SALDEF Hosts Know Your Rights Forum in Philadelphia; 16th Forum This Year
In order to continue to inform our local Sikh American sangats about their constitutional civil and religious rights, SALDEF was privileged to host another successful Know Your Rights forum in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Sikh Society on Sunday, October 22nd.
The purpose of this Forum was to:
(1) ensure Sikh Americans understand their rights and protections against discrimination and bias as citizens and residents of the United States, (2) introduce Sikh American community members to agencies and groups that can address complaints, incidents, or issues they may have and (3) provide local, state, and federal governmental agencies the opportunity to build relationships with and address the specific needs of their local Sikh American community.
At the Forum in Philadelphia, SALDEF partnered with: Charles Phillips and Harpreet Mokha of the Dept. of Justice Community Relations Service, Fred D’Ascanio of the Dept. of Homeland Security-CBP, Denis Drum of the FBI, and Lynn Oliver of the TSA from Philadelphia International Airport. These speakers addressed various topics and responded to the Sangat’s concerns, ranginging from airport security screening of the Sikh turban and articles of faith, what to do if your child is bullied to reporting hate crime incidents and actions to expect from local and federal law enforcement agencies. SALDEF appreciates the time taken by the speakers to participate in the Forum on their day off, and thanks their agencies for their continued support.
We would like to thank the management and sangat of the Philadelphia Sikh Society, Jasbir Singh, and Bhai Balwinder Singh Ji, Granthi of the Guru Ghar, for their partnership in holding this highly successful event.
SALDEF is committed to empower the Sikh American community nationwide about their rights and how to exercise them without fear or hesitation.
We have the following Know Your Rights forums scheduled in the coming months:
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Khalsa Care Foundation Gurdwara, Los Angeles – Sunday, Nov. 5
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The Sikh Center of San Francisco Bay Area, El Sobrante, CA – Sunday, Nov. 19
If you feel your Sangat could benefit from a Know Your Rights forum, please complete this form or contact know-your-rights@saldef.org.
Join us in now to support SALDEF’s critical work at this pivotal time.
