Poster to reach over 40,000 federal law enforcement officials; will significantly increase awareness of Kirpan, a Sikh article of faith Washington, D.C., November 15, 2006 – Next Monday, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) will be unveiling a a poster explaining the Sikh Kirpan produced in partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The poster is entitled Sikh Americans and the Kirpan and provides a brief introduction to the Sikh faith, the Sikh article of faith the Kirpan, and security recommendations for law enforcement officials when they come in contact with a Kirpan. The Kirpan, a religious sword, which serves as a constant reminder to a Sikh’s duty to uphold justice, has often caused law enforcement officials much confusion across the country. This poster, a product of an extensive collaboration between DHS and SALDEF, will be used to inform thousands of federal law enforcement officers and security screeners about the religious significance of the Kirpan to Sikhs. The poster will be sent to hundreds of offices under DHS including, the Federal Protective Services (FPS), Transportation Security Agency (TSA), Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement (ICE) and the Secret Service to name a few. “This venture is one part of an ongoing effort by SALDEF to change the way individuals in the United States view the Kirpan.” said SALDEF co-founder and Board Chairman Manjit Singh. “We must continue partnering with law enforcement and government officials at all levels to ensure their further understanding of our Sikh practices.” SALDEF similarly collaborated with the U.S. Department of Justice in 2004 on a project to produce a poster entitled Common Sikh American Head Coverings. The purpose of that poster was to provide local, state and federal law enforcement officials with basic information about the Sikh faith, the significance of the Daastar (turban), and provide recommendations on handling the Daastar when interacting with Sikh Americans. The Kirpan poster will be a formally unveiled in a joint SALDEF – DHS Press Conference on November 20, 2006 at the National Gurdwara (details below). Individuals scheduled to speak include: Dean Hunter, Acting Director of the Federal Protective Services Daniel Sutherland, Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Department of Homeland Security Satwant Kaur Bell, President, National Gurdwara Manjit Singh, Chairman, SALDEF Unveiling of Kirpan Poster National Gurdwara 3801 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC Monday November 20, 2006 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Members of the mainstream and ethnic media will be in attendance. SALDEF encourages the Washington, DC-area Sikh American community to attend and show their support for continued collaboration and partnership between the Sikh American community and the Federal Government. The poster will be available at www.saldef.org for review and download after the unveiling.
