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]
Sikh American Community Urged to Contact Congress about Religious Freedom
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.
By Scott Wong, STAFF WRITER, The Daily Review FREMONT — Almost no one had heard of Afghanistan before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, said Homaira Hosseini, an Irvington High School senior whose family emigrated from the war-torn country when she was only 2. Afterward, no one could ignore it. “A tragic event on Sept. 11 changed my future, my present, my identity,” Hosseini, 17, told a stunningly quiet room of more than 200 community members at “Our Community: Who Belongs?” an anti-hate forum at the high school Thursday night. “After Sept. 11, I got a lot of looks and experienced biases and prejudices.” Hosseini, whose family is Muslim, was one of a handful of speakers who shared personal testimony about how local Muslims, Sikhs and other “vulnerable and victimized” minorities have been subjected to things such as name-calling, eggings and other abuse in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “I am an Afghan and a Muslim and an American,” said Hosseini, who noted that Fremont is home to the largest number of Afghans living outside Afghanistan. “It’s not a paradox, but it’s sometimes treated as such.” Among those who joined in self-affirming chants of “We all belong” were City Council members, police chiefs, county supervisors, state Assembly members past and present, school board members, educators and other civic, ethnic and religious leaders from throughout the area. Most came to hear the keynote speaker, state Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who as a state senator 15 years ago wrote the first felony hate crime law in the nation. But Debbi Pearson, a 44-year Mission San Jose resident, might have said it best: “The people who needed to hear the message most weren’t here.” Lockyer, a Democrat and a possible 2006 gubernatorial candidate, warned the audience about misdirected hostility. “It’s OK to be angry about the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon,” he said. “But direct that at the people who carried it out, not the people who are here to enjoy these freedoms.” Kavneet Singh, Western regional director for the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the nation’s oldest Sikh civil rights and education advocacy group, said it is critical that Americans take the next step in the war on racial and religious bigotry. “As a community, we need to continue to fight to move beyond tolerance,” said Singh, who added that there are about a half-million Sikhs living in the United States today. “It’s not just our responsibility to tolerate but to accept.” From physical attacks and racial slurs to less subtle prejudices, such as compliments on their English, all burn themselves into the minds of victims, one speaker shared. “Such comments may seem rare,” said Owais Mahesri, 17, an Irvington senior who was born in the United States and is Muslim. “But they happen, they exist and they hurt.” Despite the fact that about six hate crimes still occur in the state each day, Lockyer said he is optimistic about the future. “It’s important that we be mindful that we virtually all are immigrants here,” Lockyer said. “For three centuries, we skimmed the planet and brought its risk-takers to this place. “This is the first place on the planet where the fundamental policy has been, ‘Everybody counts, every voice matters.'”
Fremont, CA— A community forum will be held in Fremont next week to discuss issues affecting minorities in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and the war in Iraq. The keynote address for the evening will be delivered by California State Attorney General Bill Lockyer. The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) encourage community members to attend the forum, which will be held on Thursday evening, March 10th (details below). A SALDEF representative will also make a presentation at the event. Entitled Our Community: Who Belongs, the forum hopes to bring community members together to nurture solidarity against all hateful speech and acts, and in particular against those directed against Muslims and Sikhs. Attorney General Lockyer has been a leader on hate crimes legislation, advocating successfully for the first felony hate crime law in the nation in 1991 when he was a California state legislator. More recently, he opened the Office of Immigrant Assistance, created a Civil Rights Unit, and established Rapid Response Protocols for hate crimes. Lockyer also has also been a champion of religious freedom, supporting Sikhs’ right to wear their articles of faith in public places. This forum is being organized by an ad-hoc committee of groups. The committee urges all concerned community members to attend this event and further collaborate to address hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents. SALDEF, the oldest national Sikh American civil rights organization (formerly known as SMART), has worked with numerous families throughout Northern California over the past several years, who have been affected by crimes motivated by hate and bias. If you have any questions about this vigil, please email SALDEF at info@saldef or call 202-393-2700 Ext. 29. WHEN: Thursday, March 10, 2005 TIME: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. WHERE: Irvington High School 41800 Blacow Rd. Fremont, CA 94538 Please forward this message to your contacts in the Bay Area and post it at your local Gurdwara(s). ### END ###
