or gender.
"Progress is sort of a climb, and it takes a step at a time. This is one of those steps toward progress," he said. Amardeep Singh, program director of the Sikh Coalition, said that while he welcomed the announcement as a "critical first step," the underlying conditions that caused the killings remain.
"The last year has once again seen violent shootings and beatings of Sikhs throughout the country," he said. "It will take more than tracking hate crime statistics to stem the tide."
Holder wrote that since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Justice Department has investigated more than 800 incidents involving violence, threats, assaults, vandalism and arson targeting Arabs, Muslims, Sikhs, South Asians and those perceived to be members of these groups.