S. Asian Groups Offer Civil Rights Recommendations

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.”

Forty years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the United States of America elected its first African-American president. According to an editorial published in The Wall Street Journal on the morning after Barack Obama’s historic election, “one promise of his victory is that perhaps we can put to rest the myth of racism as a barrier to achievement in this splendid country.” For Sikh Americans, the strength of that promise can be measured by the extent to which American voters are ready for a Sikh president. Will there be a Sikh American president in your lifetime? Since 1996, the staff and national volunteers of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) have worked tirelessly to promote and protect the civil rights of Sikh Americans through education and advocacy. Our mission is to promote a fostering environment for future generations of Sikh Americans so that they might someday aspire to become the first Sikh American President of the United States. The keys to achieving this dream are education and advocacy, but SALDEF cannot continue its work without your support. A donation of just $10 or $20 dollars a month will help ensure that SALDEF remains on stable financial ground in 2009 and beyond.
In 2008, the U.S. Department of Justice posted the SALDEF On Common Ground Sikh cultural awareness training video to its website. The video has been shown to over 43,000 TSA airport screeners nationwide and to innumerable state and federal law enforcement officials through SALDEF’s Law Enforcement Partnership Program (LEPP).
In 2008, SALDEF collaborated with a private school and public school district in California on anti-bullying programs to ensure that Sikh students are protected from bullying and allowed to learn without fear of being harassed.
In 2008, SALDEF was featured in a debate sponsored by Warner Brothers on the controversial film entitled Towelhead. SALDEF openly condemned the use of a racial slur as a film title and advocated for a more substantial representation of Sikh Americans in the U.S. film industry.

SALDEF in the News – 2008 In 2008, SALDEF brought Sikh American issues to the attention of several media outlets in the United States and countless internet blogs around the world. As a result, thousands of people have gained exposure to issues that are important to the Sikh American community:

Defending Civil Rights

Building Bridges

Will there be a Sikh American president in your lifetime? Is the work of SALDEF important to you? Do you have any recommendations for 2009 and beyond? Do you want SALDEF to organize an educational workshop in your community? Please send an email to legal@saldef.org to share your thoughts. It goes without saying that we cannot do this work without your support. If you believe in the cause of educating and advocating for the Sikh American community for generations to come, please consider making a modest monthly donation today.

Washington, DC: December 17, 2008 – For the past month, SALDEF has worked tirelessly to ensure that your voice is heard by the Obama/Biden Presidential Transition Team, a body of advisors that is responsible for making policy recommendations to the next administration. Why? Because we are committed to ensuring that the Obama/Biden administration addresses your concerns over the next four years. Obama/Biden We can only do this with your support – Donate $20 a month to allow us to continue and expand our work in 2009! Today SALDEF met with the Executive Director of the Presidential Transition Team—Chris Lu—as well as Advisory Board Member Sonal Shah, and several other senior members of the group to discuss the concerns and priorities of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. SALDEF was the only Sikh organization present. At the meeting, SALDEF discussed its Presidential Transition Memorandum. This document contains a list of priorities for the next administration on issues relevant to the Sikh American community. In preparation for the new Congress, SALDEF is in the process of drafting a longer, more in-depth report on the civil rights challenges facing the Sikh American community. This document, which will be sent to all 540 members of the United States Congress, will also detail SALDEF’s 2009-2013 Policy Priorities, the highest of which is removing the barrier to Sikh Americans serving in the United States Armed Forces. We can only do this with YOUR support. Consider donating $10, $20 or $30 a month to SALDEF for the next year to continue and expand our work and make sure that we can stand up for your rights and those of ALL Sikh Americans Make your voice heard today!

