Encouraged by Recent Success, SMART Encourages Sikhs to Report Incidents, Exercise Their Rights Washington, DC – The owner of a nightclub in Austin, TX recently apologized to a Sikh man who was denied admission, and an offensive cartoon depicting a “Sikh Heated Missile” was removed by a U.K.-based web site. The Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), a national civil rights organization, announced these developments today, while encouraging Sikh Americans to report such incidents and exercise their rights. “The successful resolution of these issues demonstrates that we can leverage our years of experience within civil rights and media to achieve our desired outcome,” said SMART’s National Director, Preetmohan Singh. “There continues to be a problem of under-reporting of civil rights violations, and we encourage Sikh Americans to inform law enforcement and SMART about all of these incidents.” The first incident involved a 26-year-old Sikh man named Ishmeet Singh Anand who was denied admission into the Element Nightclub in Austin. Anand, who had successfully entered the club previously, was barred from entering on this occasion based on a “no hats” policy. Anand immediately contacted SMART’s Legal Department, which wrote to the club management asking them to clarify their “no-hats” policy. Last week SMART was contacted by the President of the company that owns the night club, and apologized for the incident. Furthermore, he informed SMART that explicit instructions have been given to all their staff not to bar anyone with a turban or other religiously-mandated head dress. The second incident involved an offensive cartoon on a U.K.-based web site which was brought to SMART’s attention by a community member. The cartoon depicted a Sikh man apparently creating or tampering with a missile, implying malicious intent. The caption under the drawing read “Sikh heating missile,” creating a pun by conflating terms “Sikh” and “seek” incorrectly. SMART communicated with the site owner, expressing concern about the perpetuation of damaging stereotypes about Sikhs as terrorists, and the cartoon was recently removed from the site. The site owner also informed SMART that the cartoon had not been purchased for publication.
Austin Club Owner Apologizes to Sikh Denied Admission; Another Offensive Cartoon Depicting Sikh Removed from Internet
Sikh Organization Mentioned Prominently during Consideration Washington, DC – During the floor consideration of a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives condemning bigotry and violence against Sikh Americans and other groups affected by post-9/11 backlash, the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART) was commended for its work on hate crimes education and prevention. In his address on the floor of the United States House of Representatives, Representative Joseph Crowley (D-NY), stated, “During July, I held a Congressional briefing as the Co-Chair of the Caucus on India and Indian Americans about the rise of hate crimes against South Asians. A representative of Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART) attended this briefing and spoke with Members of Congress on the importance of educating people so they understand the culture and will be less likely to participate in a hate crime. I commend SMART’s efforts to work not only the Sikh community but with all communities affected by hate crimes.” Furthermore, SMART’s President, Manjit Singh, met with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi yesterday to discuss issues affecting the Sikh American and other South Asian communities. He discussed the continued problem of hate crimes and employment related discrimination against Sikh Americans, along with Americans from and perceived to be from the Middle-East, in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attack. For instance, in the 15 months between September 11th and December 11, 2002, the EEOC received 705 complaints. Mr. Singh also brought attention to the increasing reports of racial profiling of Sikhs and other minorities by law enforcement under the guise of “national security” using the USA PATRIOT Act. He urged the House Democratic leadership to address these issues by supporting the Workplace Religious Freedom Act, designed to ensure that employers will accommodate the religious practices of their employees, and the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act. In response to the House passing the resolution H.234, condemning bigotry and violence against Sikh Americans and other groups, Singh stated, “This resolution strongly condemns hate-motivated violence and will inform all Americans about these insidious acts of violence. We now call upon Congress to take the next step and enact the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act. This legislation, now pending before both houses of Congress, would enable the U.S. Department of Justice to assist local investigation and prosecution of bias-motivated incidents in certain cases.” SMART extends its gratitude to Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA), the sponsor of this House resolution, and thanks Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-NY) and Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) for their statements of support urging their colleagues to pass the resolution. In July, SMART wrote to Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House, urging him to schedule floor action on the measure. SMART worked with Senators and their constituents to pass a similar resolution by the US Senate in May.
SMART Collaborating with Local, State, Federal Authorities Phoenix, AZ—Responding to violent crimes in the Phoenix metropolitan area, the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), a national civil rights organization, is collaborating with area residents to organize a community forum with public officials to identify and respond to hate crimes. SMART is encouraging the Phoenix-area Sikh community to attend the event this Wednesday evening at the Cholla public library (details below). Since the attacks of 9/11, the Sikh community in Phoenix has been particularly affected by violent crimes, including the murder of Balbir Singh Sodhi on September 15, 2001 and the shooting of Avtar Singh Chiera on May 19, 2003. The Phoenix-area Sikh community also experienced the murder of convenience store clerk Sukhvir Singh two weeks ago in Tempe; however, this latest incident has not been characterized as bias-motivated. The community forum, “Combating Hate Crimes,” will include representatives from the Phoenix Police Department, the Arizona Sheriff’s office, and federal law enforcement officials. Local, state, and federal elected officials and their representatives will also be present to discuss how they can better address community concerns and maximize resources to battle hate crimes. Confirmed participants include members of the Sikh, South Asian, Arab, Muslim, Jewish and other communities. The forum is being organized in collaboration with local residents, community leaders and national organizations.
Jury Rejects Insanity Plea in Arizona case Mesa, AZ — A jury yesterday found Frank Roque guilty of first-degree murder for his slaying of Balbir Singh Sodhi. Roque murdered Sodhi during a rampage four days after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which included shootings at those who were, or appeared to be Middle Eastern. Mr. Singh, a 49-year-old immigrant from India, wore a turban and beard in accordance with his Sikh faith when he was shot outside his gas station. Manjit Singh, President of the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), a national civil rights organization, said, “The Sodhi family has endured a great deal for the last two years following Balbir’s death. This honest, hard-working man was killed simply because of the way he looked. We hope this conviction will shed light on the persisting problem of hate crimes which are rooted in ignorance and intimidate entire communities.” Although Roque’s defense attorneys mounted an insanity defense, jurors apparently were swayed by the prosecution’s evidence that Roque’s attack was motivated by hatred and bias. The jury also found Roque guilty of five other charges, including attempted murder and reckless endangerment, related to drive-by shootings at other individuals he perceived to be Middle Eastern. The case will enter a second phase of the trial on Thursday, with jurors determining whether Roque is eligible for the death penalty. Singh stated that his organization has noticed an increase in hate crimes since the war in Iraq. Furthermore, he said that SMART recently conducted a briefing on Capitol Hill highlighting post-9/11 backlash incidents directed at Sikhs and other South Asians, and is supporting federal legislation to provide law enforcement agencies more resources to investigate and prosecute hate crimes. “Hate violence can tear communities apart,” Singh said. “Sikh Americans have long endured discrimination, and although legislation cannot expunge hate from our society, our lawmakers must send a clear message that these insidious acts of violence are inconsistent with America’s promise of freedom and tolerance.”