SALDEF Advocate: SALDEF Speaks at Nation's Top Law Schools

1. SALDEF Speaks at Nation”s Top Law Schools
2. SALDEF Participates on Interfaith Panel at UC Berkeley
3. SALDEF Discussion on Warner Bros DVD
4. Get Your 2009 Sikh American Pocket Calendars Today
5. SALDEF Organizes Know Your Rights Forum in Atlanta
6. SALDEF Urges Oklahoma Senate to Support Religious Freedom
7. Upcoming Events

SALDEF Speaks at Nation”s Top Law Schools

On February 21, 2009, SALDEF participated in a panel discussion at Yale Law School at the 15th Annual Rebellious Lawyering Conference. Additionally, on February 12, 2009 SALDEF gave a presentation about its work to students and professors at the William & Mary Law School under the auspices of the Institute of Bill of Rights Law. The presentation featured a screening of On Common Ground, the law enforcement training video co-produced by SALDEF and the U.S. Department of Justice.

The discussion at Yale focused on the causes of hate crimes against East Asians, South Asians, and Middle Eastern Americans in recent decades. According to SALDEF Legal Director Rajdeep Singh Jolly, these challenges stem from, “a toxic mixture of xenophobia, Islamophobia, racism, and a powerful ignorance of the sort that relegates Arabs, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and South Asians to a single monochrome storage bin in the minds of the narrow-minded.” After recounting numerous examples of hate crimes and discrimination against Sikh Americans in recent years, SALDEF closed its presentation as follows:
“The progressive – and some might say rebellious – doctrine of the Sikh religion foreshadowed the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the women”s rights movement, and the American civil rights movement by several centuries. In principle, at least ideologically speaking, Sikhs may be the most Americans of Americans. How ironic then that they should be subjected to violence in a county whose highest ideals the Sikhs have for much longer considered their own.”

SALDEF Participates on Interfaith Panel at University of California – Berkeley

On February 12, SALDEF Managing Director Kavneet Singh was invited to sit on a panel at the University of California, Berkeley to discuss the Role of Faith in Times of Crisis. The program, which was held in conjunction with the campus” annual Interfaith Week, was sponsored by the Associated Student Bodty of UC Berkeley and designed to explore faith”s positive influence in supporting people during challenging times. Over twenty students participated in the interactive session with representatives from the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities. Mr. Singh spoke about the role of sangat (community) and seva (selfless service) in the Sikh tradition and how as a Sikh one is mandated to be engaged in giving back to their community.

SALDEF Discussion on Warner Bros DVD

Last fall, SALDEF objected to the use of the racial slur “towelhead” as the title of a Warner Bros motion picture.  Because the word has historically been used in a manner that has led to violence against Sikhs in the United States, SALDEF felt that mass-market saturation of the word was tasteless and offensive, especially because the underlying film had little to do with race and more to do with the graphic sexual exploitation of a teenage girl. Because of the controversy surrounding the word, SALDEF participated in a taped about the issue with Academy Award winning screenwriter Alan Ball—the film’s director—and Alicia Erian—the author of the book on which the film was based.  The discussion focused on racism, corporate social responsibility, and the absence of Sikhs in Hollywood, and is now included in its entirety on the DVD version of the film.

Reviews of the debate have been positive, and film fans around the country have written to SALDEF to express gratitude for clarifying the significance of the Sikh turban and the nature of the challenges faced by Sikhs in the post-9/11 environment.   According to one critic who reviewed the DVD version of the film:

Ironically enough, the DVD”s single special feature offers a lot more provocative and intelligent food for thought than the film proper, and those actually looking for the film suggested by the title will actually get the smart, deep dissection they were expecting. The 80-minute “Towelhead: A Community Discussion” is actually two separate panel discussions regarding the title. The first, lasting 30 minutes and moderated by Ball and featuring Bishil, Macdissi, and Hussam Ayloush of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) brings up a lot of thoughtful points about racial slurs and the role of minorities in the media, but that”s a mere warm-up for the main event, an impassioned discussion with Ball, Erian, and Rajdeep Singh Jolly, Legal Director of Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF). Jolly so eloquently attacks the issue of the title, its potential effects, and the judgment and responsibility of the entertainment industry that Ball and Erian often seem ill-equipped and at a loss for defenses.”