He promises diversity training and investigation into allegations of misconduct by deputies responding to a burglary at a family’s home By CINDY HORSWELL Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Sheriff-elect Adrian Garcia gets help adjusting a head covering he wore while addressing Sikh followers at the Sikh Center of Houston on Sunday. Harris County Sheriff-elect Adrian Garcia took off his shoes and put on a head covering to enter a Sikh temple Sunday, where he pledged to expand diversity training and investigate a complaint that deputies harassed a Sikh family whose home was burglarized last month. “It’s unfortunate that we’re getting to know each other under these circumstances,” said Garcia, addressing several hundred men in colorful turbans and women draped in bright flowing scarves, who sat separately on the floor of the Sikh Center of Houston. “When these type of circumstances occur, we all lose. The image of what should be American authority suffers.” He said he could not address specifics of the case until after he assumes office in January. Officials have said that the deputies could face anything from disciplinary action to termination. Ramandeep Singh, 28, an architect technician, called 911 on Nov. 26 when he discovered that his home in the 10800 block of Oak Bayou Lane had been burglarized. Jewelry and money was missing. Rather than investigate the burglary, a deputy focused on his turban and the small ceremonial knife, called a “kirpan,” his sister had sheathed on her hip, he said. After spotting the knife, a deputy pointed a taser at the woman’s head and called for backup. Deputies handcuffed four family members, including Singh’s mother. A supervisor arrived at the home and released everyone, blaming the incident on the deputy’s “youth,” Singh said. His sister, Kawaljeet Kaur, remains distraught. “Why were we detained and put through this humiliating experience and shown such disrespect? We were treated as criminals when we had just been victimized,” she said Sunday. The New York-based Sikh Coalition has called for a formal apology and firing of the four deputies involved. The deputies’ names have not been released, and Sheriff Tommy Thomas has declined comment. Bobby Singh, regional director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said Harris County deputies would benefit from training about the Sikh religion that he has helped provide for Houston police recruits for the past eight years. A monotheistic religion, the Sikh religion emerged about 500 years ago in Punjab, a state in India, by gurus who have sometimes been persecuted by some Muslims, church members said. With about 25 million followers, the religion preaches messages of honesty, equality and charity. Bobby Singh said he hopes sheriff-elect Garcia keeps his promise to change the culture of the Harris Country Sheriff’s Office. Garcia said the incident may be the result of “misunderstandings” caused by the fact that sheriff’s deputies do not have the training about the Sikh faith that Houston police do. He hopes to change that by expanding diversity training, creating an advisory committee composed of all the county’s diverse groups, recruiting Sikh police trainees, and arranging for Sikh families to host Houston police supervisors for dinner. He estimated that it would take one to three months to complete the investigation. cindy.horswell@chron.com http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6164783.html Houston Chronicle

Sheriff-elect to listen about alleged abuse by deputies By LINDSAY WISE Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Dec. 12, 2008, 11:23PM Sheriff-elect Adrian Garcia will meet with members of the local Sikh community on Sunday to listen to their concerns about allegations that Harris County deputies harassed a Sikh family last month. “I will be offering just a good ear,” said Garcia, who will take office in January. “I think that this is one of those roles that an elected official serves. We’ve got to always be ready to listen to any segment of the community when there’s concern and understand it.” Sheriff Tommy Thomas has yet to comment publicly or respond to a letter sent last week by the Sikh Coalition, based in New York, that called for his office to fire the four deputies involved and issue a formal apology to the family. “He feels it would be inappropriate, even for media purposes, to presumptively make comments regarding an ongoing investigation of sheriff’s office personnel,” said Sheriff’s Office spokesman John Legg. Members of the Sikh family have said they called 911 when their home in the 10800 block of Oak Bayou Lane was burglarized the night of Nov. 26. But instead of investigating the break-in, they said, the responding deputy became alarmed when he noticed one of the women wore a ceremonial knife sheathed on her hip. Symbol of faith Kawaljeet Kaur, 35, said she explained to the deputy that she wears the small, blunt Kirpan as a symbol of her faith and offered to leave the room. The deputy aimed his Taser at her and called for backup, she said. Matters got worse when other deputies arrived and began cursing and handcuffing family members, including Kaur and her 60-year-old mother, relatives said. One deputy reportedly asked if the family had “heard about the bombings in Bombay.” Another allegedly said he had been to Kuwait and “knew about Muslims.” Legg said the investigation into the deputies’ actions remains “a top priority” for the sheriff’s office. “We’re very disturbed by the allegations and if proven to be true there would be consequences,” he said. He declined to release the names of the deputies or any official records of the incident pending the probe’s outcome. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, misperceptions about Sikhs’ religiously mandated turbans and beards have led to an increase in discrimination and hate crimes. But the cultural diversity training required for sheriff’s deputies every few years does not include information about the Sikh religion, a monotheistic faith with more than 25 million followers worldwide. That could now change, said Legg, the sheriff’s spokesman. “That’s certainly a point of interest for us now in expanding our training to include other religions perhaps that we may have overlooked and that may have grown in population in our area,” he said. ‘Working together’ Earlier this week, the head of the Sheriff’s Internal Affairs Division, Lt. Dennis Field, met with the family members “and had an open dialogue,” Legg said. “It went very well and there was excellent progress made,” he said. “They were working together.” Kaur confirmed that her family had met with IAD officials and made arrangements to give formal statements to investigators. She and her relatives plan to attend the meeting with Garcia at the Sikh Center in west Houston on Sunday. The invitation for Garcia to visit the center came from longtime friend Bobby Singh, regional director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund. Singh said the family’s story shocked the Sikh community, locally and nationally. “I think people are outraged,” he said. “I think everyone in the community feels that we are law-abiding citizens.” Sikhs aren’t asking for preferential treatment, Singh said, “but I think that if this is what equates to serving and protecting, not only the Sikh community but the Harris County community at large should be very concerned. This is not what we deserve.” Garcia felt it was important to take a proactive step. “We need to make sure that our folks have the right training to understand the diverse community that Harris County is, and I think it starts with leadership and that’s why I’m making myself available,” he said. “But overall this is an opportunity to learn and obviously to do better than we have done in the past.” lindsay.wise@chron.com [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/6162789.html]

