Washington, DC, December 8, 2008, – On Friday, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest and largest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, in concert with 13 national interfaith and civil rights organizations, issued a letter of concern to Union Mission of Roanoke Rapids, a North Carolina charity, in response to the expulsion of a Sikh American donor from the facility a few days before Thanksgiving. Mr. Gurnam Singh Khera—a Sikh American—went to Union Mission along with his wife on Nov. 18 to make a Thanksgiving donation but was reportedly told that “this is the United States” and that he would have to remove his religiously-mandated dastaar (Sikh turban) or take his donation elsewhere. When SALDEF wrote to Union Mission on Nov. 20 to express concern about the treatment of Mr. Khera and the rejection of his donation, Rev. Ron Weeks—Executive Director of Union Mission—responded, “I can think of several options; send it by another person, mail or internet [or] donate to another charity.” Now SALDEF and its national coalition partners are calling upon Union Mission to issue a public apology to Mr. Khera and revise their policy to allow all visitors—regardless of religion—to wear articles of faith. The protesting organizations—which represent millions of constituents around the United States—include the American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee; Asian American Justice Center; Hindu American Foundation; Hmong National Development; Japanese American Citizens League; Muslim Public Affairs Council; National Coalition for the Homeless; North American Religious Liberty Association; Organization of Chinese Americans; Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund; Sikh Coalition; South Asian Americans Leading Together; Southern Christian Leadership Conference; and United Sikhs. “We hope that Union Mission will live up to its creed and join the mainstream majority of Americans who believe that there is strength in diversity,” said Rajdeep Singh Jolly, Legal Director of SALDEF. “As the holiday season approaches, there is no better way to close this chapter than for Union Mission to embrace visitors of every faith.”