Get Your 2009 Sikh American Pocket Calendars

In their sixth year of production, the 2009 SALDEF pocket calendars have been fully redesigned to include updated full-color images of SIkh Americans along with more examples of core Sikh values and facts about Sikhs in the United States. On the back, the calendars have a 2009 calendar in a small, handt, easy-to-use design.   The calendars are available in packages of 100 for just $10 plus shipping and handling.  

SALDEF Organizes Know Your Rights Forum in Atlanta

On January 25, 2009, with the support of the Sikh Study Circle Inc, SALDEF conducted its latest Know Your Rights Forum. The Forum was attended by community members and representatives from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. Department of Justice, Georgia Department of Education, and the Atlanta Police Department.   Since 2005, SALDEF has organized Know Your Rights workships for Sikh American communities in California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and Texas. These educational forums not only allow Sikh Americans to learn about their rights and interact with government officials but also enable government agencies to learn about the Sikh religion and ongoing challenges faced by Sikh Americans, including hate crimes, employment discrimination, and school bullying.   To learn more about these educational forums or to organize one for your local community, contact SALDEF at education@saldef.org.

SALDEF Urges Oklahoma Senate to Protect Religious Freedom

On March 3, 2009, SALDEF issued a community advisory and petition about the passage of a bill (HB1645) in the Oklahoma House of Representatives that aims to “strictly prohibit” individuals from wearing “head scarves” and “head garments” in driver’s license photographs.  Because the legislation does not exempt religious headcoverings, the civil rights of observant Sikhs who wear dastaars (Sikh turbans) are in jeopardy. Observant Jews, Muslims, and Christians are also threatened, as are other individuals who are required to wear religious headcoverings.   SALDEF has alerted several federal agencies, members of Congress, civil rights organizations, and interfaith groups to the dangers posed by HB1645 and will continue to build opposition to the bill. Because of the media pressure applied by SALDEF and other organizations so far, Senator Roger Ballenger—one of the original sponsors of the legislation in the Oklahoma Senate—has withdrawn his support.  As a result, the bill faces an uncertain future in the Oklahoma Senate.

  • Please help us ensure that HB1645 is thoroughly rejected by contacting Senator Cliff Branan — Chairman of the Transportation Committee in the Oklahoma State Senate.  Encourage him to defend religious freedom for all Americans in Oklahoma. You can reach him by telephone at (405) 521-5543 or by email at branan@oksenate.gov.  Always be polite and respectful in your comments, but do emphasize that virtually every state in the country (including Oklahoma) and the federal government permit Sikh Americans to wear religious headcoverings in identification photographs.
  • Click here to watch local news coverage about HB1645, including a provocative explanation of the bill by one of its supporters — Rep. Wade Rousselot —who suggests that religious minorities should either abide by the rules of this country or forgo the privilege of a driver’s license.  Please contact Rep. Wade Rousselot and politely remind him that the rules of this country permit Sikh Americans to wear religious headcoverings in identification photographs.

SALDEF to conduct training for third largest Sheriff’s Office in the United States Washington DC, March 13, 2009 – Last Friday, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, conducted the first of several trainings for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the third largest law enforcement agency in the United States. SALDEF Southern Regional Director and Sikh American community leader Bobby Singh conducted a training for an incoming class of deputies in the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. The training is part of SALDEF’s Law Enforcement Partnership Program (LEPP), which has trained over 130,000 police officers since 2002. Mr. Singh has been engaged with annual trainings for law enforcement officials in Harris County since 1999. “We are proud of our partnership with SALDEF and the Sikh American community,” said Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia. “Collaboration with diverse community members fosters mutual respect and trust between law enforcement officers and the public and promotes safety for all.” “Through these trainings, we are hoping to develop a more welcoming environment for Sikh Americans in Houston,” said Mr. Singh. “It is only through true partnership and collaboration with our public servants that Sikhs in Harris County will be assured of their right to practice their faith freely.” Background This training effort is a response to community outrage stemming from a December 2008 incident where during the course of investigating the burglary of a Sikh American family’s home, a few Harris County officers allegedly made suggestive remarks to the family about Muslims, terrorism and the Mumbai terrorist attacks. When one of the deputies noticed a family member wearing a kirpan (religious sword), he allegedly pointed a taser gun at her head. Ultimately, police officials handcuffed multiple family members, including a sixty-year-old grandmother. Contact: Rajbir Singh Datta, 202-393-2700 ext 127, info@saldef.org