Houston, Texas : December 12, 2008 – Earlier this week, SALDEF Southern Regional Director Bobby Singh spoke with long-time friend and Harris County, Texas Sheriff-elect Adrian Garcia and invited him to attend a meeting at the Sikh Center of Houston on Sunday December 14, 2008. Harris County Organized in response to the bias-based harassment of a Sikh American family by Harris County police earlier this month, the meeting will be a critical opportunity for Sheriff-elect Garcia to address the concerns of the local Sikh American community and reassure them that he will enforce a policy of zero-tolerance for ethnic profiling and police brutality. What: Harris County Sheriff-Elect Elect Adrian Garcia to meet with the Sikh American Community Where: Sikh Center of Houston (8819 Praire Drive, Houston, Texas 77064) When: Sunday December 14, 2008 at 12:30pm Earlier this month, in the course of investigating the burglary of a Sikh American family’s home, Harris County police officials made suggestive remarks to the family about Muslims, terrorism and the Mumbai terrorist attacks. When the police officials noticed a family member wearing a kirpan, they pointed a taser gun at her head. Ultimately, police officials handcuffed multiple family members, including a sixty-year-old woman. SALDEF asks members of the community to sign the Sikh Coalition Petition to ensure that your voice is heard. SALDEF encourages all Houston- and Texas-based members of the Sikh American community to visit the Sikh Center of Houston this Sunday, December 14, 2008 to express their outrage about this incident and encourage greater partnership between police officials and the local Sikh American community. Please forward to your Sangat Members

Events in Indianapolis and Miami garner support from hundreds of community members December 10, 2008, Washington, DC – In November, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, organized Know Your Rights workshops for Sikh American communities in Indianapolis, Indiana and Miami, Florida. Miami KYR These groundbreaking educational forums featured presentations by representatives from several government agencies and nonprofit organizations, including the Equal Employment Employment Opportunity Commission; Department of Justice; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Immigrant Welcome Center of Indianapolis; Broward County Public Schools; and Miami-Dade County Equal Opportunity Board. Since 2005, SALDEF has organized Know Your Rights workshops for Sikh American communities in California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, 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. Indiana KYR Please ask your local Gurdwara to host a SALDEF Know Your Rights workshop, and please support the work of SALDEF. Your donation of 10 or 20 dollars a month will help SALDEF empower the Sikh community in 2009 and beyond. If you would like to organize a SALDEF Know Your Rights workshop for your community, or if you or children have experienced violence, discrimination, or bullying, please contact SALDEF immediately by email at info@saldef.org or via phone at 202-393-2700.

