TEXAS SHERIFF MEETS WITH SANGAT

This is an update about the Texas Sikh American family that was terrorised by the police after the burglary of their home. Evidentally, there is a new sheriff in town who promises this sort of occurance is a thing of the past. One can only hope.

From SALDEF:

Harris County Sheriff-Elect and Judge Meet with Houston-Area Sikhs

Houston, Texas: December 22, 2008 – On Sunday, December 14 2008 at the request of SALDEF Regional Director and long-time friend, Bobby Singh, Harris County Texas Sheriff-elect Adrian Garcia met with the Sikh American community at the Sikh Center of Houston, in the aftermath of a recent incident where a Sikh family was allegedly harassed by Harris County officers after calling in a burglary.

The meeting allowed the Sikh American community to voice their concerns directly to the Sheriff-elect and was also an opportunity for the community to hear from local officials at a time when concerns and fear of the local police are high. At the meeting, Sheriff-elect Garcia remarked that the behavior of the Sheriff Deputies in this incident would not be tolerated under his administration, which takes effect on January 2, 2009.

At the meeting, the Sheriff-elect was presented with framed copies of SALDEF’s Sikh Americans and the Kirpan, and Common Sikh American Head Covering posters by the congregation, to be displayed in his office as a reminder of the diversity within his community.

During his comments to the over 200 Sikhs, in attendance Sheriff-elect Garcia committed to instituting “high quality diversity training” for all of his officers – the third largest police force in the United States.

“These meetings are part of SALDEF’s continued efforts to provide long-term and meaningful engagement with government officials in cities across the nation,” said SALDEF Regional Director Bobby Singh. “Both the community and government, must take concrete steps to understand one another, and make sure that incidents like this do not happen again. These meetings are just the beginning of a long-term partnership that SALDEF and the Sikh American community will have with the local officials to ensure open communication and to prevent misunderstandings in the future.”

Through SALDEF’s Law Enforcement Partnership Program, SALDEF previously provided law enforcement training to the City of Houston police department. In the new year, SALDEF plans to work with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office to provide a year-long training program to educate the entire force about Sikhs and Sikh Americans.

BACKGROUND
Earlier this month, in the course of investigating the burglary of a Sikh American home, Harris County police officials made suggestive remarks to the family about Muslims, terrorism and the Mumbai terrorist attacks. When one the officers noticed a family member wearing a kirpan, they pointed a taser gun at her head, and handcuffed multiple family members, including a sixty-year-old grandmother. The only reason for this action was the Sikh family practicing their faith freely in their home.

To read media reports about this incident, click below:
Sikh family accuses deputies of abuse, taunts – Houston Chronicle 12/5/08
Sheriff-elect reaches out to Harris County Sikhs – Houston Chronicle 12/14/08
Garcia, Sikhs to meet – Houston Chronicle 12/12/08
Interview with Tagore Family – Sach Productions 11/27/08

Is There Still Hope To Put Tytler On Trial?

I haven't heard any news about this for quite a long time. This came across from a Goggle Alert this morning. I do not know if this is true or not, of course. The blue italisized line leaves it open to question. I'll report back if and when I hear more.

From Zeenews.com India Edition

CBI team visits US to question anti-sikh riot witness

New Delhi, Dec 22: A two-member CBI team has left for US to question Jasbir Singh, a key witness in 1984 anti-Sikh riots who alleged that former Union Minister Jagdish Tytler played an active role in instigating the crowd.

Singh, who is reportedly based in California, has filed several affidavits against Tytler, a Congress leader, before various Commissions, saying he was willing to testify before the court and narrate everything provided his and his family's safety was guaranteed.

CBI's move to visit US marked U-turn from its earlier position demanding presence of Singh in India. The team besides recording the Singh's statement is likely to question other 1984 riot witnesses based in the US.

When contacted, CBI spokesperson pleaded ignorance about the development.

