November Advocate: Raising Sikh Awareness this November in California and Beyond
SALDEF Wishes Sikh Americans Chardi Kala on Bandi Chhorh Divas! Today we celebrate Bandi Chhorh Divas, a day when Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji was released with 52 innocent Kings from Gwalior Prison after being held by the Mughals under false pretenses and with no due process. On this day, SALDEF staff and board remains steadfast in our commitment to empower Sikh Americans by building dialogue, deepening understanding, promoting civic and political participation, and upholding social justice and religious freedom for all Americans just like Guru Hargobind Sahib. We also stand with the Sarbhat Khalsa in Punjab today affirming our faith and support in the resolutions adopted for a stronger Sikh Panth! We wish you and your loved ones continued Chardi Kala on this Bandi Chhorh Divas! Missed the SikhAmericans.org preview on YouTube? Cartoonist and Sikh Superhero, Vishvajit Singh, has been fighting against bias and hate his entire life. Catch a preview of the Superhero and his partner in crime, Satpal Kaur! And look out for the entire interview to debut on the new SikhAmericans.org—coming soon! We ask you to support this important initiative and double your impact through DVN today!
Tell Me Something About Sikh People 
This summer, three SikhLEAD Interns, Tejpaul Singh, Kiman Kaur, and Naureen Kaur and SALDEF’s Executive Director, Jasjit Singh, and Policy Director, Navdeep Singh, met with The Wilson Quarterly, to talk about the Sikh American experience in America. Cartoonist Josh Cramer penned the resulting editorial cartoon explaining “No one should suffer violence and discrimination. For more than a century, Sikhs in America have, whether in Oak Creek, Bellingham, or Chicago. A proud and strong community endures.” SikhLEAD Alum Addresses Hateful Remarks in Alabama Cop Case in The Aerogram 
After a second mistrial in the case of the Alabama cop who paralyzed Sureshbhai Patel, an Indian grandfather visiting his family in Alabama, SALDEF SikhLEAD alum and Berkeley Law Student, Jasleen Singh, addressed the disappointment in The Aerogram. In Diversity Matters: Contextualizing Sureshbhai Patel’s Trial, Singh discusses the case, the defense attorney’s ethnocentric remarks, and the need for diversity in the legal profession to ensure due process and justice for all! SALDEF Speaks Out About Hate Crimes in the News 
To recognize the violence and bias against Sikhs, and other Americans, faced after 9/11, and to honor the positive contributions these communities make to America, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) introduced House Resolution 413 (co-sponsored by Congressmen Andre Carson (D-IN), Mike Honda (D-CA), and Paul Tonko (D-NY) to honor the victims of hate crimes. NBC News reported on the hate crime bill and SALDEF’s reaction to Johnson’s announcement! “In the aftermath of 9/11, we saw a marked increase of violence misdirected at individuals within the Arab, South Asian, Sikh, and Muslim communities. In the first nine weeks following 9/11, there were over 700 documented cases of violent incidents targeting Arab-Americans,” Johnson said. “On this day, I want to recognize the individuals who were unfairly targeted in post-9/11 violence. This resolution reaffirms the positive contributions that Arabs, South Asian, Sikh, and Muslims make to the United States and recognizes the rights of religious freedom upheld in the Constitution.” And two years after the 82-year-old Sikh American Piara Singh was brutally attacked in Fresno, CA, his attacker has been caught and sentenced to 13 years in prison. SALDEF’s Executive Director Jasjit Singh spoke with NBC News about the crime and the importance of the attack being categorized as a hate crime. “By recognizing the attack as a hate crime and with the subsequent conviction,” Singh said, “minority communities around California and the people of Fresno know that they are welcome and valued part of the community.” SALDEF Regional Director Featured in Disney Ad 
“The kind of family moments that live forever, happen here everyday,” is the theme behind a new Disney Theme Park commercial. Navtej Singh, SALDEF’s Southeastern Regional Director, and his family, were featured in the Disney ad “Family Happens Here” showcasing their proud Sikh American identity. Check it out! Victory: Correction Aired on Fox 2 Detroit! SALDEF Speaker’s Bureau member, Jaspal Kaur Neelam, recently alerted SALDEF to a media mistake in her local community. Fox 2 Detroit incorrectly attributed Ben Kingsley’s Sikh character in the movie Learning to Drive as Muslim. SALDEF immediately reached out to the local Michigan station, offering information about Sikhs and sought an on-air correction. FOX 2 producers agreed to a correction about Sikhi, specifically that it is an independent faith, and that Sikhs have been part of America for 125 years. The staff also recognized that their mistake was not only inaccurate, but also disrespectful. If community members see inaccuracies in news broadcasts, or from journalists, they should alert media@saldef.org. SALDEF is committed to generating media attention for Sikh Americans to raise our community’s profile and introduce our neighbors, educators, leaders and media to Sikhs and our values. 
AT&T Recognizes SALDEF This September SALDEF was featured in AT&T’s monthly Asian American newsletter for raising the profile of Sikh Americans through both it’s SikhLEAD and Media initiatives. Honored for both SikhLEAD’s work on Langar on the Hill and media trainings in both Chicago and Detroit, the newsletter also highlights SALDEF’s programmatic work on behalf of religious liberties. Want to ensure that Sikh American communities across the United States show their neighbors the Sikh American way of life? Support our Media Initiative and the new SikhAmericans.org TODAY! 
SALDEF Thanks Community for Support! This Fall, the White House announced the appointment of SALDEF Executive Director, Jasjit Singh to the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Singh will be the first Sikh to serve on the President’s Advisory Council. The Advisory Council brings together religious and secular leaders, as well as scholars and experts, in fields related to the work of faith-based and neighborhood organizations. The Council will advise the President on steps the government should take to reduce poverty and inequality and create opportunity for all, including changes in policies, programs, and practices that affect the delivery of services by faith-based and community organizations and the needs of low-income and other underserved persons. “I am honored to serve the President in this capacity and look forward to working with the Council to provide solutions to address inequalities in our society. This work is especially important to me as it speaks to values of my faith including service and equality,” said Jasjit Singh. “I want to thank the Sikh community in America and abroad for their support via phone, email and social media. It means a great deal to me, and SALDEF, to have the Khalsa Panth standing with me during this time!” SALDEF Conducts Sikh Awareness Training in MBTA Police Academy On October 6, SALDEF Northeast Regional Director, Jaswant Chani, conducted a Sikh awareness training—one of a series of ongoing Sikh awareness trainings—for 30 members of the Metropolitan Bay Transit Authority Police Academy (MBTA) in Quincy, MA. The three-hour training provided information on the Sikh faith and theology, as well as the challenges facing Sikh Americans. The presentation included the viewing of SALDEF’s training video On Common Ground. This is a continuation of the partnership that SALDEF has had with law enforcement and the TSA to train officers across the Northeast under SALDEF’s Law Enforcement Partnership Program (LEPP). Faith Counts Wants Sikh American Writers! 
Faith Counts—a not for profit, non-denominational, multi-faith organization whose mission is to explain how faith matters—wants writers who can share stories, photos, graphic designs or videos exemplifying the impact of faith, and how it changes lives and communities in a positive way. Simply register and contribute along with a network of journalists, editors, website producers and other content providers. Join their growing group of contributors and become a part of the team that makes faith count.