SALDEF Recent Events for August and September

SALDEF staff and volunteers have been traveling across the country for events highlighting the Sikh community, encouraging civic engagement and educating the community on their rights.

SALDEF Co-Founder Jaideep Singh speaks at the Newseum
September 9, 2019
Washington DC – SALDEF Co-Founder Jaideep Singh spoke on a panel at the Religious Freedom Center and Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) located inside the Newseum. The panel used the new book ‘When Islam is not a Religion’ by Religious Liberty Lawyer Asma Uddin as a starting point for a discussion on how faith in America is being secularized and politicized and the repercussions this has on debates about religious freedom and diversity. 

Jaideep Singh added that “Bigotry against Muslims is not some current trend, but the continuation of a centuries-old American tradition of dehumanizing people of color, visible others who look, dress, speak, worship, and think differently.” 

DC Civic Health Workshop and Roundtable
August 25, 2019
Washington DC – SALDEF along with America Indivisible, Sikh Kid-to-Kid, and the DC Gurdwara held a round table discussing the civic health of the local DC, Maryland and Virginia community. The event started out with an off the record conversation among community members discussing and defining civic engagement. 

The second half of the event was a roundtable discussion with local government officials. Speakers included Reverend Thomas L. Bowen, Director of the Office of Religious from the DC Mayor’s office, Council member Mary Cheh, Ben de Guzman Director of the Office of Asian American and Pacific Islander from the DC Mayors Office, Officers from the DC Metropolitan Police Department and more. During this portion of the event, the local Sangat was invited to ask questions to the officials on ways to engage in their local communities and also give feedback on the current state of affairs. 

One topic that was discussed was the marked increase in hate crimes coupled with the decrease in hate crime prosecutions. The advice given by the officials was; first, always report a hate crime and second, make sure to follow up with the local U.S. Attorneys’ office to ensure that the case is prosecuted. 

The event was attended by roughly 50 members of the local Sangat. The event which was slated to end at 5 pm was extended due to the robust conversation between the officials and the Sangat. 

Know Your Rights at the Sikh Society of Central Florida
August 25th, 2019
Orlando, Fla. –  Gurdwara congregants learned about their civil and legal rights when it comes to dealing with the TSA, the US Immigration Service, employment rights, law enforcement, and other related matters. They also received active-shooter training. 

SALDEF conducted a Know Your Rights forum and Active-Shooter training on Sunday, August 25 with subject-matter experts including Shahzad Ahmed from Brink Immigration; Francisco “Paco” Rios, from the TSA; EEOC Outreach & Education Coordinator Elaine McArthur; and FBI Special Agent Susana Mapu. Representing SALDEF was Regional Director Navtej S Khalsa. 

The panelists presented to the 200-plus member congregation with general civil rights information which was followed up with a question and answer session during which the panelists answered more specific questions from the audience. 

The Active-Shooter training was conducted by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. 

SALDEF will be organizing similar events at the Tampa and Miami gurdwaras in the near future. 

2019 Civil Rights PCOR/ASAC Conference 
August 14, 2019
Atlanta GA – SALDEF was invited to present at the 2019 Civil Rights PCOR/ASAC Conference hosted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). SALDEF Executive Director Kiran Kaur Gill gave a 60-minute presentation entitled, “Inside the Sikh Community” which provided an overview of Sikhism, the articles of faith, and background about incidents and hate crimes that the community has experienced. She also discussed strategies for collaboration and partnership between the FBI and the Sikh community. 

SALDEF and the FBI have conducted 34 Know Your Rights Training for community members across the country since 2017. SALDEF Executive Director Kiran Kaur Gill said at the training, “It is imperative that we continue to work together particularly in this climate where we are seeing an uptick in hateful incidents against members of the Sikh community”

The presentation was attended by approximately 70 FBI officers and officials.

Washington DC – Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal was shot and killed Friday, September 27, 2019, during a routine traffic stop in Harris County, Texas. A 10-year veteran, Dhaliwal joined the Harris County Sheriffs Office (HSCO) in 2008 as a detention officer and became a deputy four years later.

