Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace--but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
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| Sant Ji Tying His Turban - 1984? |
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| Sant Ji Tying His Turban - 1984? |
(An aside: SALDEF is a really effective organisation. They deserve your support.)
Sikh Traveler Humiliated at Los Angeles Airport
SALDEF outraged by allegations of verbal abuse and inappropriate touching by TSA officials
Washington DC; February 23, 2009 – The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, has called upon the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to investigate allegations of bias-based harassment and inappropriate touching of a Sikh American traveler by TSA officials at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on the night of February 5, 2009.
Mr. Singh, whose full name is being kept confidential at this time, passed through a metal detector at LAX without setting off an alarm but was asked to step aside for secondary screening of his dastaar (Sikh turban). When he noted that a group of observant Jewish travelers in the line ahead of him were permitted to pass through security without removing their large religiously-mandated head coverings or submitting to secondary screening, a supervisor accused Mr. Singh of being uncooperative and reportedly told him: "I've been working here for a long time and know my sh*t. We don't tolerate this type of nonsense from people like you."
Mindful of his right to request non-invasive screening alternatives, Mr. Singh requested passage through a puffer machine but was refused this option. Instead, Mr. Singh was subjected to a full body pat-down, during which a TSA officer reportedly touched and squeezed his neck, arms, buttocks, legs, and genitals. Mr. Singh was ultimately asked to pat down his own turban and submit to a chemical swab of his hands.
"We are troubled by these allegations because they reinforce our concern that TSA is subjecting Sikh travelers to unequal treatment," said SALDEF Legal Director Rajdeep Singh Jolly. "Sikh American travelers deserve to be treated with respect and need to remain vigilant to ensure that their rights are not trampled."In order to properly document additional incidents and ensure that TSA is properly implementing their screening protocols, SALDEF requests that all Sikh air travelers document their airport screening experiences. Your feedback will help us alert TSA to deficiencies and ensure that they are being respectful of the religious rights of all travelers.If you experience any form of discrimination due to your Sikh identity, or if you notice individuals of other faiths who wear religious clothing being treated differently from you at airports and elsewhere, please report it immediately to SALDEF at mailto:legal@saldef.org?subject=Airport%20Screening%20Complaint or by calling 202-393-2700 ext 131.
This post is about the last. First, the current Sikhtoon:
This refers to the following three stories, among many more:
I like humour. I like to laugh. I enjoy Sikhtoons. Did you know that they have a contest.?All you have to do is put the best caption in the bubble and win. This is the third contest. I entered the first two and did not win. I can blame this only on the fact that the winning captions were better than my submissions. However, hope springs eternal...
If you would like to try your hand at this, here's the cartoon:
I was walking along a path with two friends—the sun was setting—suddenly
the sky turned blood red—I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the
fence—there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the
city—my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety—and I sensed
an infinite scream passing through nature.
I think the Yanks need to understand that the turban is worth more than a million Stars and Stripes over which they get a hissy fit and start wars.
EUGENE - Members of the Sikh community are speaking out after three Douglas County men allegedly pulled a turban off a truck driver's head and drove off with it.
"There was basically a guy who stopped me and said I'm looking for a rag head to kill," said Eugene resident Pami Singh.
Singh says he's experienced hate before and blames it in on ignorance.
"We were essentially asked to not cut our hair and keep it in a turban," said Singh.
The local engineer is of the Sikh faith and says since 9-11, he's seen more people who aren't as accepting of his culture.
"There are very good people and there are some that don't understand," said Singh.
Last August, a Sikh truck driver went to a truck stop convenience store, where three men grabbed the turban from his head, ran around the building and into their car. Thanks to video surveillance, police were able to catch up with the group and arrest them.
A Douglas County jury indicted three Yoncalla residents for that crime on misdemeanor charges of theft and harassment, but not on the felony charge of intimidation.
"It's the same thing as going up to a woman and pulling her shirt off," said Eugene resident Sarib Khalsa.
Khalsa is also Sikh. He says the Yoncalla incident should be considered a hate crime.
"A turban to a Sikh is part of their identity. Historically even touching someone's turban is a huge insult," said Khalsa.
Oregon law classifies hate crimes as "intimidation" and defines the act as tampering or interfering with property, and causing substantial inconvenience to another because of the person's race, color, religion, national origin or sexual orientation.
So what can be done? One Sikh doctor living in Eugene says plenty.
"Education is the key to get rid of biases," said Jaswinder Kaur.
What is a Sikh's turban worth? A few dollars or rupees? My turbaned brother or sister, if your turban is ripped off your head, what is it worth?Alleged theft of Sikh’s turban deemed harassment
CHELSEA DUNCAN, cduncan@newsreview.info
Ranjit Singh lives his life respecting all religions, all cultures, all people. Every person is equal, the truck driver from Manteca, Calif., said.
