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 Increases Legislative Activity at State, Federal Level
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.
SMART Training Expected to Attract 800 Participants Washington, DC— Approximately 800 local, state, and federal law enforcement officials will participate in an awareness and protocol training regarding Sikhs and Sikhism in the Washington, DC-area tomorrow. The seminar is designed to build better relationships between law enforcement and the Sikh, Arab, and Muslim community and is the final event in a six-city, nationwide training conducted by the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service (CRS). The day-long seminar will take place in the suburbs of Washington, DC at Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Maryland. The training, entitled Sikhism 101: Awareness and Protocol for Law Enforcement provides an introduction to Sikh beliefs, history and culture. The interactive program includes a 25-slide PowerPoint presentation, video, and visual aids of Sikh articles of faith. In addition to the morning training, SMART will hold a “Training of Trainers” workshop to allow about 75 members of the local Sikh, Arab, and Muslim community to conduct this program in their local communities. Through this program, SMART has already trained over 1,000 law enforcement officials at regional trainings in California, Colorado, Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Attendees at previous trainings have included: 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 New York Police Department. SMART President Manjit Singh said, “Through these trainings, SMART is working towards affecting systemic change by demystifying the Sikh faith for law enforcement officials and reducing the chance that Sikhs are racially profiled. With the support of the Sikh community and the CRS, we hope to expand this program in the coming months so we can continue educating law enforcement officials across the country.” Based on the backlash that affected the Sikh American community following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, SMART has also created a Law Enforcement Reference Card. This pocket reference card includes protocols for the turban and kirpan and provides additional resources for law enforcement officials.
Community demonstrates solidarity following hate crime Washington, DC – The Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), a national Sikh American advocacy group, is standing in solidarity with the local Muslim community after a mosque in College Park, MD was defiled by a cross-burning yesterday. SMART’s Chairman, Manjit Singh, issued a statement demonstrating the need for ethnic and religious communities to unify when such hate crimes are undertaken to divide. “As a religious minority also targeted after 9/11, the Sikh American community expresses its deepest concern and sympathy for Muslim Americans,” said Singh. “Where such acts are designed to intimidate, unity becomes our strongest weapon against hate. The perpetrators of this act must be brought to justice to demonstrate that hate in our society cannot and will not be tolerated.” This cross-burning becomes the first such incident reported to authorities in Maryland in over three years. To help prevent such acts from occurring again, SMART and other local civil rights groups are urging authorities to investigate and prosecute this act to the fullest extent of the law.
SMART Collaborating with Local, State, and Federal Authorities to Address Death Threats Received by Maryland Sikh Family Washington, DC—Responding to a pair of death threats received by a Sikh family in the Washington, DC metropolitan area three weeks ago, the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), a national civil rights organization, is organizing a community forum to discuss this and issues related to hate crimes with law enforcement officials. SMART is encouraging the DC-area Sikh community to attend the event this Wednesday, August 27 at 7 pm in Rockville, MD (details below). The pair of death threats stated, in part, that the family is believed to be “closely affiliated with the Taliban…[and] plan to kill you and your family members.” Since receiving the threats, SMART has been coordinating with the family and law enforcement authorities, including the FBI, to ensure investigation of these threats as bias-motivated incidents. The community forum, “Combating Hate Crimes,” is being organized in collaboration with local, state, and federal law enforcement officials and community groups to present information about how to effectively deal with such hate-motivated incidents. The event will serve a mutually educational purpose for community members and law enforcement, and will not be a forum where the affected family’s identity is revealed. Confirmed participants include representatives from the Department of Justice, DC Bias Crimes Task Force, Montgomery County Police Department, and representatives from the Sikh, Arab, Muslim, Jewish and other communities. If you live in the DC metropolitan area, please share information about this event with your family and friends. Additionally, please request your local gurdwara to make an announcement about the event and distribute copies of the event flyer (available online, see URL below) at the gurdwara.
WASHINGTON, DC – The Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), a national Sikh civil rights organization, is encouraging Gurdwaras across the United States to sign a joint letter on behalf of the religious community to Congress in support of hate crimes prevention legislation. SMART is enlisting the Sikh American community’s support to send the message that hate crimes should be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The nation’s religious community is being brought together by various interfaith organizations to gather signatures of America’s religious leaders in support of passage of S.966, the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act (LLEEA), and its House companion bill, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Current law permits federal prosecution of a crime as a hate crime only if the act was motivated by bias based on race, religion, national origin, or ethnicity, and the assailant intended to prevent the victim from exercising a federally protected right. If this legislation is enacted, it would expand federal jurisdiction to include a broader set of bias categories. Second, the legislation would increase funds and support from federal law enforcement in the prosecution and investigation of hate crimes. Such action would enhance vigilance and effectiveness in the response to hate crimes. SMART requests Gurdwara leaders to sign the enclosed letter urging passage of this important legislation, and to help gather as many signatures as possible from other Gurdwaras. Signatories to the letter (attached below) should provide the following information: – Name – Gurdwara – City, State – Telephone Please give a copy of this advisory to your local gurdwara management and encourage them to sign-on. ### SAMPLE LETTER ### Dear Senator/Representative, We the undersigned religious leaders, from the Sikh faith tradition in XX state write you to urge swift passage of the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2003(S.966), without any weakening to the amendments. In the troubling times after September 11th, the Sikh American community in particular has faced a twofold threat. Just as any American post-September 