READ: ‘Pioneering’ deputy dies after being shot from behind 

In 2015, Dhaliwal made history when the HCSO allowed him to keep his beard and wear a dastaar (Sikh turban) while on patrol — a requirement of his Sikh religion. He became the first HCSO deputy to be allowed to wear a turban and articles of the Sikh faith, while on duty. 

READ: Texas sheriff allows Sikh officers to wear beards, turbans on patrol

“Sandeep was a trailblazer for the Sikh American community. He served not just the Sikh community here in Houston with honor and dignity, but all of his community”, said SALDEF South East Regional Director Bobby Singh “He did his job well and was respected by all. We will support his family through these difficult times.”

“We offer our deepest condolences to the Dhaliwal Family on this tremendous loss. This is a tragedy for the Greater Houston Area and the Sikh American community across the country”, said SALDEF Executive Director Kiran Kaur Gill.  “Deputy Dhaliwal was a hero to the local community in Houston and an example to all Americans for his dedicated career as a law enforcement officer and his community service efforts out of uniform.”

There is currently no threat in the area, and law enforcement has a suspect in custody. We join with all of you in mourning this loss and ask you to please keep Deputy Dhaliwal and his family in your thoughts and prayers. 

This week’s 2019 SikhLEAD Summer Internship Spotlight features Sukhanjot Kaur! Sukhanjot interned at the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL)!

Here is what she had to say about her SikhLEAD Experience:

My name is Sukhanjot Kaur, I am from Reno, Nevada, and I go to the University of Nevada, Reno.

What was the highlight of your internship?

When I was in charge of planning my own events, and I had twenty professional volunteers sign-up to do mock interviews and resume reviews for the participants. It felt amazing because all of the participants stated that they really found the workshop useful. 

How do you think Langar on the Hill went?

The other interns and I were really excited for it and I think that’s what made the event so great. We were really excited to put in the work and make the event as successful as possible. 

What are some new skills that you’ve gained?

I gained communication, public speaking, leadership, organizational, and time management skills. 

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Donate now by clicking here – and ensure Sikh American youths like Sukhanjot Kaur get the chance to become our next generation of leaders and change-makers. 

SALDEF in the News

Sikh preaches love 18 years after brother killed over turban in 9/11 aftermath

Rana Singh Sodhi still preaches love and tolerance 18 years after his brother, Balbir Singh Sodhi, was gunned down in the aftermath of the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks by a man who thought he was a Muslim because of his turban and beard. Sodhi added that “I want there to be more awareness, more peace in the world…I believe education is very important for our community.”  The article mentions SALDEF’s contribution in raising awareness through their public service announcement and SikhLEAD program.

Recent News

Frequently Asked Questions About the Disarm Hate Act

The Disarm Hate Act, or H.R. 2708, would prohibit individuals who have been convicted of a misdemeanor-level hate crime from buying or possessing guns. The bill would also prohibit individuals who received an enhanced sentence for a misdemeanor-level offense after a judicial finding that the criminal conduct was motivated by bias from buying or possessing guns. In January 2019, a misdemeanor hate crime was committed by a man in Salem, Oregon, when he attacked a Sikh store clerk because of the victim’s perceived religion, pulling on his beard; trying to remove his head covering; and kicking and punching him.

Sikh in Good Faith 

A new pictorial book, “Sikh Heritage” turns the lens on Sikhism. The article adds that the idea of a peaceful and casteless society was fundamental to Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s message. His message of service continues to reverberate among fellow Sikhs, through the langar served in Gurudwaras are cooked by members of the community and offered without religious or caste bias to all those who come to pray. 

Man who scrawled threatening messages on Sikh temple gets 16 months in prison 

Artyom Manukyan, a 29-year-old man who vandalized the Hollywood Sikh Temple in 2017 was sentenced to 16 months in prison after admitting he defaced the religious building. Police were considering hate crime charges against Manukyan, saying the messages were designed as a threat to the Sikh community. “The messages were drawn in black marker and are difficult to decipher…one reads “Nuke death … Sikhs,” with a profanity in between.” 