Singh, 37, feels he was not shown the same respect while visiting a truck stop in Rice Hill last year. When the turban he wears as a member of the Sikh religion was reportedly snatched from his head, Singh considered the incident an attack on his beliefs.
“That is a very important thing,” he said of the turban, a part of the articles of faith Sikhs wear as a testament to their religion.
He contacted the Sikh Coalition, based in New York, where members lamented what they called a hate crime. The Douglas County District Attorney’s Office pressed felony charges against three suspects, alleging they had taken the turban because of their perceptions of Singh’s religion or national origin.
But last week, a Douglas County grand jury declined to indict the men on those charges, instead accusing them of misdemeanor harassment and third-degree theft.
Singh and his supporters were disappointed with the decision.
Amardeep Singh, the executive director of the Sikh Coalition (no relation to Ranjit Singh), believes the grand jury’s choice reflects a gap in education and knowledge.
“It doesn’t seem that the grand jury got the injury to a whole community that occurs when you go after its most sacred article of faith,” he said.
Yoncalla residents Ryan David Robbins, 21, Kyle Brian Simmons, 22, and Ryan Jeffrey Newell, 28, are accused in the Aug. 25 incident that occurred as Ranjit Singh was walking out of a convenience store, according to court records.
One of the men allegedly grabbed the turban, ran around the building, then drove away with it in a car, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Singh called police, and with the help of a surveillance video from the store, officials were able to track the three men down several days later.
“The allegations are very serious allegations,” said Assistant District Attorney Rick Wesenberg, “and we recognized that.”
Charges of first-degree intimidation, a felony, and second-degree theft, a misdemeanor, were initially filed. The charge of intimidation deals with situations such as assaults or threats committed due to perception of a person’s race, color, religion, national origin or sexual orientation.
“We presented the grand jury with the facts and the law,” Wesenberg said, “and the grand jury made the ultimate decision.”
Because the case is pending against the men, who Wesenberg stressed are innocent until proven otherwise, the prosecutor declined to comment further.
The suspects could not immediately be reached for comment. Robbins’ attorney could also not be reached, and it was unclear whether the other two men have retained attorneys.
The charge of harassment alleges that the men unlawfully and intentionally subjected Singh to offensive physical contact.
Singh and his supporters likely would not disagree with that description, but they believe the most important aspect of the case was lost on the grand jury.
Amardeep Singh believes the jurors apparently viewed the incident as a joke, that the man who took the turban was “a prankster, but not a bigot.”
With the stereotypes left in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Singh doesn’t see how anyone could not understand the implications of stealing a turban.
Sikhs wear turbans and the other articles of faith to express their commitment to follow the mandates of the religion, such as living truthfully and standing for equality and social justice, according to www.sikhcoalition.org.
“It’s a constant reminder that we should always be good honest people,” Amardeep Singh said.
According to the Web site, Sikhism originated in South Asia and has more than 25 million followers worldwide.
As the case proceeds, Singh said advocates hope to get a chance to explain how they feel about the incident to a judge or jury in an effort to educate. They’ve also asked federal officials to open an investigation to pursue so-called hate crime charges.
The grand jury’s decision about the intimidation charges was not all that troubled Amardeep Singh and Ranjit Singh. During the grand jury process, the dollar value of the turban came up for debate.
Ranjit Singh was asked to estimate the value of the turban to determine which level of theft should be charged.
For Singh, there was no way to do that. To him, the turban is sacred, priceless.
“I’m not fighting for four or five dollars,” he said, “I am fighting for justice.”
Photos: I did not find a picture of Ranjit Singh, so you are treated to these wonderful pictures of Sikhs. I like to look at Sikhs; I think we're a very good-looking group. I have permission to use these photographs by professional photographer Charles Meacham. If you would like to see more, go to his website, Charles Meacham Photographs, click on 'Galleries,' and go to 'Being Sikh.'
I started to leave a comment, but partway through, I realised I needed more than just a comment. Hence this post....the turbans didn't even become standard Sikh-wear until the British were in
India and decided that is what Sikhs in their army should
wear.
his has always meant to tie a turban, although boys too young to properly respect and care for a turban, as well as sportsmen, often wear a kind of smaller covering called a patka. It is a big deal when a boy first wears a turban, a cause for celebration and partying. ( My own son 's adopting of the turban was rather strange and he really was a bit young.)
Turban is and has been an inseparable part of a Sikh's life. Since GuruThis whole pat-down thing is obnoxious and unnecessary. I know my husband Mani would have thought nothing of flattening anyone who had the effrontery to touch his turban. My sister Suni and her husband Amritdeep are currently visiting here in Seattle. They have decided to drive to Vancouver, Canada, when it's time to fly home to Montreal rather than risk having security mess with their turbans.
Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, all Sikhs have been wearing turbans.
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And while you're at it, check out this story about a Sikh forced to remove his turban and untie his hair PUBLICLY.
ly comes to its senses and shows some respect toward its Sikh citizens and residents, I am boycotting all things French, including their holidays.
You