11th, Sikh Americans have had to live with the anxiety and apprehension of future terrorist attacks. However, in addition, Sikh Americans are living everyday with the fear of hate crimes being committed against members and institutions of their own community. The first fatality in the September 11th backlash was, in fact, a Sikh American gas station operator in Mesa, AZ. Thus, we must make it clear that neither hate nor violence is a traditional American value; both are antithetical to democracy and true spirituality. Though legislation cannot remove hate from the hearts and minds of individuals, hate crime prevention legislation can help to create a society that is unbending in its intolerance of hate-motivated violence. As you know, current law permits federal prosecution of a hate crime only if the crime was motivated by bias based on race, religion, national origin, or ethnicity, and the assailant intended to prevent the victim from exercising a “federally protected right.” The LLEEA would expand federal jurisdiction to include a broader set of bias categories. The law would also empower federal prosecutors to act in concert with local police and provide funding to these officials to assist with investigations. A broader federal law will also help make up for the inadequacy and absence of inclusive hate crime laws in many states and municipalities. To those who would oppose this hate crime legislation in the name of religion, we state categorically: everyone in this society should enjoy the strongest possible guarantee of freedom from attacks motivated by bigotry. Bigotry cloaked in religion is neither a moral right nor a religious value. The sacred Xures of many different religious traditions speak with dramatic unanimity on the subject of intolerance. If we aspire to be true to the prophetic core of our religions, we cannot condemn hate and then sit idly by while it destroys our communities. We believe that religion and government must work together to create a society in which diverse people are safe as well as free. We urge you to support the enactment of the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act. Sincerely,
SMART Following Up with Local, Federal Law Enforcement in NYC Washington, DC – The Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), a national civil rights organization, is encouraging the Sikh American community to attend a vigil promoting unity and peace in Queens, New York on Tue. August 19. The vigil is in response to the recent attack on a Sikh family in Queens, New York. SMART has learned that the August 3 hate crime in Queens, NY is being actively investigated by the NYPD. SMART has been consulting with the FBI and the NYPD Bias Crimes Unit to ensure that both federal and local authorities are diligently moving forward in the investigation. Communities in New York City are responding actively by supporting the Sikh family and condemning the incident. Local community organizations, led by New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE), have come together in organizing the “Vigil Against Violence.” The vigil, supported by several local and national organizations including SMART, will be held in Jackson Heights, Queens, NY on Tuesday, August 19. Details about the event, scheduled as a march, are follows: Date: Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Time: 6:30 P.M. sharp Assemble at: P.S. 69, in Jackson Heights, Queens, NY at 77-02 37th Avenue March to: Frank D. O’Connor Playground on Broadway, between 78 and 79 St SMART encourages the Sikh community in New York City to distribute information about the vigil to their family and friends, and attend the vigil in l
SMART Encourages Sikh Community to Attend Public Forum Washington, DC — On Wednesday, June 4th, a day before the House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to conduct an oversight hearing on the USA PATRIOT Act, SMART will join a diverse coalition of organizations at a public forum to examine the growing trend of law enforcement to selectively target certain immigrant communities under the guise of national security. SMART encourages the Sikh community, particularly those targeted unjustly by law enforcement since 9/11, to attend the hearing at the Senate tomorrow. The forum entitled: Justice For All: Selective Enforcement in Post-911 America, will examine the post-9/11 impact on the lives of those in the Arab, Muslim, East African, Sikh and Latino communities. A panel will include representatives from national organizations, individuals from the affected communities, along with members of Congress, including Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Patty Murray (D-WA). The forum is endorsed by over 100 national and local organizations including SMART. The details for the event are as follows: WHAT: A nationwide public forum on selective enforcement post-9/11 WHO: Community Members, Civil Rights Advocates, Senators WHEN: June 4, 2003, 10 AM – 12 PM WHERE: 902 Hart Senate Building, Washington, DC
Washington, DC – Leaders of national Sikh, Arab and Muslim organizations met with FBI Director Robert Mueller II on Wednesday, May 28 to discuss further partnerships with the community and the possible development of an advisory committee that would coordinate efforts at state and national levels. Last week’s meeting, a follow-up to the February 28, 2003 meeting, took place a week after a Sikh American truck driver was shot twice in a hate crime in Phoenix, AZ. “While we appreciate Director Mueller’s initiative to meet with us,“ said Manjit Singh, Chair of the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART) Board of Directors, “we want to ensure that preventative measures to reduce hate crimes take place hand-in-hand with investigation and prosecution, especially in light of the Phoenix incident last week.” Singh, who represented SMART, the oldest national Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization, voiced the Sikh community’s concerns since the Phoenix incident on May 19, 2003. Following the shooting of Avtar Singh Chiera, the 52-year-old Sikh American who was shot after parking his 18-wheeler, SMART conducted training at the Phoenix Police Department headquarters for law enforcement officials and community leaders. SMART is encouraged that the FBI has responded positively to its suggestion of conducting similar religious awareness and protocol workshops at its training academy and at field offices across the country. Since September 2001, SMART has been reporting hate crimes and working closely with the FBI’s Washington, DC office and their various field offices. Following a meeting last February, the FBI issued a media release saying, “The FBI’s aggressive response to hate crimes has sent a clear message that vigilante attacks will not be tolerated. (Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks), the FBI has initiated 414 hate crime investigations involving Muslim, Sikh and Arab-American victims, with 17 persons being charged federally thus far. Additionally, some 129 persons have been charged with state and local crimes in connection with those investigations.” This meeting was the fourth in a series between the director and the leaders of national Muslim, Sikh and Arab-American organizations, though not all of them have been publicized. Others attending the meeting were representatives of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, the Arab American Institute, the Islamic Institute, the American Muslim Council, and the Muslim Public Affairs Council.