Proposed law will forbid Sikh turbans in driver’s license photos Washington DC; March 3, 2009— Earlier today, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, called upon members of the Oklahoma State Senate to prove that religious freedom will be protected in Oklahoma. This demand comes on the heels of the passage last night of legislation (H.B. 1645) in the Oklahoma House of Representatives that would “strictly prohibit” individuals from wearing “head scarves” and “head garments” in driver’s license photographs. Members of the House voted 88-8 in favor of the measure. Tell the Oklahoma Senate to Protect Religious Freedom! According to an editorial in a local newspaper, this legislation was introduced by Oklahoma Rep. Rex Duncan in response to news that a Muslim woman was allowed to wear a hijab in her driver’s license photo at her local Department of Motor Vehicles. Because the proposed law forbids all headcoverings, the religious rights of practicing Sikhs who wear their dastaars (Sikh turbans) are in serious jeopardy. Observant Jews, Muslims, and Christians are also affected, as are other individuals who are required to wear religious headcoverings. When SALDEF contacted Rep. Duncan on February 27, 2009 to express concern and elicit clarification about his motives, his office denied having knowledge of the issue. Now SALDEF is working alongside the ACLU of Oklahoma and other coalition partners to persuade the Oklahoma State Senate to ensure that a religious exemption is carved out of the proposed legislation. Sign SALDEF’s Petition and take action today! If the Oklahoma State Senate passes this legislation, and if the Governor of Oklahoma signs it into law, Oklahoma will lead the way backward—not forward—in the struggle for civil rights for all Americans. The impact on the Sikh American community of Oklahoma may be severe. “We look forward to educating Mr. Duncan and his colleagues about religious freedom,” said Rajdeep Singh Jolly, Legal Director of SALDEF. “We also call upon all religious communities, civil rights organizations, and concerned citizens throughout the nation to demand that the government of Oklahoma clarifies its commitment to protecting civil rights in the 21st century.” Sign SALDEF’s Petition and tell Oklahoma State Senator Roger Ballenger to show some courage and persuade his colleagues to support religious freedom for all Americans! If you want to voice your concerns by phone, you can reach the Senator at (405) 521-5588.

Washington DC; March 2, 2009 — In November 2008, SALDEF announced the availability of our 2009 Sikh American pocket calendars. Over the past three months, SALDEF has already distributed 15,000 English and 4,000 Spanish pocket calendars to communities across the United States. Make sure to while supplies last!

Since 2003, SALDEF has distributed over 300,000 pocket calendars to Sikhs across the United States and in communities in Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. In their sixth year of production, the 2009 calendars have been completely redesigned to include new full-color images of Sikh Americans, along with more examples of core Sikh values and facts about Sikhs in the United States. On the back, the calendars have a 2009 calendar in a small, handy, easy-to-use design.

Additionally, to help you reach out more effectively to your community, friends, and neighbors, Spanish language versions of the 2009 pocket calendars are also available.

The calendars are perfect for distribution at your workplace, schools, convenience stores, gas stations, patients, business partners, customers, senior citizen centers, public libraries, and schools and universities.

To order the Sikh American pocket calendars and other SALDEF publications, please click here or email SALDEF at pubs@saldef.org.

