The Sikh Coalition Newsletter

Justice for All e-Newsletter
January 25, 2005
Volume 35

Presentation at University of Washington
A Sikh Coalition volunteer, Sujot Kaur, was invited to speak on the experience of the Sikh community after 9/11 for a humanities class on "Religious Fundamentalisms, Politics, and Media in America." She delivered a presentation to a class of approximately 100 college freshman students. The presentation included a brief lesson on Sikhism, Sikh philosophy, hate crimes against the Sikh community and the speaker's own experiences in dealing with intolerance and discrimination. The students were also informed about the importance of the Kirpan and Dastaar as a part of the Sikh identity.

One of the highlights of the presentation was when she acted out being a person who wanted help, and then pretended to see a visible Sikh (wearing a Dastaar) to illustrate how the identity was conducive with Sikhs’ desire to help others. By using an engaging technique to communicate a serious topic, she found the students wanted to learn more about those who are different from themselves.

Coalition Participates in Non-Profit Development Training
The Sikh Coalition participated in a non-profit development training weekend organized by the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium (NAPALC) during the weekend of December 3, 2004. The training weekend, which covered topics such as Board Development, Fundraising, and Staff Management, was conducted by the Management Assistance Group, a non-profit capacity building organization. The Coalition was one of 6 South Asian organizations chosen for the training by NAPALC for its potential to develop over the coming years. The Coalition thanks NAPALC and the Chevron Texaco Foundation, which funded the training.

Training For New Jersey Bias Crime Detectives
The Coalition trained over one hundred bias crime detectives from throughout New Jersey on Sikh practices and hate crimes against Sikhs on December 16, 2004. The Monmouth County Police Academy hosted the training. This is the second consecutive year the Coalition has trained New Jersey’s bias crime detectives on Sikh practices and concerns.

Police Training in Albany Region
The Coalition conducted two separate training sessions on Sikhs and Sikh practices for law enforcement officers in the Albany, New York region on December 7 and December 16. The Coalition thanks Kaval Singh from Albany for conducting the trainings.

Training for New Police Recruits in Monmouth County New Jersey and Bergen County New Jersey
The Coalition’s Legal Director conducted a training session on Sikhs and Sikh practices in Monmouth County, New Jersey on December 2, 2004. The training session was part of the new police recruit training for police officers in Monmouth County. A separate training session occurred for veteran police officers in Bergen County on December 3, 2004. A Coalition intern, Radhika Kaur, assisted with the training session. The Coalition thanks Jerry Hamlin for organizing both training sessions.

Sikh Coalition Speaks to Students at Regent University
On December 1, 2004, a regional representative from the Sikh Coalition spoke to graduate students at Regent University, a Christian university located in Virginia Beach, VA. Regent was founded by Dr. Pat Robertson, host of the 700 Club and President of the Christian Broadcast Network. The Coalition was invited to speak to psychology masters candidates about the tenets and teachings of the Sikh faith, the difficulties faced by Sikhs in the United States, and experiences that shape the Sikh way of life.

Sikh Coalition Representative Serves as Oratory Judge in First Freedom Student Competition
On December 5, a representative from the Coalition served as a judge in an oratory competition hosted by the Council for America's First Freedom (CAFF), entitled "Religious Freedom: My Right - My Responsibility." CAFF (www.firstfreedom.org) was formed to promote the cause of religious freedom around the world and looks to the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom -- signed in Richmond in 1786 -- for its inspiration. CAFF is also a partner in A More Perfect Union (www.moreperfectunion.info), a post-9/11 educational effort responding to backlash against Muslims, Arabs, South Asians, and Sikhs. The Coalition is an advisory board member of A More Perfect Union and fully supports CAFF in all it does to promote tolerance and religious understanding.

Featured Sikh Student Organization of the Month: Trinity University
As a regular part of our newsletters, the Sikh Coalition will begin featuring the work and activities of Sikh Student Associations around the country. Sikh Student Associations and their members represent the future of our community. In the past the Coalition has worked with SSAs to provide content for presentations on Sikhism and Sikh concerns. The Coalition wishes to continue this fruitful interaction with SSAs and highlight the work of SSAs that provide a model for Sikhs.

This month’s featured SSA ----Trinty Univeristy’s Students Creating Awareness of the Sikh Faith (SCASF) ---- has the distinction of perhaps being the only Sikh student organization whose officers are mostly non-Sikhs. Three out of four of SCASF’s officers are not Sikhs. Nevertheless, as the list of its activities over the past semester demonstrates, SCASF may be one of the most active Sikh student organizations in the United States:

September 2004 -Dialogue on Race and Religion: A Social Experiment of Sikh Identity

One weekend, two groups of student volunteers walked around different parts of San Antonio while wearing turbans. The following Monday, a discussion was organized, in which the volunteers shared their experiences and reactions they encountered from other people while wearing the turban.

October 2004 - Tie a Turban Day

Members of the local Sikh community tied turbans on Trinity students, faculty, and staff. They distributed literature on the significance of the turban, and took digital pictures of all participants as a momento of their unique experience.

November 2004 - 'Remember 1984'

SCASF organized a week of awareness and commemoration of the tens of thousands of Sikhs that were massacred in India twenty years ago. The week was comprised of a candlelight vigil, an informational booth and display, and a panel discussion. 'Remember 1984' featured a lecture by executive director of ENSAAF and author of 'Reduced to Ashes' and 'Twenty Years of Impunity,' Jaskaran Kaur. The unreleased movie 'Amu,' produced by Shonali Bose, was also screened for the student population.

November 2004

Trinity student Darsh Preet Singh represented the Sikh faith in the Trinity Multicultural Network's interfaith dialogue entitled 'A Light on Faith.'

December 2004

As a part of International Education Week, SCASF participated in Calligraphy Day and represented the Gurmukhi script.

Rutgers Sikh Student Association Donates Proceeds of Cultural Event to Sikh Coalition
The Rutgers Sikh Student Association – RU Sikhs --- pledged to donate all the proceeds from a cultural event it in held on December 8, 2004. The event, “Bhangra Knights,” was student celebration of Punjabi culture and bhangra held in conjunction with Rutgers Bhangra. The Sikh Coalition sincerely thanks the RU Sikhs and Rutgers Bhangra for its supports of the its work.

Job Announcement: Office of Congressman Ted Poe
An administrator’s job is open in Congressman Ted Poe’s (R-TX) office. The candidate may be posted in Washington, DC or Houston, Texas. Interested persons should write to Harpal Singh at yourharpal@yahoo.com.

[BACK]