United States president-elect Joe Biden and his deputy Kamala Harris, on Monday, sent their warmest wishes on the 551st birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, saying that the founder of Sikhism’s timeless and universal message of compassion and unity can inspire and help Americans heal as people and as a nation, reported PTI.

In a joint statement, they said, “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.” 

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They added, “We are grateful to all of the Sikh Americans who continue to stand by their neighbours 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.”

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Harris took to Twitter and said, “To our Sikh friends across the United States and around the world, @JoeBiden and I send our warmest wishes as you observe the anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.”

She added, “Let us use Guru Nanak’s timeless message of compassion and unity to inspire and help us heal as a nation.” 

Biden and Harris talked about the Sikh communities involvement in the Black Lives Matter protests and said, “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.”