1. SALDEF Accepting Applications for 2009 Summer Internship Program 2. SALDEF Meets with the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General 3. SALDEF Meets with Congressional Leaders on the Opening of the 111th Congress 4. SALDEF Briefs Senate Democratic Leadership on Sikh American Concerns 5. ON SALE: 2009 Sikh American Pocket Calendars 6. SALDEF Conducts Training for Airport Security Officers in Connecticut 7. SALDEF Participates in Los Angeles Department of Homeland Security Roundtable Meeting 8. College Scholarship opportunity 9. Upcoming Events SALDEF Accepting Applications for 2009 Summer Internship Program The SALDEF Internship Program offers Sikh American youth an opportunity to be uniquely positioned to advocate for national policy issues on behalf of Sikhs. The program educates students on issues including, civil rights, public policy, women’s rights, national security and the legislative process. Interns will gain hands-on experience in community organizing, research, writing, legal issues affecting the community, political action, and educational outreach. Current opportunities available include: Legal, Legislative, Communications and Development internships. Click here for more information. SALDEF Meets with the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General On December 17, 2008 SALDEF Eastern Regional Director Savraj Singh, met with Gurpreet Singh, Chief of Staff of the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General and others, to discuss concerns regarding an increase in hate and bias acts against South Asians. A coalition of organizations spearheaded by Qudsia Raja of SAALT (South Asian Americans Leading Together) pressed the AG’s office to take proactive steps to better report and document incidents of hate crimes, educate law enforcement on South Asian communities, and protect children from bullying and harassment in schools. SALDEF will continue to work diligently on behalf of the Sikh American community in New Jersey. If you believe you have been the victim of a bias attack, please contact SALDEF at legal@saldef.org or 202-393-2700. SALDEF Meets with Congressional Leaders on the Opening of the 111th Congress On January 7, 2009 SALDEF met with Members of Congress and their staff marking the opening on the 111th Congress. The event was a time to meet-and-greet with Members of Congress and their staff to develop and strengthen relationships that will enable SALDEF to further advocate on behalf of the Sikh American community. SALDEF Briefs Senate Democratic Leadership on Sikh American Concerns On January 7, 2009 SALDEF met with the Senate Democratic Leadership and their senior staff to inform them of the national concerns of the Sikh American community. This meeting is part of SALDEF’s ongoing effort to ensure that the Sikh American community has a strong voice in the halls of Congress and is holding our elected officials accountable. Among the issues that SALDEF discussed were, amending of the U.S. Military policy denying Sikh Americans the right to serve in the Armed Services, passing of hate crime and religious freedom legislation, as well as the need for the Senate Leadership to commit to meeting with various members of the religious community in the United States. ON SALE: 2009 Sikh American Pocket Calendars 2009 Pocket Calendars – 2009 In their sixth year of production, the 2009 SALDEF pocket calendars have been fully redesigned to include updated full-color images of Sikh Americans, along with more examples of core Sikh values and facts about Sikhs in the United States. On the back, the calendars have a 2009 calendar in a small, handy, easy-to-use design. The calendars are available in packages of 100 for just $10 plus shipping and handling fees. Order Your 2009 Pocket Calendars Today! SALDEF Conducts Training for Airport Security Officers in Connecticut On January 21, 2009 SALDEF New England Regional Director Navjeet Singh conducted a Sikhism 101 cultural awareness training for Transportation Security Administration officials in Connecticut as part of SALDEF’s Law Enforcement Partnership Program. Over 120 people attended the session including, Transportation Security Officers from Hartford, CT’s Bradley Airport and from Providence, RI’s Green Airport, representatives of the Connecticut State Police, and airport-based ground staff representing United Airlines, Air Canada, and Continental Airlines. Local community leader, and elected school board representative, S. Amarjit Singh Buttar, also attended the training and is working with SALDEF to organize additional presentations in the future. Click here for more information SALDEF Participates in Los Angeles Department Homeland Security Roundtable Meeting On January 27, 2009 SALDEF Volunteer Attorney Anudeep Kaur Singh participated in the quarterly DHS roundtable meeting in Los Angeles. The DHS roundtable was created in 2008 as part of an effort to increase communication between the government and local community organizations. The meeting focused on the progress made as a result of the roundtable meetingin 2008 and goals for the upcoming 2009 year. Some achievements made in 2008 included more religious training for local law enforcement, the Los Angeles youth roundtable, and increased awareness of TSA screening procedures. Goals for 2009 include community outreach at local gurdwaras, a youth national summit, and significantly more training programs for federal officials. Additionally, DHS made several informative presentations at the meeting, including what to expect during the transition period to the Obama administration, as well as information about the new US-VISIT program which requires additional non-US citizens to provide digital fingerprints and a photograph upon entry into the US (more information about US-VISIT can be found at here). College Scholarship Opportunity The National Association for Asian and Pacific American Education (NAAPAE) invites high school seniors, and college juniors and seniors to participate in its scholarship program. In the spring, NAAPAE will award up to two $500 scholarships to high school seniors and up to two $1,000 scholarships to college junior/seniors. The recipients will be students who meet the following qualifications: (A) are of Asian or Pacific Islander (API) descent; (B) are actively involved in extracurricular activities in school; (C) have outstanding academic records; and (D) are young leaders who show concern and commitment to Asian/Pacific Islander communities. Scholarship recipients must be citizens of the United States or Canada or be resident aliens. To apply, click here Upcoming Events * Meeting with Tina Tchen, Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison – Washington, DC March 2, 2008 * Meeting with United States Attorney – District of Columbia – Washington, DC March 5, 2008 * Director of National Intelligence Heritage Community Liaison Meeting – Fairfax, VA March 6, 2009 * Presentation to Columbia Union College – Takoma Park, Maryland March 25, 2009 * National Partner Meeting with the Census Bureau – Washington, DC March 30, 2009 * SALDEF 2009 National Civil Rights Awards Gala – Los Angeles, CA May 2, 2009 * Presentation to Johns Hopkins University – Baltmore, MD May 15, 2009

