SMART Encourages Turn-out at Interfaith Demonstrations in Washington DC, Los Angeles and San Francisco Washington, DC— Following French President Jacques Chirac’s support of legislation banning religious insignia from public venues, the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), the nation’s oldest Sikh American civil rights organization, will join other organizations to demonstrate against this proposal on Saturday, January 17, 2004 in Washington, DC, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Sikh Americans will join Muslim Americans and other concerned citizens outside the French consulates in these cities (details below). Simultaneous protests will be held in France and the United Kingdom. “The turban is a mandatory and integral part of Sikh’s identity and faith as laid down by its founders, the Sikh Gurus,” said SMART President Manjit Singh. “Thousands of Sikh soldiers, including those in the French armed forces, fought with turbans in both of the World Wars. To force Sikhs to remove their turbans and adherents of other faiths to shed religious insignia that have no correlation with state functions will solely serve to exacerbate religious bigotry in France.” The ban on religious wear, which is due to be debated in the French Parliament next month, would ban articles of faith such as the Sikh turban, Muslim hijab, Jewish yarmulke, and all other religious items in courts, schools, and the public administration. SMART is particularly concerned about news reports that the French commission which recommended this policy failed to interview any Sikhs during its investigation. Singh also stated, “The adoption of this law would needlessly limit the display of mandatory articles of faith in a way that is contrary to the spirit of all international documents upholding religious freedom to which France is a signatory.” SMART encourages all Sikhs to come out in large numbers to these demonstrations and support the rights of French citizens. The events will take place on Saturday, January 17 at the following locations: Washington, DC: French Embassy in Georgetown 4101 Reservoir Road, NW Washington DC 20007 11 am – 2 pm San Francisco: San Francisco City Hall 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place San Francisco, CA 94102-4683 11 am – 2 pm NOTE: Demonstrators will march from City Hall to the French Consulate Building Los Angeles: Westwood Federal Building 11000 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90095 Noon – 3 pm
