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.
SALDEF Expands Educational Forums Across the Country
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.
Forum designed to create proactive dialogue between government officials and Sikh American community Washington, DC, November 19, 2008 – The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) and the Sikh Society of Florida together have organized a Know Your Rights Forum for the Sikh American community of South Florida on Sunday, November 23, 2008. The following agencies will provide community members with critical information about combating employment discrimination, hate crimes, and school bullying: Nitza Wright – Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Mildred Duprey de Robles – U.S. Department of Justice; Marcos Regalado – Miami-Dade County Equal Opportunity Board; and, Randall Mullings – Broward County Public Schools. An invitation was extended to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to discuss the recruitment of Sikh Americans into the local police force. DATE: Sunday, November 23, 2008 TIME: 1:30 p – 2:30 p LOCATION: Sikh Society of Florida (16000 SW 60th Street, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33331) The Sikh American community must continue to build bridges of understanding with government agencies to ensure that we educate ourselves about our rights, educate our public servants about the Sikh religion, and bring Sikh Americans into the mainstream. This forum falls just one week after a highly successful event held in Indiana, where Sikh Americans have felt especially vulnerable to employment discrimination. For the past three years, SALDEF has organized over a dozen KYR Forums throughout the United States, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Texas, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, California, and Indiana. SALDEF urges all members of the Sikh American community to encourage their local sangat to host a SALDEF Know Rights Forum to make sure they understand their rights and build relationships with government leaders in their area. SALDEF would like to thank the management and community leaders of the Sikh Society of Florida, as well as the participating government agencies, for supporting and sponsoring this event. For additional information about this event, please contact Rajdeep Singh Jolly at legal@saldef.org or via phone at (202) 393-2700 Ext 131. PLEASE distribute this to your family, friends and at the local Gurdwara.
Washington, DC, November 13, 2008 – The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights organization in the United States, in conjunction with the Sikh Satsang of Indianapolis and the Gurdwara Shri Guru Hargobind Singh Sahib, have organized a Sikh American town hall meeting on Saturday November 15, 2008. SALDEF organized this town hall after learning that some Sikh American community members have considered leaving the State of Indiana for neighboring States where employers are perceived to be more welcoming of Sikh articles of faith. Members of the Sikh American community from Indiana are encouraged to attend this event with their children so that they may be informed about their civil rights and engage in ongoing dialogue and partnership with the government leaders who attend. The following agencies will be providing the community with critical information: * Daniel Harter – Regional Director; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) * Thomas Van Worme – Indiana Field Office; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Invitations have also been extended to the Indiana Department of Education, Indianapolis Police Department, Senator Evan Bayh, Senator Richard Lugar, and Congressman Dan Burton. DATE: Saturday, November 15, 2008 TIME: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm LOCATION: Sikh Satsang of Indianapolis 10950 Southeastern Avenue Indianapolis, Indiana 46239 These forums provide a unique opportunity for Sikh community members to learn about their rights and about protecting their families and our community from hate crimes, school bullying, and discrimination. The focus of these forums is to facilitate dialogue and partnership between the Sikh American sangat and our public servants. For the past three years, SALDEF has organized over a dozen Know Your Rights Forums in areas throughout the United States including in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Texas, Maryland, Virginia and California. SALDEF encourages all residents of the Indianapolis area to attend this important forum. SALDEF would like to thank the management and community leaders of the Sikh Satsang of Indianapolis and the Gurdwara Shri Guru Hargobind Singh Sahib for supporting and sponsoring this event as well as the participating government agencies. PLEASE distribute this to your family, friends and at the local gurdwara.
Washington, DC – November 11, 2008: For the past 13 years, SALDEF has been representing the interests of and defending the Sikh American community in Washington DC and across the nation. Since our founding as SMART (Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Taskforce), an all-volunteer organization, we have expanded into the oldest and largest Sikh American civil rights organization in the United States. This is only because of your support. DC Fund 08 To show our appreciation, on Sunday December 14, 2008 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm SALDEF has organized our 2008 Washington DC Area Community Fundraising Dinner at the Four Points Sheraton at 1201 K Street NW in DC. Get your tickets today! This event will be a time for friends of SALDEF to come together at a family-friendly event in order to strengthen SALDEF’s work and the community bonds that tie us all together. SALDEF is proud to announce – for the first time in our Nation’s Capital – our special guest, internationally renowned Sikh comedian, Bali Bhan, who has performed at some of the top comedy clubs in the United States At the event, you will hear about SALDEF’s 2008 achievements as well as our plans for 2009 and beyond including our plans for the development of the first National Center for Sikh American Civil Rights, here in the nation’s capital. Before November 30, tickets for Adults are only $50 and for Children/Students are only $20. Prices will increase after November 30, so be sure to get your tickets today! If your company wishes to become a sponsor of the event, please contact SALDEF National Director Rajbir Singh Datta at 202-393-2700 ext 127 or via email at 2008Dinner@saldef.org. Please forward this to your friends and family! REMINDER: Please make sure that you have taken 5 minutes to complete the National Sikh American Exit Poll!