ROANOKE RAPIDS — Gary Khera found a place to welcome his donation. Khera, a Sikh whose attempt to help the Union Mission was turned down because he refused to take off his turban, will be cooking for a Dec. 18 foster child party, along with his wife, Gwendolyn. They have also agreed to adopt two elderly couples and take them shopping and donate food baskets to them. The donation plan came after discussions with Halifax County Social Services Director Mike Felt. “It was a positive meeting,” Felt said Tuesday. “It was very favorable. What we found was we hadn’t got many donations for food for foster children. It was entirely positive. We talked about a number of subjects. They were two very nice people. We seem to have a lot in common and that is to help people.” Khera also said the meeting was positive and he and his wife learned there will be 34 foster children at the annual party. “We asked what we could d for the foster kids,” Khera said Tuesday.  “My  wife will cook and we will be responsible for the food.” The discussion also led Khera to learn there were elderly people who needed help. “Some of them are lonely,” he said. “My wife and me are going to take two couples and put a food basket together. We’re going to take them shopping for Christmas.” Khera was impressed with Felt. “He was so very humble, he was so respectful.” The Union Mission Board of Directors has apparently not addressed the matter and its chairman, Jeff Holm, had no comment when reached yesterday. In a Nov. 20 e-mail — which was two days after Khera offered the donation —  to the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Rev. Ron Weeks, executive director of the Mission, said, “We are a Christ-centered ministry that has been serving our communities ‘in Jesus name’ from our own private facilities since 1951. We have a long-standing policy that is clearly displayed on our lobby door that all males are required to remove head gear. We feed meals every day and welcome the idea of others doing the same as our communities are certainly in need of more than we are able to do.” In the e-mail, Weeks continues, “Being supported totally by donations we don’t turn them away. Couldn’t his donation be used by the local Langar (a free kitchen) you speak of? I can think of several options; send it by another person, mail or Internet … donate to another charity.” Khera said the Union Mission has not offered an apology. He believes the faith-based Mission should change its head cover policy to reflect those worn for religious reasons. He would also like to see a workshop in the area so people can understand different religions. “We need to know to bring peace together so we don’t hurt anyone’s feelings and create more love,” Khera said. Lance Martin, Herald Senior Staff Writer http://www.rrdailyherald.com/articles/2008/11/28/news/doc493031e390245451129102.txt

Sikh American  Expelled from North Carolina Food Bank for Practicing his Faith; SALDEF Urges  Interfaith Groups to  Support Religious Freedom Washington, DC, November 20, 2008 – Yesterday, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) learned that Mr. Gurnam Singh Khera—a Sikh American—was expelled from a community center in North Carolina because he wore a Dastaar (Sikh turban) in accordance with his faith. The incident reportedly occurred at the Union Mission facility in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. Mr. Khera and his wife went to the facility to make a donation for a Thanksgiving Food Drive and expressed interest in sending their children to the facility during the Thanksgiving holidays to serve food to the needy. Upon entering the facility, Mr. Khera was told by a receptionist that “this is the United States” and that he needed to remove his Dastaar. When Mr. Khera attempted to explain the religious significance of the Dastaar, the receptionist refused to speak with him. When the Reverend in charge of the facility was summoned, Mr. Khera offered a handshake, but the Reverend reportedly refused to reciprocate and asked Mr. Khera and his wife to leave the facility, saying: “Go donate to some other place; we do not need your donations unless you remove your turban.” Every Sikh Gurdwara—place of worship—throughout the world has operated the Guru Ka Langar—free community kitchen—for more than five centuries. At each Guru Ka Langar, volunteers of all faiths serve free meals to all visitors, regardless of race, religion, gender, caste, or social standing.  In keeping with this tradition, Sikh Americans throughout the United States have routinely partnered with churches and other places of worship to feed the homeless and provide relief to victims of natural disasters. “We are profoundly offended that a community center would repudiate a Sikh American because of his religion and refuse his Thanksgiving donation,” said Rajbir Singh Datta, National Director of SALDEF. “Religious discrimination has no place in the United States, and we call upon Union Mission to issue a written apology to Mr. Khera and the entire Sikh American community and work with SALDEF on efforts to celebrate religious diversity in the cause of helping the less fortunate.” SALDEF urges you to contact the Union Mission of Roanoke Rapids to express your disappointment. We commend Mr. Gurnam Singh Khera for bringing this matter to our attention.  If you or your children experience discrimination, harassment, or violence because of your Sikh faith, please notify SALDEF at legal@saldef.org or via phone at (202) 393-2700.