PALERMO, N.Y. -- "Out of the ashes comes light." That was the message Saturday at the rededication of the new Gurdwara, or temple, in the town of Palermo. Arsonists set it on fire in November 2001, two months after 9/11.
"This turban stands for peace, it stands for justice. It was a shock to find that someone would not understand that and attack our place of worship," said Ralph Singh, Gobind Sadan USA Founding President.
Though the building burned to the ground one thing survived.
"The bible or book that we believe in, we bow down to it or him, that was actually saved," said Amarpal Kanwal of Buffalo.
In the meantime, these Sikhs, who are members of the Gobind Sadan community, prayed in a barn. It took six years to reconstruct the building. Saturday's rededication ceremony brought people from throughout the state.
A Sikh temple re-opens almost seven years after a group of Oswego County teenagers burned it to the ground.
Sikh leader, Giani Iqbal Singh, traveled from India to be a part of the celebration and spread the message that Gobin Sadan truly means, "God's House without walls."
"We must recognize people as all, one human race. And understand we are all one family of God, and live and work together, and the peace that we all seek will surely come," said Ralph Singh.
Since the fire, Sikhs in the area worked with the local school district to educate the community about their faith. Before, the two groups existed separately. Saturday, they came together.
"I think the message, it was a disaster and out of disaster came good and hope and we don't want it to happen, but if it didn't happen we wouldn't all be here together," said Mark Lichtenstein of Mexico.