CBI, which had on September 29, 2007 filed an affidavit in a court here seeking closure of case against Tytler taking the plea that Singh was untraceable, was directed by a court here to submit the address of Singh, declared as a crucial witness.

The agency had earlier this year issued notices to Singh under section 160 of the CrPC, which empowers the probe agency to seek presence of a witness.

Singh through his lawyers pleaded before Delhi high Court to quash the notice for his presence issued by the probe agency expressing apprehension that there is a danger to his life in case he visits India for recording of his testimon not reside in India.

END THE GENOCIDE IN PUNJAB NOW!!

We can stop it. In fact we are the only ones who can stop it - since we are the perpetrators. What we are doing to our preborn girl-children is as outrageous, as atrocious as what outsiders are doing to the children of Gaza. I have spent most of my day responding to people who are outraged at the pictures I posted of those dead children in Gaza. I wish I had such graphic pictures of our own murdered children to post. I do not. However, I promise I will find them and post them if this nonsense doesn't stop!

Aren't you yet getting tired of my harping on this subject? I am tired of it. I assure you, I think about it much more often than I write about it. One day, horrible, graphic pictures of dead and bloody children in Gaza. Now today, our own little girls. Again.

And it is us. You and I, the educated Sikhs, the ones who use computers and the Internet. We cannot blame this on illiterate, uneducated villagers who "don't know any better" and who "cannot afford a daughter." No, friends, my sisters and brothers, this is us! While I would not classify myself as affluent in North America, in Punjab, I would be considered both affluent and educated. Let me add that this is not only in Punjab. There are growing gender imbalances among us in Canada, as well. I cannot even begin to express my shame.

Here is my latest up dated picture of Anupreet Kaur, who recently turned 3. She looks deep in thought in this picture. I wonder what she's looking about. What do little, three year old girls think in these odd moments? Who could possibly resist such innocence and purity, such charm? I guess it is us. (I promise, I will continue to show you these delightful pictures if you stop this slaughter.)

There is only one way short of killing me to shut me up.

STOP THE MURDER OF OUR PREBORN GIRLS!!

END THE FOURTH GHALUGHARA TODAY!!!

Here is the story, published in many locations around the Web. How can the world take the much publicised social conscience of us Sikhs seriously, while we continue this slaughter of our own innocent children?

Gender imbalance highest among India's affluent: Harvard study

New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) A baby girl is still unwanted in many Indian homes. What's more, the sex ratio imbalance is highest among the rich and the educated, says a study by the Harvard School of Public Health in the US.

In India, where families have traditionally preferred son, the male-female ratio increases with the level of education. The odds of having a boy compared to a girl is 25 percent higher in houses where the head of the family has completed schooling.


'We found that households where the head of the house has completed schooling had an increased ratio of having a male child compared to houses with heads receiving no formal education,' S.V. Subramanian, lead author of the study released last month, told IANS.


The male-female ratio also increases with income, the study found. Higher income groups are 14 percent more likely to prefer a boy to a girl while in the poorer sections the preference may be just four percent more.


'Urban areas also reported higher sex imbalance as the odds of having a boy are 11 percent higher in cities compared to seven percent in rural areas,' Subramanian said.


The researchers used a nationally representative, population-based sample of household survey data provided by the Indian National Sample Survey Organisation (INSSO) for five recent years: 2004/05, 1999/2000, 1993/94, 1987/88 and 1983. The INSSO survey covered the whole of the India except for a few inaccessible and difficult pockets.


It also reveals that the introduction of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act 1994 (PNDT) to check misuse of technology in this field has failed to correct the imbalance in the sex ratio.


'The sex ratio clearly signifies that the PNDT Act failed to check sex imbalance as the odds of having a boy increased to 10 percent in the period following the implementation of the Act. The odds of having a boy were seven percent in the pre-PNDT period,' Subramanian said.


There are notable variations among states. Punjab continues to be the state where the odds of having a boy increased to 37 percent compared to a girl. Karnataka has the lowest percentage with the odds of having a boy one percent higher than a girl.