Discussions at William & Mary and Yale to Create Awareness about Sikh Religion and Post-9/11 Challenges to Sikh Americans

Washington DC; February 11, 2009 – The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, will introduce its work to students, faculty, and legal practitioners at William & Mary Law School and Yale Law School this month.

The presentation at William & Mary Law School—the oldest law school in the United States—will be delivered on February 12, 2009 under the auspices of the Institute of Bill of Rights Law and will focus on contemporary challenges facing Sikh Americans (particularly hate crimes and discrimination) and strategies that lawyers and policy advocates can use to address these issues. The presentation will include a screening of On Common Ground, the law enforcement training video on Sikh cultural awareness co-produced by SALDEF and the U.S. Department of Justice. In addition, SALDEF will discuss its scholarship on the non-accommodation of Sikh Americans in the U.S. Armed Forces.

The presentation at Yale—the top-ranked law school in the United States, according to U.S. News and World Report—will be delivered on February 21, 2009 in the context of a panel discussion at the 15 Annual Rebellious Lawyering Conference, one of the largest student-run public interest conferences in the nation. The discussion will focus on the causes of hate crimes against East Asian, South Asian and Middle Eastern Americans in recent decades.

“Most people in the United States know nothing about Sikhs, and the legal community is largely unfamiliar with the Sikh religion and the unique legal challenges that we face,” said Rajdeep Singh Jolly, Legal Director of SALDEF. “By introducing ourselves to future lawyers and judges and legislators at these conferences, SALDEF is taking a proactive step toward building alliances in the cause of ending hate crimes and discrimination against Sikh Americans.”

If you would like SALDEF to make a presentation about the Sikh religion and Sikh American civil rights issues to your college, law school, or graduate school, please contact Rajdeep Singh Jolly via email at legal@saldef.org or by phone at (202) 393-2700 Ext 131.

1. SALDEF Encourages Senate Confirmation of Attorney General Nominee
2. SALDEF Recognized for Work on Behalf of the Sikh American Community
3. SALDEF Accepting Applications for 2009 Internship Program
4. SALDEF Advises Obama/Biden Presidential Transition Team on Civil Rights Concerns
5. SALDEF Meets with Senate Democratic Leadership
6. SALDEF Pressures Justice Department and FBI on New Intrusive Investigative Guidelines
7. SALDEF Participates in Department of Homeland Security Roundtable
8. SALDEF Conducts Cultural Awareness Training for Counterterrorism Agents
9. Bezos Scholars Program at the Aspen Institute Seeks Entries for High School Juniors

SALDEF Encourages Senate Confirmation of Attorney General Nominee Eric Holder

Over the past eight years, SALDEF has been at the forefront of fighting against many of the civil rights and civil liberty abuses that occurred as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. These include the illegal detention of American citizens after the attacks without cause or right to counsel, the torturing of detainees, infringement upon the privacy of Americans, and the politicization of the United States Department of Justice, including the Civil Rights Division.

US Attorney General Nominee Eric Holder has been a steadfast advocate of the United States Constitution and an individual of indelible character. When he was a United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, he started the first Bias Crimes Task Force which established a federal, state, local, and community-based partnership to combat hate crimes and bias in the community. Similar partnerships have been developed in dozens of cities across the United States using this exact model.

SALDEF encourages the United States Senate to confirm US Attorney General Nominee Eric Holder so that he may begin providing independent leadership on many of the difficult policy and management decisions that have plagued the Justice Department for the past eight years.

Please contact your Senator at (202) 224-3121 and encourage them to “Support, without delay, Eric Holder”s confirmation for United States Attorney General.”