RCMP defend removal of Sikh man’s turban at Surrey detachment       

In June, Kanwaljit Singh filed a lawsuit claiming that Sgt. Brian Blair joined a group of officers and suddenly and without provocation approached him and ripped the turban off of his head. He said that while he was being marched to a cell, Blair was also grabbing his hair, pulling his hair out of a “topknot” that had been used to facilitate the wearing of the turban. Singh was told he couldn’t wear a turban in a holding cell because RCMP policy and practice doesn’t allow the wearing of turbans in a holding cell, according to the defendants.

How do we better define and track hate crimes?     

A group of University of Chicago Law School students began to discuss a shared concern, hate crime data were inconsistent and incomplete. They also found that most of the organizations serving those marginalized populations were already stretched thin; most had neither the time nor resources to confront the flaws in the data. They created an outline for nonprofits to be able to talk about the experiences of victims with certainty and accuracy. For example, the report recommends that nonprofits collaborate to share the burden of collection efforts and victim outreach and create a uniform definition of hate crime to serve as a baseline for data comparison.

This week’s 2019 SikhLEAD Summer Internship Spotlight features Manjeet Kaur! Manjeet interned at  Representative Suzzane Bonamici’s Office.

Here is what she had to say about her SikhLEAD Experience:

My name is Manjeet, I am from Portland, Oregon, and I go to the University of Washington. 

What does being Sikh mean to you?

Being Sikh is the root ideology of my life. It means to be someone of service to others, it means to always be doing the right thing when no one’s watching, and it means seeing the good in everyone. So, I think that bringing that sort of ideological background to Capitol Hill is something really important and can really benefit communities. 

What advice would you give to future SikhLEAD interns?

Come into it being open and willing to learn new things, meet new people, and really take advantage of this very unique opportunity you have been given. 

What skills have you gained from your internship?

I think I have gained a lot of different skills both tangible and social and communication skills. I have become more comfortable expressing my thoughts and my voice. 

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Donate now by clicking here – and ensure Sikh American youths like Manjeet Kaur get the chance to become our next generation of leaders and change-makers.

SALDEF in the News

Breaking: Supreme Court Allows Trump’s Asylum Ban to Stand

The Supreme Court is allowing nationwide enforcement of a new Trump administration rule that prevents most immigrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border from seeking asylum in the United States. The policy is meant to deny asylum to anyone who passes through another country on the way to the U.S. without seeking protection there. According to rough estimates from the Sikh American Legal Defense Fund, in 2018, an estimated 9,000 people from India arrived by foot on the U.S.-Mexico border, seeking asylum. In their asylum claims, many Indian minorities, including Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians, have stated they have faced violence and persecution in India, from both private actors and public officials.

Recent News 

States should follow New York’s lead in the fight against racial terror

“Since 2009, three out of four killings by extremists in our country have been perpetrated by white supremacists….Given the increased threat of mass shootings, many law enforcement officials have recognized that existing federal terror laws are inadequate.” New York is leading the way in the fight against the scourge of white supremacist terrorism. “On Aug. 15, New York took a critical step forward through Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed Hate Crimes Domestic Terrorism Act, which would elevate penalties for violent crimes committed by white supremacists and create a domestic terror task force.”

United Sikhs Release Timeline Of Attacks Against Sikhs Across America Since Sept. 11, 2001 

Jesse Singh added that “Sikhs continue to be a target of hate crimes and several have been murdered with no justice to date, as many attackers remain on the loose.” Official statistics documenting hate crimes and bias-based offenses against Sikhs are unreliable in part because reporting attacks is not mandatory. Many victims do not report such incidents, which range across a spectrum from hateful or xenophobic comments to violent physical assault and everything in between. Additionally, such incidents are frequently classified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and law enforcement authorities, if they go reported at all, as “anti-Muslim” rather than anti-Sikh. 

Lakhvir Kaur speaks on the Sikh community in Bakersfield

Lakhvir Kaur, a psychology graduate pursuing her master’s degree in school psychology at California State University, Bakersfield, was interviewed in order to take a deeper look into the challenges and growth within the Sikh community in Bakersfield. Kaur added that “Being part of the Sikh community is coming together and showing deep respect for all people…I believe the best way to support the Sikh community is just awareness about us and what we stand for such as our faith, values, and history would be a good way to inform society.”

