Washington, D.C.– The Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), a national Sikh civil rights advocacy group, gave a presentation to staff members from the Department of Justice, the Department of Education, and the Department of Transportation on Thursday, November 15, 2001. This presentation was part of SMART’s ongoing efforts to educate the federal government about Sikh Americans and to inform these agencies about Sikhism, how the attacks of September 11, 2001 have affected the Sikh community, and solutions to address the concerns of Sikh Americans. The presentation offered a background on Sikhism, discussed common stereotypes or mis-perceptions of Sikhs and ways that federal law enforcement agencies could help to address the issues of the Sikh community while still maintaining security measures across the nation. The SMART presenter spoke at length with the attendees about the five Sikh articles of faith, giving special attention to the kirpan and turban. He also spoke on the difference between Sikhs, and other commonly associated religions and cultural groups, stressing Sikh’s separate identity from Hindus, Muslims, and especially the Taliban. The meeting was highly successful; those in attendance were highly receptive and asked many questions. SMART believes that the most effective way to prevent further incidents of harassment, especially around security issues, is to continue to educate federal agencies about the Sikh articles of faith, and the need to be sensitive when dealing with Sikh Americans. SMART will continue to offer these presentations to other federal agencies in the future. Please visit SMART’s web site at www.saldef.org for more information on SMART, and its previous presentations and trainings after September 11, 2001.