SALDEF Recognized for Work on Behalf of Sikh American Community

On December 25, 2008 at the annual Darbar-E-Khalsa in Southern California, celebrating the Gurpurab of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, SALDEF was recognized by the International Institute of Gurmat Studies (IIGS) with their Sikh Rights Advocacy Award. The award was presented to SALDEF at a gathering of thousands of Sikhs from across California and the Western United States, “in appreciation and recognition of distinguished service to the Sikh Community of the USA, by protecting the civil rights of Sikh Americans and fighting against cases of hate crimes and discrimination against them.” SALDEF would like to thank IIGS for this tremendous honor and congratulate them on the success of this annual event.

SALDEF Accepting Applications for 2009 Summer Internship Program

Intern with SALDEF
The SALDEF Internship Program offers Sikh American youth an opportunity to be uniquely positioned to advocate for national policy issues on behalf of Sikhs. The program educates students on issues of civil rights, public policy and the legislative process. Students will gain hands-on experience in community organizing, research, writing, legal issues affecting the community, political action, and educational outreach. Current opportunities available include: Legal Research, Legislative, Communications and Development Interns.

Click here for more information.

SALDEF Advises Obama/Biden Presidential Transition Team on Civil Rights Concerns

December 18, 2008: SALDEF Legal Director Rajdeep Singh Jolly met with transition group members to discuss post 9/11 policy and legislative concerns. The meeting was coordinated by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) and was attended by representatives of other local and national organizations.

December 17, 2008: SALDEF was the sole Sikh American community representative at the National Asian American and Pacific Islander Leaders meeting to discuss with Transition Advisory Board Members and Senior Staff, the concerns of the Sikh American community. Additionally, SALDEF discussed and delivered its Presidential Transition Memorandum to the Transition Team. A brief summary video on the meeting, which was produced by the Obama/Biden Administration, can be found here.

December 15, 2008 : SALDEF met with Transition Team members to discuss the 2010 Census. SALDEF advocated for a more robust and inclusive outreach efforts to the Sikh and South Asian American communities. The Census is a critical government program that ensures segments of the population are counted correctly. The data provided by the Census can be used to enhance the long term advocacy and political representation of Sikhs in the United States.

December 15, 2008 : SALDEF, the only Sikh American organization advocating for national legislation to combat hate crimes, met with Transition Team members to ensure that national hate crime legislation and combating bias attacks is a top priority for the new Administration. SALDEF was able to confirm that preventing hate crimes and hate crime legislation would be top priorities for the incoming Obama Administration.

December 8, 2008: SALDEF met with the Civil Rights Task Force of the Transition Team on efforts to combat racial profiling of Sikh Americans in a variety of contexts. SALDEF advocated for the Transportation Security Agency to institute ethnic and racial data collection efforts, passage of the End Racial Profiling Act, and amendments to the Justice Department Racial profiling Guidelines and the Mukasey FBI Investigative Guidelines.

SALDEF Meets with Senate Democratic Leadership

On December 16, 2008, SALDEF met with the U.S. Senate Democratic Leadership and Committee members to inform them of the national priorities of the Sikh American community. This meeting is part of SALDEF’s ongoing effort to ensure that the Sikh American community has a strong voice in the halls of Congress and to hold our elected officials accountable to the community. SALDEF discussed U.S. Military policy that denies Sikh Americans the right to serve in the Armed Services, hate crime and religious freedom legislation, and the need for Senate Leadership to commit to meeting with various members of the religious community in the United States on a recurring basis.

SALDEF Pressures Justice Department and FBI on New Intrusive Investigative Guidelines

True to our mission as the only national Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization, SALDEF provides a Sikh American voice to many of the critical civil rights challenges our nation faces, including holding the Justice Department accountable when it oversteps its bounds by changing decades of proper investigative techniques.

SALDEF has been engaged in high-level and confidential discussions about the Attorney General Mukasey Guidelines which allowed for increased intrusive investigative techniques for non-criminal behavior. SALDEF worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to review and provide comments to the Domestic Investigative Operations Guidelines (DIOG) and to ensure that civil liberties are protected and the U.S. Constitution is defended.

SALDEF Participates in Homeland Security RoundTable

SALDEF Managing Director Kavneet Singh participated on a panel at the Department of Homeland Security”s Youth Roundtable on November 12, 2008 in Los Angeles, CA. Joining Mr. Singh on the panel was Ms. Fatima Rahmatullah of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. The panel was meant to highlight the role of the Media and Hollywood and the challenges and opportunities it poses for members of the Sikh, Arab, Muslim and South Asian American communities. The panel also discussed examples of positive and negative images in mainstream media, and how youth leaders can work to achieving the ends they would like to see.