Art Event: The Sikh Project

The Sikh Project is being presented at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, California from Sept. 15 through Nov. 3. This portraiture portfolio presents engaging and expressive photographs in storytelling empowered to spark a positive, optimistic and inspirational discourse regarding the Sikh experience in America. 

Why Sikhs wear a turban and what it means to practice the faith in the United States

Simran Jeet Singh, writes to educate on the Sikh faith and to shed light on the issues being faced by Sikh Americans today. Singh adds that “The racist attacks spiked again after 9/11, particularly because many Americans did not know about the Sikh religion and may have conflated the unique Sikh appearance with popular stereotypes of what terrorists look like. News reports show that in comparison to the past decade, the rates of violence against Sikhs have surged…As a practicing Sikh, I can affirm that the Sikh commitment to the tenets of their faith, including love, service, and justice, keeps them resilient in the face of hate.” 

Sikh Women’s Association launches resource line 

The Bakersfield Sikh Women’s Association launched a new community resource phone line aimed at helping Punjabi people in need. The resource line consists of a confidential voicemail system and calls are returned by volunteers with the association and will help callers dealing with issues such as domestic violence and drug abuse connect with local agencies and resources that can help them.  Raji Brar, co-founder of the association, added that “I think it would increase their comfort level and reduce the cultural and language barriers that often come with other resource lines.”

Have you recently applied for a new driver’s license, gone in to renew yours or been for another reason? If you have we would like to hear about your experience. Please take a few minutes to fill out this form so we can make sure your rights have not been violated. 

Click here for the Form

The only way to make a change is to call out injustice. If you wear a Turban, a Chunni or any form of head-covering for religious purposes you have the right to wear it in your Driver’s License picture. If a DMV has asked you to sign any form confirming you wear a head covering and that you do not remove it unless under extraordinary circumstance please let us know by either filling out this form or by emailing us at media@saldef.org.  

This week’s 2019 SikhLEAD Summer Internship Spotlight features Saabhir Gill! Saabhir interned at Congressman Ami Bera’s office. Here is what he had to say about his SikhLEAD Experience:

My name is Saabhir Gill, I am from California, I study at the University of California, Berkeley, and for the summer I have been placed in Congressman Ami Bera’s office.

What have you learned from your time in DC?

I have learned how to deal with the bureaucracy of an office. Working on the Hill is very different than working in a law firm or a tech firm, which is what I have done before. 

How do you think Langar on the Hill went? 

I think Langar on the Hill was a great success. We had a lot of Congressmen, Hill Staffers, and Interns come and learn about Sikhi. Above that, I think it was a great bonding experience for all of the SikhLEAD interns and for us to get to know Kiran, Gujari, Jaspreet, and the rest of the administrative team at SALDEF. 

What was the highlight of your internship?

I think being able to write a speech for the Congressmen at a Korea Economic Form was pretty cool. Getting to attend briefings and hearings, as well as, writing his questions and talking points was also a lot of fun. 

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Donate now by clicking here – and ensure Sikh American youths like Saabhir Gill get the chance to become our next generation of leaders and change-makers.

SALDEF in the News

Belief, Behavior, and Belonging: How Faith is Indispensable in Preventing and Recovering from Substance Abuse

A new study published in the Journal of Religion and Health looks at the role of religious and spiritual faith in preventing and recovering from substance use disorder. At any given time, there are 20 million Americans afflicted with a substance use disorder (SUD), for which when it comes to long-term recovery, faith-based programs are a driving force. The study found that 73% of substance abuse treatment programs incorporate spiritual components such as 12-step programs and was conducted through a grant by one of SALDEF’s partner organizations, Faith Counts. 

Recent News 

In photos: A glorious history of Sikhism

Guru Hargobind built the Akal Takhat facing the Harmandir Sahib, and thus began a new era in Sikhism. “The takhat became a converging point for people from all walks of life—from the common man to elite, from a banker to a lender, from a farmer to a trader, from a scholar to an illiterate—who came to seek advice, share their grievances, and get clarifications about their faith.” 

