Washington, DC – The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) and the management of the Guru Nanak Foundation of American (GNFA) have invited several government officials to participate at a community forum this Saturday, January 28, 2006. The Sikh American community is encouraged to attend this event with their children so that they may be informed about their civil rights. The following representatives will be attending the forum: Eric Treene — Special Counsel, Department of Justice Office for Civil Rights Bruce Friedman — Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Shaarik Zafar – Counsel for Post 9/11 National Origin Discrimination, Department of Justice Office of Special Counsel These forums provide a unique opportunity for Sikh community member to learn about their rights, and protecting their families and our community from hate crimes and harassment. The focus of these forums is to bring to the sangat, the individuals who are responsible for litigating egregious cases of religious and national origin discrimination for a meaningful face-to-face interaction. In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the founding of SALDEF/SMART, SALDEF will be organizing similar events across the country. SALDEF encourages all residents of the Mid-Atlantic area to attend. We thank the management and community members of the Guru Nanak Foundation of America for supporting and co-sponsoring this event. DATE: 1/28/2006 BEGINNING TIME: 4:30 PM END TIME: 6:00 PM LOCATION: Guru Nanak Foundation of America (GNFA) 12917 Old Columbia Pike Silver Springs, Maryland 20904
Know Your Rights Forum Held at Guru Nanak Foundation of America (GNFA), Silver Spring, MD
Washington, DC – The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) alarmed by the current campaign associating the wearing of a turban and Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) with terrorism. SALDEF, ADC and over 100 national and local organizations (see full list below) are strongly opposed to a recent flyer campaign launched by the Nutritional Health Alliance (NHA) depicting Senator Durbin wearing a turban with the words, “Keep Congressional Terrorism at Bay.” “ While we are aware of legitimate political differences in the debate on supplement regulation, the flyer produced by the NHA transgresses the boundaries of both legitimate and civil political discourse. The flyer serves as nothing more than hatemongering and uses stereotypes to support its point of view. We are disappointed that NHA would be engaged in the production of such a racist flyer that serves to perpetuate an increased environment of prejudice and hate against the Sikh, Muslim and Arab American communities . The flyer, which can be viewed here, makes an explicitly false correlation between individuals who wear turbans and terrorism or terrorist activities. It also attacks Senator Durbin and associates him with terrorism. The turban is a mandatory article of faith for the Sikh community. Adherents of the Sikh faith are required by their religion to keep uncut hair and cover their head with a turban. Additionally, many Muslims and Arabs wear turbans for cultural reasons. The turban is a sign of respect, dignity and humility and should not be associated with terrorism or terrorist activity. SALDEF, ADC and the other cosponsors urge the NHA to remove the flyer from any further distribution immediately. We further ask that a public apology be made and posted on the NHA’s website. Legitimate public debate must not be tainted with images that continue to create a dangerous environment of xenophobia and hate against innocent Sikh, Muslim, Arab and South Asian Americans. Click here to read the letter to the Nutritional Health Alliance Click here to read the letter to Senator Durbin
SALDEF Contacts Law Enforcement Officials Demanding Swift and Thorough Action Washington, DC – On December 22, 2005, the members of Guru Angad Darbar Gurdwara (place of congregational worship), located in Bakersfield, CA, awoke to find two pig heads thrown in front of the Gurdwara. Additionally, a week and a half prior to this incident, eggs were thrown at the Gurdwara building as well. These unfortunate incidents are not an uncommon experience for Sikhs across the country. Three days later on Christmas morning, a Sikh American cab driver, Gurpartap Singh of El Sobrante, was fatally shot as he dropped off his fare in Richmond, CA. The tragic shooting of this innocent Sikh is unfortunately not the first incident of its kind in the East Bay. On July 2, 2003 a 23 year old gentleman, Gurpreet Singh, was also murdered as he drove his taxicab. Additionally, on July 5, 2003 another Sikh man, Inderjit Singh was shot at point blank range while picking up a fare in a similar location to the shooting of Gupreet Singh just three days earlier. Following those incidents in 2003, The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), worked with local law enforcement and civic officials to address the concerns of the Sikh community and the cab drivers. On December 30, 2005, SALDEF spoke with Bakersfield Police Chief Bill Rector about the case and received a progress update on the investigation. The Bakersfield PD has taken this case very seriously, and besides having some strong leads in the case, they also are ensuring that they investigate thoroughly to determine a motive. Additionally, SALDEF has contacted the Police Chief, Mayor and City Attorney of Richmond to express our outrage at the incident and to insure that a full investigation is conducted to ensure what if motive of the crime was indeed bias related. These incidents, along with many other violent crimes against Sikhs in the Bay Area, have caused significant distress and increased a sense of concern among the Sikh community in regards to the safety of themselves and their families. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, Sikh Americans have a tremendous increase in hate crimes. FBI statistics show that the number of post-9/11 hate crimes increased three fold from 2001 to 2004. Sikh American Cab drivers and convenience store clerks are particularly vulnerable due to their heightened exposure and high-risk employment. SALDEF offers our condolences to the family of Gurpartap Singh and ask that the entire Sikh American community keep them in your prayers, especially during the holiday season. Additionally, a trust is being set up for Sukhvinder Kaur – Gurpratap Singhs’ widow. While specifics are not yet available, anyone interested in donating to this fund should contact SALDEF at: info@saldef.org to do so. If you or anyone you know becomes the victim of a hate incident, please report it immediately to SALDEF at: info@saldef.org or by reporting it on our website. SALDEF has strong working relationships with law enforcement agencies across the nation and will ensure that the appropriate agency is notified of the incident. You can also contact SALDEF at 202-393-2700. To help the community better respond to an incident, SALDEF has developed the Know What To Do Guide; a handy pocket guide that details the steps that should be taken in the event of a hate crime, discrimination in the workplace, or racial profiling, and states your rights as an airline passenger. Please print and distribute the pocket guide at your local Gurdwara, as well as to your local community, family and friends. To order the pocket guides from SALDEF, please send an email to: education@saldef.org.
At its 25 Year Anniversary Celebrations, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), recognized SALDEF at its Annual Conference event held in Washington, DC with its Excellence in Civic Advocacy Award. ADC presents this award to a civil rights organization that has done exemplary and consistent work for their community. SALDEF is the first Sikh American organization to ever be honored by such a prominent national civil rights and advocacy organization. The award was presented to SALDEF at a gathering of over 600 guests. R. Alexander Acosta, former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, and recently appointed as U.S. Attorney for Miami, Florida was also honored for his continued dedication to civil rights. Daniel Sutherland, Director – Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, US Department of Homeland Security was the keynote speaker at the event.
Washington, DC – The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) participated in the National Day of Prayer at the White House today. The event, hosted by President George W. Bush, was attended by SALDEF Vice Chair Manjit Singh and religious leaders of many different faiths from across the U.S. “It was an honor to be invited to this annual event hosted by the President. The presence of a Sikh American illustrates a commitment to religious diversity,” stated Singh. “By attending such events, we hope government officials at the highest level are gaining a better understanding of Sikh Americans and the contributions our community has been making to this nation for over a century.” The National Day of Prayer is an annual event established in 1952 by an Act of the United States Congress. Every president in the last fifty years has hosted the event with religious leaders.
Washington, DC — On Saturday, April 16, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) presented the inaugural Dalip Singh Saund Excellence in Public Service Award to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Justice, R. Alexander Acosta. The award was presented at a SALDEF-sponsored concert at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC with the critically-acclaimed Dya Singh World Music Group from Australia. The concert and the award presentation were attended by over 100 Sikh and non-Sikh community members. “We are very pleased with the support that the community has provided SALDEF for almost ten years and wanted to celebrate with an evening of music and reflection,” said SALDEF Chair Gagandeep Kaur. “We are also proud to honor Mr. Acosta with this inaugural public service award because his staff has done tremendous outreach to the Sikh American community and responded so well to our concerns.” In his acceptance comments Mr. Acosta said: “SALDEF and the Civil Rights Division have worked together many times in the past several years. I am humbled and honored by your presentation tonight.” With Mr. Acosta’s support and SALDEF’s initiative, the DOJ was able to produce an excellent and much-needed poster titled Common Sikh American Head Coverings to present accurate information to government officials. Mr. Acosta also commended SALDEF’s Board, staff and volunteers for “everything that you do for the Sikh community through the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund.” Furthermore, with SALDEF’s assistance Mr. Acosta and his staff have visited with the Sikh American community and attended Gurdwara events all over the country over the last eight months. In fact, on Sunday, April 17, Shaarik Zafar, a prosecutor focusing on post-9/11 issues under Mr. Acosta, was hosted by SALDEF at the Richmond Hill Gurdwara in New York City. For his efforts, Mr. Acosta was recognized with this award bearing Congressman Dalip Singh Saund’s name. Mr. Saund was born in Punjab in 1899, and became the first Asian American elected to the United States Congress in 1956. The award for public service was named for Congressman Saund because despite his extensive education (he earned a Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley in 1924) his first job was as a foreman on a cotton-picking ranch, due to prejudice and discrimination against Sikh Americans and other immigrants. By channeling his frustrations into a lifelong commitment to public service, Mr. Saund was able to conquer the obstacles that lay before him. On December 16, 1949, Mr. Saund became a naturalized citizen of the United States. In 1952, he ran and won the position of judge. After serving in that capacity for four years, Mr. Saund was elected to the House of Representatives from the 29th congressional district of California. During his three consecutive terms as a distinguished member of the House of Representatives, he supported agricultural interests in his own congressional district, as well as the rights of Native Americans and Mexican immigrants. Mr. Saund also fought for legislation to provide equal rights for all men and women. Additionally, Dya Singh and his group have also engaged in pioneering efforts by developing a unique form of “world music” that has been recognized for its innovation. He has twice been awarded “Instrumentalist of the Year” by the South Australian Music Industry Awards. In the year 2000, Dya Singh was awarded “Male Artist of the Year” by the Australian World Music Organization. Dya Singh has also been very supportive of SALDEF’s work on behalf of the Sikh American community and has thanked us repeatedly for training airport officials and screeners about Sikhs and Sikhism.
Washington, DC – Attorney General Alberto Gonzales met with SALDEF National Director Preetmohan Singh and other national civil rights leaders on April 13 to discuss further strengthening the relationship with government agencies and leading national organizations. Mr. Gonzales, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate last month, recognized SALDEF and others’ educational outreach and government relations efforts and expressed an interest in continued collaboration. “We are glad Attorney General Gonzales took the time to meet with us so shortly after he was confirmed,” said Mr. Singh. “We see this as a continuation of the many collaborative efforts we have engaged in with top government officials to ensure that all Americans are treated respectfully and fairly when they interact with federal agencies.” The meeting’s discussion included updates by and for SALDEF on law enforcement training, travel guidelines, and pending investigations. The meeting was facilitated by R. Alexander Acosta, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, whose office has coordinated regular federal interagency meetings to address government actions and services. Federal agencies represented at the meeting included component agencies of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Justice Community Relations Service (CRS), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), State Department, and others. SALDEF met with former Attorney General John Ashcroft in June 2004 to discuss similar issues.
SALDEF Conducts Congressional Briefing, Urges Sikh Americans to Contact Congress about Religious Freedom April 8, 2005–A critical piece of legislation for the Sikh American community, the Workplace Religious Freedom Act (WRFA) of 2005 (Senate Bill 677/House Bill 1445), is again being considered in Congress. This legislation is designed to reinstate protections in America’s civil rights laws which encourage employers to reasonably accommodate the religious needs of their employees in the workplace. Today, SALDEF’s National Director, Preetmohan Singh, conducted his third briefing in six months for congressional staff along with leaders from other civil rights and religious liberties organizations. SALDEF is encouraging the community to immediately contact their representatives in Congress and urge them to support this bill (see sample letter below). Typical issues that would be affected by this legislation include allowing for religious attire (such as turbans, yarmulkes, and head-scarves) and for flexible scheduling arrangements to facilitate holiday observances (such as agreeing to work on an Easter holiday in order to observe Vaisakhi). The legislation is bipartisan in support with Senators Rick Santorum (R-PA) and John Kerry (D-MA) serving as its lead sponsors in the Senate, along with 13 other Senators. The House currently has six co-sponsors, with Representatives Mark Souder (R-IN) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) leading the way. WRFA is also supported by a diverse coalition of more than 45 religious and civil rights organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, National Council of Churches, Southern Baptist Convention, National Council of Muslim Women, Seventh Day Adventist Church and many others. We urge you to contact your members of the House and Senate today and relay to them the importance of supporting the Workplace Religious Freedom Act. Please telephone, fax, and/or e-mail (listed in the order or importance) your representatives about WRFA, especially if they have not cosponsored this legislation already. You can contact your representatives in the House and Senate by calling the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121. The names and contact information for elected representatives can be found at www.senate.gov and www.house.gov. Regular mail is still being diverted for screening before it can be delivered to Capitol Hill, so do not use this method. Please inform SALDEF at legislation@saldef.org with your name, state, and the representative(s) you contact. To learn more about this bill and its cosponsors, please click here http://thomas.loc.gov and type in “Workplace Religious Freedom Act.” SAMPLE Message to Members of Congress: My