The Applied Research Center recently released the report of their third “The Public’s Truth” event held in Santa Clara, CA. SMART co-sponsored and presented at the event, which was a forum for community members of different races, colors and religions to communicate with legislators and civic officials about the ill-effects they have endured since 9/11. Speakers at the event shared their personal experiences of direct harassment and discrimination they faced from law enforcement, airport security, workplace supervisors and immigration officials. SMART’s representative, who is featured in the report, discussed the Sikh community’s response to hate crimes. The Applied Research Center is a public policy, educational and research institute whose work emphasizes issues of race and social change. The report is titled “Stories of Racial Profiling & The Attack on Civil Liberties.”
Public’s Truth Report Released, SMART Featured Prominently in Publication
In the last several weeks, SMART has met with senior officials at the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies. These meetings have involved discussions about no-fly lists and training federal employees to ensure awareness of the Sikh articles of faith. During these meetings, SMART was assured that the Transportation Security Administration, which now oversees approximately 45,000 airport screeners, is using its resources to train current and new employees. Furthermore, since September 11, 2001, SMART has been part of a small working group headed by FBI Director Robert Muller, that meets regularly to address hate crimes and other law enforcement related issues of concern to the Sikh, Arab, and Muslim American communities. Although recent statistics indicate a reduction in the number of hate crimes, SMART is aware that many of these incidents go unreported with in our own community. Therefore, SMART will continue to work with the law enforcement and Sikh community to report, investigate, and prosecute hate crimes across the U.S.
Established by a coalition of corporate and national community leaders, the Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) is being launched as a counterpart to other large funds established for specific racial and ethnic groups such as the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). The APIASF will be devoted solely to the financial scholarship needs of Asian and Pacific Islander American students. To mark its establishment, APIASF is staging launches across the nation. For more information please visit APIASF’s website at www.apiasf.org.
SMART Encourages California Sikh Community to Attend California State Assembly Member Judy Chu will convene the Assembly Select Committee on Hate Crimes for a hearing entitled, “Hate Crimes in the Sikh American Community,” in both Northern and Southern California. The Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART) will deliver testimony at both hearings about hate crimes reporting, law enforcement, and bullying and harassment in public schools, as well as policy recommendations to effectively deal with these situations. SMART encourages members of the Sikh American community in Northern and Southern California to attend these hearings to make sure their voices are heard (details below). SMART has been working with Assembly Member Chu’s office for several months to arrange these hearings. At the hearing, law enforcement officials, government representatives, policy experts, and community leaders will discuss strategies and policies to address hate crimes and diversity in public schools. Northern California WHEN: Wednesday, September 22 TIME: 11:00 AM- 1:30 PM WHERE: Biblioteca Latinoamericano San Jose Public Library Community Room 921 South First Street San Jose, CA 95110 Southern California WHEN: Tuesday, September 28, 2004 TIME: 10:00 AM- 12:30 PM WHERE: Museum of Tolerance Simon Wiesenthal Plaza 9786 W. Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90035
California Assembly member Judy Chu, Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Hate Crimes, recently convened two hearings to hear testimony and policy recommendations on hate crimes in the Sikh American Community. The hearings took place in both Northern and Southern California and community members testified regarding specific hate incidents including bullying and harassment in school, their places of work, and Sikh Gurdwaras. SMART’s Western Regional Director Kavneet Singh delivered testimony and organized other members of the Sikh American community to speak about their experiences in Northern California on September 22. On September 28, in Southern California, SMART local representative Nitasha Kaur Sawhney testified about the impact on the community, especially drawing attention to the severe effect on Sikh children, as well as the physical, economic, mental, and spiritual impact hate violence is having on the community at large. The hearings also included policy recommendations regarding reporting practices and resources provided by local and national governmental agencies. The testimony highlighted the unresolved problem of recording hate crimes against Sikhs due to state and federal agencies not collecting data specifically on anti-Sikh incidents as they do for incidents against the Islamic and Jewish communities. Unfortunately, most hate crimes against Sikh Americans are recorded as “other.” Another focus of this hearing included policy recommendations related to education, including the use of current resources and development of additional diversity curriculum. In addition to SMART, panelists at the hearing included representatives from the Office of the Attorney General, FBI, LA County Sheriff’s Department, Asian Law Caucus, California Sikh Council, Sikh Coalition, San Jose and San Francisco Police Departments, UCLA API Caucus, South Asian Network, Sikh Dharma, and the California Department of Education.
