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.
SALDEF Town Hall to be held in Indianapolis
SALDEF, SABA-DC and NASABA organize forum to inform business owners about their rights and obligations under DC, Virginia, Maryland and federal law Washington D.C. – April 13, 2007: The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) has partnered with the South Asian Bar Association of Washington D.C. (SABA-DC) and the National South Asian Bar Association (NASABA) to organize a Know Your Rights Outreach and Compliance Seminar for Convenience Store and Gas Station Owners in the Virginia, Maryland, and Metro DC areas on April 22, 2007 at the National Gurdwara in Washington, D.C. Federal and State authorities have begun to strictly regulate the sale of everyday cold medications that can be used to manufacture the illegal and highly dangerous drug methamphetamine (also known as “Meth”). In 2005, 44 South Asian convenience store clerks and owners were arrested for selling ingredients that could have been used to create methamphetamine, but many of these people were unaware of the law and their rights. As a result, some of the storeowners lost their businesses and were deported back to India and Pakistan. Due to the increased use of cold medicines purchased at retail outlets by illegal methamphetamine manufacturers and drug addicts, Congress enacted the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005. This law establishes requirements for selling products containing ephedrine and pseudo ephedrine, which can be used for illegal production of methamphetamine. Across the nation, sellers of products containing these ingredients must follow the new law and the regulations it imposes on them. In addition, some states have enacted their own laws which in some instances may be tougher than the federal law. What: Know Your Rights Forum: Outreach and Compliance Seminar for Convenience and Gas Store Owners in the VA, MD, and DC areas When: Sunday, April 22nd — 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Where: National Gurdwara 3801 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20016 Who: Hassan Ahmed, Immigration Attorney; Law Offices of Nubani & Hassan, VA Manubir Arora, Criminal Defense Attorney; Atlanta, GA Vivek Chopra, Former State Prosecutor; Montgomery County, MD Dave Vatti, Federal Prosecutor; United States Attorney’s Office, CT SALDEF, SABA-DC and NASABA would like to ensure that local business owners are aware of their rights and obligations under District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, and federal law. For more information about this event, visit www.saldef.org or contact AS202-393-2700 or info@saldef.org
Sikh Community from Greater Chicago Area urged to attend event featuring officials from federal, state and local agencies Washington, DC, September 27, 2006 – The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), in conjunction with the Sikh Religious Society of Chicago, has invited several government officials to participate in a community forum this Sunday, October 1, 2006. Members of the Sikh American community from the Greater Chicago area are encouraged to attend this event with their children so that they may be better informed about their civil rights, and be armed with the crucial knowledge on appropriate responses and actions to take to protect and exercise their constitutional rights. The following representatives will be attending the forum: Officer Matt Taylor – Palatine, IL Police Department Lisa Williams – Illinois Attorney General’s Office; Civil Rights Division Robert Blackwood – United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Pablo Medina – Chicago Commission on Human Relations Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) DATE: 10/01/2006 TIME:11:00 AM – 1:00 PM LOCATION: Sikh Religious Society of Chicago 1280 W Winnekta Street Palatine, IL 60067 These forums provide a unique opportunity for Sikh Americans to learn how to correctly respond to all forms of discrimination, hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents and about protecting their families and our community from these incidents. 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 and dealing with issues of bias-motivated crimes, for a meaningful face-to-face interaction. In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the founding of SALDEF/SMART, SALDEF has been organizing similar events across the country. SALDEF encourages all residents of the Greater Chicago area to attend. We thank the management and community members of the Sikh Religious Society of Chicago for supporting and sponsoring this event.
Sikh Community from New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey encouraged to attend. Washington, DC– The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), in conjunction with the Bridgewater Gurdwara Sahib, the Gurdwara Singh Sabha of Glen Rock, the Gurdwara Sri Dashmesh Darbar Sahib of Port Reading, and the Sri Guru Singh Sabha of Carteret, has invited several government officials to participate in a community forum this Saturday, June 15, 2006. Members of the Sikh American community from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania are 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: Edward McCaffrey – Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) David Livingston– Somerset County Superintendent; New Jersey Department of Education Phillip Freeman – Office of the New Jersey Attorney General; Division of Civil Rights Mr. Leslie Wiser, Jr. – Special Agent-In-Charge; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Invitations have also been extended to representatives from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Raritan Police Department. DATE: 6/15/2006 TIME: 2:00 – 4:00 PM LOCATION: The “Atrium,” Raritan Valley Community College Route 28 and Lamington Road North Branch, NJ 07047 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 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 Tri-State area to attend. We thank the management and community members of the Bridgewater Gurdwara Sahib, the Gurdwara Singh Sabha, the Gurdwara Sri Dashmesh Darbar Sahib, and the Sri Guru Singh Sabha for supporting and sponsoring this event.
For Immediate Release: March 31, 2006 Tri-State residents encouraged to attend event featuring officials from federal, state and local agencies Washington D.C. – The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) and the management of the Tri-State Sikh Cultural Society have invited several federal, state and local officials to participate in a community forum for the Sikh community in the greater tri-state area. The Sikh American community is encouraged to attend this event with their children so that they may be informed about their rights when encountering different federal and state agencies. Confirmed participants include representatives from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Monroeville police Department and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Invitations have also been extended to the United States Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania Governor’s Advisory Commission on Asian American Affairs. The purpose of this event is to aid Sikh Americans in learning how to correctly respond to all forms of discrimination, hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents and bullying and harassment of school children. This forum will provide Sikh Americans with the crucial knowledge on appropriate responses and actions to take to protect and exercise their constitutional rights. SALDEF encourages all residents of the greater Tri-state area to attend. We thank the management and community members of the Tri-State Sikh Cultural Society for supporting and co-sponsoring this event. When: Saturday, April 8, 2006 Time: 3 pm – 5 pm Where: Tri-State Cultural Society Bedford 4407 McKenzie Drive Monroeville, PA 15146 For more information about this forum please go click here.
For Immediate Release: March 20, 2006 Ohio residents encouraged to attend event featuring officials from federal, state and local agencies Washington D.C. – The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) and the management of the Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Society of Bedford, Ohio have invited several federal, state and local officials to participate in a community forum for the Sikh community. The Sikh American community is encouraged to attend this event with their children so that they may be informed about their rights and learn how various federal and state agencies can assist if their rights are violated. Confirmed participants include representatives from the United States Attorney’s Office, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bedford Police Department, and Ohio Civil Rights Commission. The purpose of this event is to aid Sikh Americans in learning how to correctly respond to all forms of discrimination, hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents and bullying and harassment of school children. This forum will provide Sikh Americans with the crucial knowledge on appropriate responses and actions to take to protect and exercise their constitutional rights. SALDEF encourages all residents of the greater Cleveland metropolitan area to attend. We thank the management and community members of Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Society for supporting and co-sponsoring this event. When: Saturday, March 25, 2006 Time: 3 pm – 5 pm Where: Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Society of Bedford 38 Tarbell Road Bedford, Ohio For more information about this forum please go to: www.saldef.org/attachments/clevelandkyr.pdf
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