name is [_____] and I reside at [home address, city, state, zip]. As my elected representative, I would like to urge you to cosponsor the Workplace Religious Freedom Act (H.R.1445/S.677.) As a Sikh American, I believe WRFA provides a solution to two of the most important issues for members of our community in the workplace: religious dress and flexible scheduling. With WRFA intact, we can avoid repeating situations where Sikh Americans have had to engage in expensive litigation to receive reasonable accommodation at minimal or no cost to employers. WRFA also provides that accommodation needed only be provided to an employee who is able to perform the essential functions of the job. As you may know, according the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), charges relating to race, gender, and national origin grew by 15 percent in the past decade, while those involving religion increased by over 80 percent. This spike in religious claims was particularly severe after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when Sikh Americans and others faced greater hostility at the workplace. The bill is a fundamental step toward protecting religious liberty and I hope you will support it. Sincerely, [Your Name]
The Applied Research Center invites you to be part of the California Racial Equity Initiative, a statewide effort to advance a vision of racial justice that focuses on racial equity outcomes, strives for equity, enfranchisement and economic justice for all, invests in opportunity and advancement, and strengthens protections against racial violence, racial profiling, and discrimination. CREI’s efforts include: * Advancing a proactive racial justice agenda that benefits communities of color and low-income communities, counters the ongoing curtailment of civil rights and promotes racial equity; * Building a racial justice alliance among civil rights, immigrant rights, religious, labor, and community organizations, and * Developing an inventory of model racial justice polices and political action tools that can be used to hold decision makers accountable to racial equity principles. Help Advance Racial Justice in California 1. Endorse The California Racial Equity Pledge 2. Use the California’s New Majority 2004 Legislative Report Card On Race to assess your state decision makers commitment to racial justice legislation
Calisha Myers, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor The South Asian Leadership Society, the NAACP Student Chapter and the Sikh Students Association co-sponsored a forum yesterday evening entitled “AMERICAN HATRED: are YOU part of it?” reflecting on recent University concerns of minority animosity. The forum began with attendees sharing their experiences of hatred at the University with each other and the event drew undergraduate and graduate students as well as administrators from many different backgrounds. Aleea Maye, a fourth-year College student and president of the NAACP chapter at the University and Neela Pal, a third-year College student and president of the South Asian Leadership Society, opened the forum by discussing the importance of finding common ground for dialogue and change. The forum was led by Preetmohan Singh, director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education fund, and M. Rick Turner, dean of the Office of African-American Affairs and president of the Charlottesville/Albemarle NAACP. Singh spoke mainly about hate crimes and racial profiling as a larger national problem, as well as the importance of everyone’s involvement in making changes. “What you’re doing here today is proactive, so I implore you to think about the big picture, to think about how we build a more inclusive community,” Singh said. “It’s our responsibility to be at the table.” Turner discussed incidents at the University, initiatives the University has taken and the importance of students holding the administration responsible for change. “What happens oftentimes in the history of higher education is that people fall asleep,” Turner said. “You guys are asleep. You sleep too long. All I’m asking is that you ask questions.” Turner also emphasized the importance of willingness by University administrators to be the leaders of change. “I haven’t seen any major changes,” Turner said of his 17 years at the University. “I think incidents are probably more reported, but I haven’t seen any progress. When we see leaders, students will rally behind that. But I haven’t seen that and unless that happens, I don’t think we’re going to see much change.” After hearing Singh speak about civil rights and discrimination in Washington, D.C. this summer, Pal came up with the idea of holding a forum concerning hatred both in America and at the University. Pal consulted Sikh Student Association President Jasjeev Sawhney, a third-year Engineering student, who worked with Singh over the summer. The two collaborated with the NAACP Student Chapter and under the advisement of Singh. “We wanted to put something together that bridged these distant communities,” Sawhney said of the African-American and Asian communities at the University. The collaboration between Sawhney and Pal and the African-American and Asian student groups is unique, according to Pal. “We don’t have intersections like this often at U.Va.,” she said. “That’s kind of what appealed to me. We have to think about these issues more creatively. We have to bring together individual groups and do things collectively.” This forum was one of the first events the newly reestablished NAACP Student Chapter sponsored. Maye said she was disappointed with African-American student turnout but that she was pleased with the forum overall. “All things considered, the turnout was great,” Maye said.