Washington, DC – On January 31st, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the nation’s oldest Sikh American civil rights advocacy organization, met with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to discuss a variety of issues relevant to the Sikh American community. At the meeting, SALDEF Associate Director Rajbir Singh Datta discussed the need for making the post of Special Counsel for Post-9/11 National Origin Discrimination, created after September 11, 2001, a full-time and permanent position. The individual in this position served as a vital resource to the Sikh American community on matters related to civil rights and civil liberties. “The position of Special Counsel for Post-9/11 National Origin Discrimination has allowed the Sikh Community a personal contact within the Department of Justice.” said SALDEF President Mirin Kaur. “This individual was a liaison between the government and the community and we urge the Attorney General to make this position permanent.” SALDEF also discussed the need for a separate Sikh category in the hate crime section of the FBI Annual Hate Crimes Report, continuing federal dialogue with the Sikh American community and increasing recruitment of Sikh Americans into the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, and the United States Attorney’s Office. “The meeting provided a necessary forum to discuss specific issues affecting the Sikh American community.” said Mr. Datta. Other concerns that were addressed included immigration policies, the secret NSA wiretapping program, the effects of the PATRIOT Act, and the tight regulation of charities. Representatives from the Arab, Muslim, South Asian, and Sikh communities also attended.
Bay Area Residents Encouraged to Attend Next Week Concord, CA—A candlelight vigil will be held to show support for the Anands, a Sikh American family residing in Concord, who had their home robbed and burned down in a confirmed act of arson in September. Community members are encouraged to sign a petition and attend the vigil, which will be held on the evening of Wednesday, November 17 (details below). This vigil is being organized by “The Justice for the Anand Family Coalition,” a coalition of legal and civil rights organizations comprised of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the Asian Law Caucus, the South Asian Bar Association (SABA) and Narika. The Anand family and this coalition believes these crimes were motivated by hate. While the events have been investigated and the suspect identified, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has not yet filed any charges. The vigil also presents the coalition an opportunity to update the community and the media about the status is this case. The coalition urges all concerned community members to attend this event and show support for the Anand family. SALDEF, the oldest national Sikh American civil rights organization (formerly known as SMART), has been working with the Anand family since learning about these crimes. If you have any questions about this vigil, please email SALDEF at info@saldef.org or call 202-393-2700 Ext. 29. WHEN: Wednesday, November 17, 2004 TIME: 7:30 – 830 p.m. WHERE: 1356 Babel Lane (the site of the Anand Family’s burned home) Concord, California
SALDEF Joins Other Community Organizations to Show Support Concord, CA — Over 150 Bay Area community members came together Wednesday night for a candlelight vigil held to support the Anands, a Sikh American family residing in Concord, who had their home robbed and burned down in a confirmed act of arson on September 5, 2004. The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest national Sikh American civil rights organization formerly known as SMART, has been working with the Anand family and other groups since learning about these crimes. “Thank you all for coming tonight to this vigil,” said Jasleen Anand, one of five children in the Anand Family. “Your being here goes a long way in helping us heal and move on with our lives knowing that this community is a safe community and neighbors support each other.” This vigil was being organized by “The Justice for the Anand Family Coalition,” a coalition of legal and civil rights organizations comprised of SALDEF, the Asian Law Caucus, API Legal Outreach, the South Asian Bar Association (SABA) and Narika. The Anand family and this coalition believes these crimes were motivated by hate. While the events have been fully investigated and the suspect identified, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has not yet filed any charges. “The Anand family has lost everything in this tragedy”, stated Malcolm Yueng an attorney with the Asian Law Caucus. “We must support the Anands by demanding that the Contra Costa County District Attorney move forward with the arson charges. The Justice for the Anand Family Coalition is working with the community to ensure that this happens. SALDEF has played an instrumental role in connecting our coalition with the Sikh and South Asian community in the East Bay.” SALDEF urges all concerned community members to support the Anand Family by signing an online petition urging District Attorney Robert Kochly to file charges against the suspect. If you have any questions about this vigil, please email SALDEF at info@saldef.org or call 202-393-2700, Ext. 29.