Law Enforcement Partnership Program Moving Forward Washington, DC— Over 5,000 local, state, and federal law enforcement officials have now been trained through SMART’s Sikhism 101 for Law Enforcement training under the organization’s Law Enforcement Partnership Program (LEPP). These trainings build better relationships between law enforcement and local Sikh American communities through awareness of practices and protocol. This summer, the training program has been presented in Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Missouri, Washington, and Texas. SMART President Manjit Singh said, “Many Sikh Americans are traveling and others work in highly visible public positions such as cab drivers, convenience store workers and gas station operators. With the financial support of the Sikh American community, we can continue expanding this program and to accurately inform first-responders about our faith and practices.” The interactive program includes a 25-slide PowerPoint presentation, videos, and visual aids of Sikh articles of faith. More than a dozen such seminars have been organized around the country with SMART staff and volunteers since last summer when SMART concluded a nationwide, six-city partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service (CRS). Over 95 percent of law enforcement agents who have attending the training, have indicated that the training they receive from SMART will help them better serve and protect their communities. SMART, the oldest national Sikh American civil rights organization, has presented this program to over 100 agencies including: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents; Department of Transportation Security Administration personnel; representatives of U.S. Attorney’s offices; federal counter-terrorism task force officials, and local law enforcement officials, including the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department and the New York Police Department. Following the flurry of post-9/11 hate crimes that affected the Sikh American community, SMART has also created a special publication. This pocket reference card provides law enforcement officials recommended protocols for the appropriate handling of the Sikh turban and kirpan.
Washington, DC – Attorney General John Ashcroft met with SMART and representatives of other Arab and Muslim American civil rights organizations on Wed. June 23 to discuss continued collaboration with law enforcement and the Sikh American community. Mr. Ashcroft praised SMART for its law enforcement training efforts and stated that he would work to highlight these and other collaborative efforts in his public statements. “This meeting was an important opportunity to offer SMART’s assistance at the highest level of our government to ensure that the Sikh American and other communities are treated with respect when they interact with federal agencies,” said Preetmohan Singh, SMART’s National Director. “Through these efforts, government representatives at at all levels are gaining an understanding about the Sikh American community. While there are problems that persist, we always highlight the positive contributions our community has been making to this nation for over a century.” The meeting was facilitated by R. Alexander Acosta, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, whose office has coordinated monthly federal interagency meetings to address Sikh, Arab, and Muslim American issues. At the meeting, SMART presented a summary of recent cases, including instances of employment discrimination, continuing hate crimes, and immigration guidelines regarding photos with turbans. Federal agencies represented at the meeting included Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS), the Department of Homeland Security Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Treasury Department, the Department of Justice Community Relations Service (CRS), and the FBI. Other organizations taking part in the meeting were the Arab American Institute (AAI), the American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee (ADC), the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), and the Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights (Karamah).
Sikh American Organization More Active on French Ban, Hate Crimes and Education Issues Washington, DC – Over the last several days, the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), the oldest national Sikh American civil rights organization, has increased its legislative efforts at state and federal levels. SMART’s efforts have included securing signatures to a congressional letter regarding the French ban on religious articles of faith, organizing the invocation at the Virginia State Senate and testifying at the Maryland General Assembly regarding hate crimes legislation. “The efforts of our staff and volunteers over the last several days helps demonstrate that more Sikh Americans are energized and involved at all levels of government,” said SMART National Director Preetmohan Singh. “We look forward to expanding our efforts so that our community is even more engaged in legislative efforts and civil society.” During the last week, SMART staff and volunteers contacted several members of the U.S. House of Representatives to urge them to sign on to a letter to the French government expressing concern about the possible ban of religious articles of faith, including the Sikh turban, in public schools. The letter, initiated by Congressmen Mike Honda (D-CA) and Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), was signed by over 45 members of the US House of Representatives. SMART worked collaboratively in this effort with a number of groups including the American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Sikh Coalition, United Sikhs, and Voices for Freedom. On Wednesday, February 11 a SMART representative will testify at the Maryland General Assembly tomorrow in support of amending the hate crime provisions in the state of Maryland. The revised legislation would expand the prohibition against damaging property of places of worship, which currently includes only churches or synagogues, to include any place of worship. The bill would also expand the protected categories of the existing Maryland hate crimes law to ensure that all individuals targeted by hate violence are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Finally, last week, SMART helped organize Sikhs in the Washington, DC metro region to attend the Sikh prayer offered as invocation prior to the convening of the Virginia State Senate on February 3. The traditional opening prayer, conducted in Punjabi and English, was organized in partnership with the Guru Nanak Foundation of Hampton Roads, VA. The prayer was preceded by a breakfast for elected officials prepared by the Sikh community of Richmond, VA. Several elected officials attended the breakfast and were joined by approximately 25 members of the Sikh community in Virginia state capital building. SMART thanks the management of Guru Nanak Foundation, the local Richmond Sikh community and especially Mrs. Jagdish Singh for their efforts in making this a successful event. According to Mr. Singh, “The prayer and breakfast were successful in exposing elected officials and non-Sikhs to the presence of the Sikh American community in Virginia and we are committed to expanding these proactive efforts.”