SALDEF Conducts Cultural Awareness Training for Counterterrorism Agents

SALDEF-DOJ Partnership

Bezos Scholas Program at the Aspen Institute Seeks Entries for High School Juniors

The Bezos Scholars Program at the Aspen Institute, a collaboration between the Bezos Family Foundation and the Aspen Institute, is designed to bring together twelve of the United States” top high school juniors to engage in seminars and informal meetings with the international leaders, thinkers, and creative artists who participate in the annual Aspen Ideas Festival (June 30 – July 6, 2009).

The program provides the participating juniors with seven-day, all-expense-paid scholarships to attend the festival. An educator from each student”s school also will be awarded a full scholarship, thereby offering a unique leadership development opportunity for students and educators. At the Aspen Ideas Festival, the scholars have opportunities to speak one-on-one with world leaders, global thinkers, and acclaimed entertainers. Past scholars have met with inventor Dean Kamen, Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O”Connor, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and President Bill Clinton, among others. Following their time in Aspen, the Student Scholar/Educator Scholar teams will return home and apply for $1,000 School Award Grants to use in creating local Ideas Festivals in their schools.

Washington, DC, January 16, 2009 –The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), in cooperation with the Sikh Study Circle Inc. Gurdwara and the Sikh American Association for a Better Tomorrow (SAABT), will be organizing a Know Your Rights (KYR) Forum for the Sikh American community of Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday, January 25, 2009. The following government agencies and representatives will provide community members with important information about employment discrimination, hate crimes, school bullying, and partnership opportunities with local law enforcement officials: Mr. John Fitzgerald Deputy Director – U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Atlanta District Office) Mr. Thomas Battles Regional Director – U.S. Department of Justice, Community Relations Service Dr. Garry McGiboney Associate State Superintendent – Innovative Instruction Division, Georgia Department of Education Major Lane A. Hagin Atlanta Police Department – Office of Professional Standards Date: Sunday, January 25, 2009 Time: 3:00pm – 4:30pm Place: SSCI Gurdwara, 1821 South Hairston Road, Stone Mountain, GA 30088 The Sikh American community must continue to build bridges of understanding with government agencies to ensure that we educate ourselves about our rights and also educate our public servants about the Sikh religion and the challenges that we face as Sikh Americans.  Since 2002, SALDEF has organized numerous educational workshops for Sikh American communities in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. SALDEF would like to thank the management of the SSCI Gurdwara, SAABT and leaders of the local Sikh American community as well as the participating government agencies for their support. For additional information about this event, or if you would like to organize a Know Your Rights Forum for your local community, please contact Rajdeep Singh Jolly by email at legal@saldef.org or via phone at 202.393.2700 ext. 131