Kevin Harrington, the Irish-American Sikh who was briefly taken off his post as a subway motorman last year because he wears a turban to work, is back in hot water after a series of new developments. New York City transit officials told Harrington last week that if he did not want to be reassigned for a second time to train yards, he would have to wear a patch with the MTA logo on his turban. He complied last Wednesday by wearing the patch for one day, and compared it to an advertisement. Harrington, who’s 53, told media that he saw it as tantamount to putting a billboard on St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The next morning, Harrington reported to work at the Woodlawn station of the 4 train when he had an argument with a station supervisor. Details have varied, but New York Newsday reported that the confrontation led to Harrington being ordered to report to the MTA’s Brooklyn headquarters for a Breathalyzer test. He was walking down the steps for a Brooklyn-bound train when he slipped and fell, injuring his back. Harrington was taken by ambulance to Bronx’s Montefiore Meical Center, where he was treated and released. He said transit officials then accompanied him to take the Breathalyzer afterward. Harrington maintained that as a practicing Sikh, he has not had alcohol in 25 years. The only certainty now is that the two still disagree. Harrington is out of work with his injury for an unknown period of time, and the MTA is refusing to loosen their requirements about the patch. Harrington, a third-generation transit worker, said last week that he was considering joining the lawsuit filed against the MTA by two female Muslim bus drivers who have been reassigned to the depot because of their head coverings, called khimars. The Department of Justice also filed a separate lawsuit against the MTA, citing discrimination. Preetmohan Singh, who is the national director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said the developments with Harrington “may affect the federal case.” Harrington is not currently represented by SALDEF, but sought their counsel when his case first surfaced in June. He received a memo written by MTA president Lawrence Router asking that Harrington remove his turban while operating the train or accept the train yard reassignment. Harrington told the Echo in August that the train yard job was hardly an option. “I won’t do it,” he said. “I’ll lose a good position as well as a lot of money.” Harrington had worn the turban without incident for 23 years on the job. He managed to get his post back, but not before hearing the promise of new uniform guidelines would be looked into by the MTA. A sensitive post-Sept. 11 climate has been blamed for the MTA’s sudden interest in Harrington’s and other employees’ headdresses, but they have remained relatively mum on the issue aside from issuing new guidelines. Harrington was kept in limbo for the rest of the year while the MTA met to determine new uniform rules that would apply to everyone. The patch was the latest compromise from the agency. “We understand the move was in the name of uniformity and safety,” said Singh, but reasons that the right thing is for all employees to have to adhere the same standards. Harrington has pointed out that other MTA employees in the public eye regularly wear hats without the MTA logo. Two Sikh police officers had a similar fight that ended in the compromise of wearing their badges on their turbans. Those officers have said the MTA patch does not have a symbolic meaning like the badge would. As for now, Harrington’s future with his employer is unknown, though his plight is hardly over. There are 24 million Sikhs in the world, making it the fifth most practiced religion — 20 million of those live in India, the rest located in places like England, the U.S., and Australia. It is estimated that 500,000 are in the U.S. alone. Calls to the MTA were not returned by press time. This story appeared in the issue of January 12-18, 2005. By Jill Sheehy (jsheehy@irishecho.com) Irish Echo
SALDEF’s Southern Regional Director Bobby Singh recently organized a group of Sikh Americans to meet with a U.S. Department of Justice official in Houston, TX. Shaarik Zafar, Special Counsel for Post 9-11 National Origin Discrimination in the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, met with the group to discuss the importance of reporting possible civil rights violations to the appropriate authorities. Mr. Zafar also presented the group with posters explaining Sikh head-coverings which were recently produced in partnership with the DOJ and SALDEF. The poster is entitled Common Sikh American Head Coverings and provides a brief introduction to the Sikh religion and protocol to follow during security screenings by law enforcement officials.