SMART Encourages Turn-out at Interfaith Demonstrations in Washington DC, Los Angeles and San Francisco Washington, DC— Following French President Jacques Chirac’s support of legislation banning religious insignia from public venues, the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), the nation’s oldest Sikh American civil rights organization, will join other organizations to demonstrate against this proposal on Saturday, January 17, 2004 in Washington, DC, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Sikh Americans will join Muslim Americans and other concerned citizens outside the French consulates in these cities (details below). Simultaneous protests will be held in France and the United Kingdom. “The turban is a mandatory and integral part of Sikh’s identity and faith as laid down by its founders, the Sikh Gurus,” said SMART President Manjit Singh. “Thousands of Sikh soldiers, including those in the French armed forces, fought with turbans in both of the World Wars. To force Sikhs to remove their turbans and adherents of other faiths to shed religious insignia that have no correlation with state functions will solely serve to exacerbate religious bigotry in France.” The ban on religious wear, which is due to be debated in the French Parliament next month, would ban articles of faith such as the Sikh turban, Muslim hijab, Jewish yarmulke, and all other religious items in courts, schools, and the public administration. SMART is particularly concerned about news reports that the French commission which recommended this policy failed to interview any Sikhs during its investigation. Singh also stated, “The adoption of this law would needlessly limit the display of mandatory articles of faith in a way that is contrary to the spirit of all international documents upholding religious freedom to which France is a signatory.” SMART encourages all Sikhs to come out in large numbers to these demonstrations and support the rights of French citizens. The events will take place on Saturday, January 17 at the following locations: Washington, DC: French Embassy in Georgetown 4101 Reservoir Road, NW Washington DC 20007 11 am – 2 pm San Francisco: San Francisco City Hall 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place San Francisco, CA 94102-4683 11 am – 2 pm NOTE: Demonstrators will march from City Hall to the French Consulate Building Los Angeles: Westwood Federal Building 11000 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90095 Noon – 3 pm
SMART Collaborating with Local, State, Federal Authorities Phoenix, AZ—Responding to violent crimes in the Phoenix metropolitan area, the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), a national civil rights organization, is collaborating with area residents to organize a community forum with public officials to identify and respond to hate crimes. SMART is encouraging the Phoenix-area Sikh community to attend the event this Wednesday evening at the Cholla public library (details below). Since the attacks of 9/11, the Sikh community in Phoenix has been particularly affected by violent crimes, including the murder of Balbir Singh Sodhi on September 15, 2001 and the shooting of Avtar Singh Chiera on May 19, 2003. The Phoenix-area Sikh community also experienced the murder of convenience store clerk Sukhvir Singh two weeks ago in Tempe; however, this latest incident has not been characterized as bias-motivated. The community forum, “Combating Hate Crimes,” will include representatives from the Phoenix Police Department, the Arizona Sheriff’s office, and federal law enforcement officials. Local, state, and federal elected officials and their representatives will also be present to discuss how they can better address community concerns and maximize resources to battle hate crimes. Confirmed participants include members of the Sikh, South Asian, Arab, Muslim, Jewish and other communities. The forum is being organized in collaboration with local residents, community leaders and national organizations.