According to Subramanian, a positive association between socio-economic status and sex imbalance is paradoxical given that the affluent class has been consistently associated with improved health and other well-being outcomes.


'The combined effect of persistent and intense son preference, along with increasing affordability and accessibility to technologies for sex determination, however, makes the concentration of male infants among the rich somewhat counter-intuitive,' the study found.


A higher incidence of giving dowry to the bride in marriage and prevailing inheritance practices favouring sons, both more common among high-income groups, are key motivations for an intense preference for sons among them.


'Meanwhile, a son preference norm could simply be dormant among low income groups, as they do not possess sufficient resources to practise discrimination,' the study said.


'For instance, low-income households, with reduced access to technologies available for foetal sex detection, may be less able to participate in the activities of foetal sex detection followed by selective abortion.'

Posted by Indian Daily News at 3:40

Back To Reality - Torture and Shoes

Now that we've all had our fun laughing at shoes being thrown at George W. Bush, each of us vicariously enjoying throwing those shoes at him, let us turn our attention to the gentleman who actually did the deed for us! Our hero is not only under arrest, but evidentally has been tortured.

Read on, from al Jazeera Magazine...

"Iraqi reporter al-Zaidi's arm, ribs broken"
16/12/2008 03:10:00 PM GMT


Security agents have broken the arm and ribs of al-Zaidi, a reporter who hurled his shoes at President Bush on Sunday.


Security agents have broken the arm and ribs of al-Zaidi, a reporter who hurled his shoes at Bush during a press conference Sunday in Baghdad.

"He has got a broken arm and ribs, and cuts to his eye and arm," the reporter's brother Durgham told AFP on Tuesday.

"He is being held by forces under the command of Muaffaq al-Rubaie," he added.

According to Durgham, his brother was being held by Iraqi forces in the heavily fortified Green Zone compound in central Baghdad.




His employer, al-Baghdadiya television, also reported that al-Zeidi had been "seriously injured" and called on the government to allow lawyers and Red Crescent representative to visit him.

On Monday, thousands of Iraqis staged a demonstration in Sadr City in Baghdad calling for the release of the journalist. Hundreds of Iraqis demonstrated on Tuesday across the country demanding the release of al-Zaidi.

The 29-year-old Muntadhar al-Zaidi, a correspondent for al-Baghdadiya satellite channel, threw his shoes at the US President George W. Bush during a press conference on Sunday, shouting "This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog!"

Bush inked an interim security agreement with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during his farewell visit to Baghdad in a bid to extend the presence of US troops in the war-ravaged country.


© aljazeera.com

UPDATE - THE GAME! At Last! A Good Use For Shoes

POST 400 In case anyone is counting...

Here is one of the online games chucking shoes at the still-for-about-a-month Prez:

http://kroma.no/2008/bushgame

I intensely dislike wearing shoes, uncomfortable beasts at best. Here, however, is a good use for them.

I post this just in case there is even one among my readers who hasn't seen it. I heard on TV this morning that Iraqis are divided 50/50 about this incident. Fifty percent believe the "attacker" was correct to throw the shoes; the other 50% believe he was wrong to embarass the Iraqi Prime Minister.

(After that last post, I'm sure we all need something like this.)

IN THE NAME OF HUMANITY, STOP THIS!!

I CALL ON ISRAEL! I CALL ON EGYPT! I CALL ON ALL THE COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD TO PUT AN END TO THIS ATROCITY!

Frankly, I no longer care who is to blame. We are all responsible!

I have no time to write a good post today, so just look at the pictures. Then write your governmental representatives of your country to put an end to this murder of innocent children! If enough of us insist and don't quit insisting, they will listen. Do it now, this minute! How many will die horribly while you hesitate?

I have come under considerable fire for harping on this horror that is Gaza. No matter. I will continue harping until it is resolved or I am dead!