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Dear Supporter,
Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru
ji ke Fateh
As we reflect back upon 2003, the Sikh panth (community)
and the Sikh Coalition can look back at a long list of important
accomplishments. The student allowed to register for classes
with his Sikh saroop (physical identity), the young Sikh
allowed to eat dinner in a restaurant while wearing his
turban, the thousands of police and bias officers trained
to recognize the unique aspects of the Sikh faith, the Sikh
prevented from being deported and potentially tortured,
the struggle to force New York City to allow Sikhs to protect
and serve the community as police officers – all of
these, and many similar accounts, represent the collective
growth of Sikhs in North America.
We would like to thank all of the people and organizations
that supported our work in 2003. Our community’s achievements
would not be possible without your moral and financial support,
your words of encouragement, your willingness to volunteer,
or your wise counsel. We sincerely thank you.
Yet still, even with all of this, this past year’s
accomplishments only demonstrate the beginning of all that
we could achieve. As Nelson Mandela dramatically described
in his speech, we must let the light of the Sikh people
shine through to the entire world. It is not too much to
dream of a world where no Sikh child is bullied; our saroop
is recognized and respected as the proud identity of a distinct
religious group; our friends and family are free from name
calling, insults or violence driven by prejudice; government
agencies support and encourage the rights of Sikhs; and
no member of society can claim ignorance of who a Sikh is
and what values we hold dear. Together, we can achieve these
goals.
In addition to serving a long list of individuals, the
Coalition achieved several major milestones in 2003:
- Filing a Federal lawsuit against the NYPD to allow Sikhs
with turbans to serve in the police force
- Organizing a nationwide Sikh Women’s Empowerment
Conference at Columbia University
- Receiving the James Park Morton Interfaith Tribute Award
from the Interfaith Center of New York. Other recipients
included Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nina and Daniel Libeskind,
and Ayisha Al-Adawiya.
- Releasing a state Sikh Civil Rights Agenda. Initially
launched in New Jersey, this landmark event represents
the first formal Sikh civil rights agenda ever launched
within a state.
The 2003 annual report describes these, and many other,
major accomplishments of the Coalition. We wish to let our
supporters see what your help enables us to accomplish.
We thank you and look forward to continuing our partnership
as we collectively work for the chardi kala of all people.
Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru
ji ke Fateh
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