September 15, 2009 (Washington, DC) – During the last week, Sikh Americans have paused to remember the tragedy of 9/11 and its aftermath. Despite the progress we have made in the cause of educating our fellow Americans about the Sikh religion, Sikhs in the United States continue to face workplace discrimination, school bullying, and the specter of violence born out of ignorance and bigotry. In this context, one question we might ask ourselves is whether the laws of our country allow the Sikh identity to flourish or cause it to wither. Is America Turning into France? During the last year alone, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) has confronted numerous attempts by state governments to perpetuate or enact laws that impair or would have impaired the right of Sikh Americans to practice their religion. Many of these laws bore a disturbing resemblance to laws in France, which have wrought havoc on the lives of Sikhs and other religious minorities in that country: Mar/09 – Oklahoma Legislature Attempts to Ban Headcoverings in ID Photos [The Oklahoman] Mar/09 – Minnesota Legislature Attempts to Ban Headcoverings in ID Photos [Minn. Post] Jun/09 – Maryland Attorney General Confuses Headcoverings and Veils in Legal Opinion [SALDEF] Jul/09 – Oregon Legislature Ratifies Law Banning Religious Clothing for Teachers [NY Times] Aug/09 – Michigan Supreme Court Allows Judges to Order Headcovering Removal [SALDEF] Eight years after 9/11 and the subsequent surge in hate crimes and discrimination against Sikh Americans, our new challenge is ensuring that our government will work for us, not against us, in the cause of defending religious freedom. One significant test of their commitment will be the manner in which the federal government and the states handle the PASS ID Act of 2009. What is the PASS ID Act of 2009? Last week, SALDEF issued an advisory about the PASS ID Act of 2009, a proposed law designed to standardize photographic identification documents throughout the United States. Because the law does not contain explicit protections for religious headcoverings, and because high-level bureaucrats at the Department of Homeland Security believe that headcoverings should not be worn in identification photographs, SALDEF has expressed grave concern about the matter. We do not want a situation in which state governments depart from well-settled State Department standards and force Sikh Americans to remove their dastaars (turbans) as a condition to receiving critical identification documents. ACT NOW TO PRESERVE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM! 1. Write to Your Senators Now Click here to send a letter to your Senators. If you need further information about the content of the letter, or if you send one and receive a response, please contact us. 2. Call Your Senators Click here to find telephone numbers for your U.S. Senators. Please call and tell them that the PASS ID Act of 2009 needs to be amended to explicitly ensure that religious headcoverings may continue to be worn in driver’s license and other identification photographs. Please note that the proposed law (S.1261) is currently being vetted by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. 3. Visit Your Senators You can locate the local offices of your Senators here. Before visiting, please contact their offices to make an appointment. Because many staff members may know little or nothing about the Sikh religion, we recommend giving them brochures and posters. In addition, please tell them about On Common Ground, the law enforcement training video on Sikh religious practices co-produced by SALDEF and the U.S. Department of Justice.