Sikh Canadian politician goes viral for response to man’s anti-Muslim remarks

A video shared on Twitter and viewed more than 700,000 times shows NDP Gurratan Singh replying to a man that he first noticed acting aggressively and shouting as he gave a speech during MuslimFest in Mississauga. The man can be heard in the video asking, “What about sharia? Political Islam? You’re hiding, bud. I’ll debate you anytime.” Singh later tweeted that he will never respond to Islamophobia with “I am not a Muslim,” and Singh added that “Instead, I will always stand with my Muslim brothers and sisters and say hate is wrong.” 

Family of Sikh man stabbed to death grateful for arrest 

Tracy police arrested Anthony Kreiter-Rhoads, 21, on Saturday after investigators said he killed Parmjit Singh. Police said surveillance video showed him running through the neighborhood the night of the killing. Harnek Singh Kang, the victim’s son-in-law added that the family would like the city to consider renaming the park where Singh was killed in his honor.

NYC Revs Up Anti-Hate Crime Office As Spike Continues 

New York City has opened the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, with Deborah Lauter as the executive director to combat hate crimes amid a continued spike in bigoted attacks that has hit Jewish New Yorkers especially hard. “The office is starting its work as the city grapples with a 41 percent increase in hate crimes this year.” Lauter’s team will work with other city agencies to understand what motivates attackers to act on their hatred and educate targeted New Yorkers about the resources available to them. 

Thousands of Indians Facing Persecution Back Home Seek Refuge In California 

Five days a week at 8 p.m. sharp, a bus pulls up at the High Desert Gurudwara in Hesperia, carrying newly-released detainees from the High Desert Detention Center in nearby Adelanto. Gurbakshish Singh Jnagal welcomes as many as 25 arrivals from the immigration detention facility every week, part of the temple’s role in the community since 2009. Kanwalroop Kaur Singh, a UCLA law student who has studied the history of Sikh immigration, said many of the reasons Sikhs are coming to the U.S. are economic or political. Additionally, Farming, the traditional Sikh occupation, is becoming increasingly more difficult in Punjab due to decades of controversial agricultural policy exacerbated by climate change.

ICE Office Must Stop Keeping All Asylum Seekers Locked Up, Federal Judge Orders

In 2016, Immigration and Customs Enforcement released 75 percent of eligible asylum seekers in Deep South detention centers on parole. By 2018, that figure had dropped to 1.5 percent, and so far this year, it’s zero. In response to this, Washington, DC, district court judge James Boasberg ordered ICE to provide asylum seekers detained in the Deep South with a fair chance of being released. (Picture: Lauren Wood/AP)

D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton wants more action on hate crimes in city

Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton of Washington, D.C. is demanding answers from the U.S. Attorney’s office about the apparent lack of prosecution of hate crimes in her city. “The District currently leads the nation in reported hate crimes per capita, and a recent report in the Washington Post called attention to the fact that the majority of these cases are never prosecuted.”  For example, in 2018 police investigated a record 204 cases of potentially bias-motivated attacks, but only three people were prosecuted for hate crimes.

This week’s 2019 SikhLEAD Summer Internship Spotlight features Saabhir Gill! Saabhir interned at Congressman Ami Bera’s office. Here is what he had to say about his SikhLEAD Experience:

My name is Saabhir Gill, I am from California, I study at the University of California, Berkeley, and for the summer I have been placed in Congressman Ami Bera’s office.

What have you learned from your time in DC?

I have learned how to deal with the bureaucracy of an office. Working on the Hill is very different than working in a law firm or a tech firm, which is what I have done before. 

How do you think Langar on the Hill went? 

I think Langar on the Hill was a great success. We had a lot of Congressmen, Hill Staffers, and Interns come and learn about Sikhi. Above that, I think it was a great bonding experience for all of the SikhLEAD interns and for us to get to know Kiran, Gujari, Jaspreet, and the rest of the administrative team at SALDEF. 

What was the highlight of your internship?

I think being able to write a speech for the Congressmen at a Korea Economic Form was pretty cool. Getting to attend briefings and hearings, as well as, writing his questions and talking points was also a lot of fun. 

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