Please join with friends and family to support SALDEF in defending the rights of Sikh Americans Featuring Special Guests Internationally Renowned Sikh Comedian Bali Bhan Musician and Baltimore-native Amrita Kaur Dang Four Points Sheraton 1201 K Street NW Washington DC 20005 Sunday, December 14, 2008 5:00p – 8:00p CLICK HERE FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES INDIVIDUAL TICKETS: Adults: $50 ($65 after November 30 ♦ $75 at the Door) Children 4 – 12 yrs: $20 ($25 after November 30 ♦ $30 at the Door)
Washington, DC: November 7, 2008 – As 2009 nears, now is the time to place your order for the New and improved Sikh Awareness Pocket Calendars. The calendars are a popular and easy-to-use tool to increase awareness about Sikhs and Sikhi in your local community. In their sixth year of production, the 2009 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 $10 plus shipping and handling fees. Order Your 2009 Pocket Calendars Today! The Pocket Calendars are a great way to introduce myself to my customers. They are a must have for all Sikh businesses.” -An Oregon Small Business Owner Get Your Calendars before the New Year Begins! 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, senior citizens centers, or public libraries. Sikhs across the nation have shared them with their friends, neighbors, customers, and local officials. SALDEF commends the Sikh American community for taking the initiative to inform their friends, co-workers, customers, and acquaintances about their culture and faith. To order the calendars and other SALDEF publications, please click here or email SALDEF at pubs@saldef.org.
Washington, DC – November 4, 2008: The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, urges the Sikh American community to make their voices heard on Election Day! SALDEF Exit Poll 2008 This year, SALDEF redesigned its Issues Page, which had a record number of hits in the past two months, to ensure that Sikh Americans from across the United States had all the information they needed about their polling locations. In addition, Sikhs from across the country hosted voter registration drives and posted record registration numbers this year! To ensure that our nation’s leaders hear the Sikh Voice, SALDEF has again unveiled its National Sikh American Exit Poll. This poll will help us document voting trends, party registration, and first-time voters based on geographic area. This poll will provide SALDEF with vital information about the demographics of the Sikh American community across the United States and assist in future advocacy efforts on behalf of the Sikh American community. “As a vocal minority, Sikh Americans must ensure that they turn out to vote on Tuesday,” said SALDEF National Director Rajbir Singh Datta. “We also must work towards ensuring that our elected officials understand what are the most important issues to the Sikh American community, and this Exit Poll is a necessary step in that direction.” Please spend 5 minutes to complete the Exit Poll and forward it to your friends and family urging them to take the poll!
SALDEF Regional Offices Spearhead Education Activities Washington, DC – October 17, 2008: Over the past several months, regional offices of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the nation’s oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization, have been organizing and spearheading efforts to educate non-Sikhs about Sikhism and to inform Sikhs about their rights in the United States. To continue and expand these efforts, we need your support TODAY! Your monthly donation will go a long way in ensuring the work to educate our neighbors, elected officials and community members keeps going strong. Camp Gian 2008 California: Los Angeles – SALDEF Western Regional Director Kavneet Singh and volunteer JaspreetSingh Sethi presented SALDEF’s bullying awareness presentation to roughly 80 Sikh children at the 10th Annual Camp Gian. The two 55-minute, interactive sessions engaged campers and encouraged them to remain confident in themselves while reaching out to parents and teachers for help. By understanding past incidents of school harassment, the children learned to recognize bullying, understood its origins, and identified appropriate action to take when bullying occurs. Rajdeep at Panel on Towelhead Hollywood – After SALDEF’s engagement with Warner Bros regarding the film ‘Towelhead,’ we have been moving swiftly to develop long-term relationships with producers, directors, actors, and studio executives to increase the number of Sikh Americans in the film industry. San Jose Gurdwara San Jose Just last week, SALDEF and the San Jose Gurdwara assisted in the rehabilitation of four youth assailants after multiple vandal attacks against a Sikh American family. Massachusetts: Boston – After continued engagement with local law enforcement across the state, SALDEF Regional Director Navjeet Singh convinced the Massachusetts State Police to issue the first-of-its-kind online training module to educate all 3,000 officers on Sikhism across the State. This follows another achievement when Navjeet and six volunteers, completed a year long campaign training all 3,000 officers Boston Police Department officers on Sikhism. Texas: Houston – For the past few years, SALDEF Regional Director Bobby Singh has been conducting quarterly Sikhism presentations for 40-50 new cadets at the Houston Police Department. New Jersey: SALDEF Regional Director Savraj Singh Dhanjal recently completed a bullying and harassment presentation for over 50 Sikh youths in New Jersey. The presentation (watch the abbreviated version) is designed to inform youth on what to do when faced with a bully and to increase their confidence. Oregon: SALDEF Regional Director Sat Hanuman Singh Khalsa has been spearheading ground-breaking training activities within TSA, local law enforcement, state police, and local legal experts on Sikhism and the challenge of Sikh Americans. His efforts have led government officials and schools to dramatically increase their desire to learn more about the community. With all of our national engagement and education efforts, the aforementioned local efforts are critical to the success of the Sikh American community. We must understand and reach our fellow Americans on the street in order to make a change in how Sikhs are perceived and treated. However, to continue our ground breaking efforts, we need your support TODAY! A monthly donation of just $25, $50 or $100 will help expand our education efforts to businesses, reach more schools and Gurdwaras, and train the next generation of Sikh youth leaders to engage their communities. To learn more about our Education Activities, please contact SALDEF at education@saldef.org Please distribute this widely to family, friends and at the local Gurdwara