By SUNITA SOHRABJI

Three prominent South Asian organizations have made policy recommendations on civil rights and immigration to members of President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team. The organizations include South Asian Americans Leading Together, which made policy recommendations on behalf of its national coalition of 35 organizations; the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund; and the Discrimination and National Security Initiative, which examines the treatment of minority communities in the U.S., particularly Muslim Americans post-9/11. “We wanted to make sure our community had a seat at the table,” Deepa Iyer, executive director of SAALT, told India-West. SAALT, along with several national Asian American organizations, was invited to a series of meetings with Obama’s transition team, to discuss civil rights and immigration issues. SAALT then initiated a meeting with members of the civil rights transition team to put forth some recommendations. “All the meetings we went to were very productive,” said Iyer, adding, “The team was very open to hearing about the issues and the openness of the dialogue was very positive.” The administration might immediately put through some fixes, including regulatory changes and a rollback of some of the federal policies of the past eight years, independent of the congressional process, said Iyer, adding that there was a good chance some fixes might be implemented within the first 100 days of the new administration. SAALT will meet again with the new administration in February. Among SAALT’s recommendations were the vigorous enforcement of hate crime and discrimination laws, including workplace and school discrimination, and the disaggregation of data related to such incidents; a ban on racial profiling; and a rollback of some post-9/11 national security initiatives. The incoming administration’s Web site, at www.change.gov, pledges to address both racial profiling and hate crimes. SAALT also addressed immigration reform, recommending pathways to legalization and citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and expanding the H-1B and H-2B employment visa programs. SAALT also asked the administration to roll back policies targeting Muslims and Arab Americans in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. Civil rights attorney Dawinder “Dave” Sidhu, founder of the DNSI, also expressed hopefulness on the new administration’s interest in civil rights issues. “We’re very optimistic that the Obama administration will act consistently with the broad constitutional themes outlined in our recommendations,” he told India-West. The DNSI’s recommendations included issuing directives to security and intelligence forces to prohibit racial or religious profiling in national security decisions; greater federal protection against hate crimes; and examining policy on the treatment of Muslim detainees post 9/11. DNSI, along with the Sikh Coalition, recently wrote an amicus brief to the Supreme Court to support the case of Javaid Iqbal, a Pakistani native, who along with 1,000 New York-area Muslims, was jailed without charges, and held at a special facility for more than two years, following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Iqbal — who is suing former Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller III — has alleged that he was subjected to daily torture at the Federal Bureau of Prison’s most restrictive type of facility. The DNSI has also recommended establishing a Muslim “brain trust” to determine how the Muslim world is impacted by American action. “One of the disappointing aspects of the present administration is that it has not fully appreciated the manner in which its words and actions were received in the Muslim world,” said Sidhu, adding that the U.S.’s international conduct may be perceived as “emasculating Muslim sovereignty,” thereby generating anti-American sentiment. The DNSI has proposed a “brain trust” within the State Department or a policy working group that is aware of Islamic history, culture and religious beliefs. SALDEF’s recommendations included a review of policy related to turbans and beards in U.S. military forces. Sikh Americans have effectively been excluded from the U.S. armed forces, because turbans and beards were prohibited in the military since 1981. “Military involvement exudes patriotism, and a love of the country,” Rajbir Singh Datta, executive director of SALDEF, told India-West. “Military involvement says ‘we are Americans, we are patriotic, we are just like you.’” The organization plans to make this issue its top priority with the incoming administration, said Datta, adding that there is a lot of support in Congress for a revision of policy. Datta also stated his optimism for the new administration, especially the choice of Eric Holder, who will be the nation’s first African-American attorney general, when confirmed. Holder has a long record on civil rights issues, said Datta. SALDEF also proposed that the new administration increase staff at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which hears cases related to workplace discrimination, and has increased its caseload by 68 percent over the past decade. It also made recommendations regarding the Transportation Security Administration, including collecting racial and ethnic data of passengers who are singled out for secondary screenings at airports. Sikh American organizations contend that turbaned and bearded passengers are almost always targeted for secondary screenings. In related news, SAALT is hosting a special inaugural weekend reception Jan. 18, 7 p.m. at K&L Gates in Washington D.C. More information about the event is available at SAALT’s Web site and on its Facebook page. The Indian American Leadership Initiative is also hosting an inauguration cocktail reception Jan. 19 at the EyeBar; information about the event is on IALI’s Facebook page. [http://www.indiawest.com/readmore.aspx?id=773&sid=1] India West

National civil rights organization and International testing company develop close working relationship Washington D.C. – January 7, 2009: The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, is collaborating with Pearson VUE, the international computer-based testing business of Pearson VUE, to increase diversity awareness and service to minority communities. In a mutual effort to increase understanding of minority communities in the United States and abroad, SALDEF is working with Pearson VUE to disseminate information about Sikhs and Sikh American cultural practices. Additionally, SALDEF will be invited to conduct Sikhism 101 trainings for Pearson VUE employees at regional seminars Pearson VUE will host across the United States. In follow up to discussions with SALDEF, Pearson VUE reaffirms its support of Sikh patrons choosing to maintain religious accoutrements such as the daastar (turban) and kara (steel bracelet). Additionally, Pearson VUE and SALDEF acknowledged that Sikhs may undergo further scrutiny due to their kirpan (religious sword). As a result, an understanding was developed and adopted by Pearson VUE to foster an appreciation of Sikh cultural practices. “The communication and equal partnership between SALDEF and Pearson VUE is unmatched by any other company in the United States.” said SALDEF National Director Rajbir Singh Datta. “The more Corporate America works with members of minority communities, the better their services will be received and the more aware society will become about the issues facing these communities. We look forward to working with Pearson VUE in the future and providing ongoing training and information on Sikhs and Sikhism.”