Coalition takes part in “The International Day of Peace Towards an Interreligious Council at the United Nations

Singh Sahib Bhai Manjit Singh (Jathedar of Takhat Sri Keshgarh Sahib), Dr Tarlochan Singh Khalsa (Representative of Gurdwara Singh Sabha of Washington), and Harpreet Singh (Director, Office of Community Relations for The Sikh Coalition) attended a conference entitled Governance and The Role of Religion in Peace and Security. The goal of the conference was to create an interreligious council at the United Nations where all religions are represented. The conference took place in New York City, September 20-23, 2002. Diplomats, former head of states, religious heads, other distinguished members of NGO and academic community from 75 nations were represented.

Sikh Network attends the RNA conference and publishes 2nd Edition of the Sikh Reference Guide

The Sikh Network recently published its 2nd Edition of the Reference Guide on Sikhism and the Sikh People. This guide is a quick reference to various Sikh beliefs and issues. Topics include Sikh theology, art, legal cases, picture gallery and glossary. This guide was distributed at the recent annual conference of the Religion Newswriters Association attended by 160 religion newswriters. Each year, RNA gathers experts in the fields of religion and media for a three-day, educational conference geared toward religion reporters at secular media outlets. The conference not only helps to hone religion writers' knowledge, but is also gives them a chance to network with one another and swap valuable story ideas.

Not only will this guide serve as a reference to journalists, it is also being distributed during meetings with law enforcement, government officials, interfaith groups, universities and other media outlets. A complete online version of the guide can be found at www.sikhnetwork.org/guide2002. For more information about the guide please contact: info@sikhnetwork.org

The Sikh Network, a constituent member of the Coalition, is a network of Sikh young adults organized as local chapters across North America, Europe and Punjab. Its mission is to promote the spiritual and political growth of the Sikh Nation through personal and collective development. For more information please see www.sikhnetwork.org.

Coalition Presents at Middle School in Wisconsin with Local Sikh Community

On Wednesday, September 25, Harpreet Singh, a local Wisconsin Sikh activist, and Haramandeep Singh, Co-Director of Education for The Sikh Coalition, organized a presentation at Templeton Middle School in Sussex, Wisconsin to over 400 students throughout the day. The presentations focused on general principles and beliefs of Sikhism and the Sikh identity. The presentations were given outstanding remarks and the school district was highly impressed to the point of seeking presentations at their high school and subsequently throughout the district. More presentations are being scheduled in October.

Coalition Sponsors Panel Discussion - A Presentation of Cultural and Legal Perspectives on Profiling and Hate Crimes In A Post-9/11 World

The Sikh Coalition will co-sponsor a Community Forum to discuss various perspectives on these pertinent legal and social issues in Richmond, VA. The program will include multiple screenings of the documentary video, “Raising Our Voices,” which examines how hate crimes have affected the South Asian community both before and after 9/11. Amandeep Singh, the Coalition’s regional director, will participate in a panel discussion that will follow the screenings and will include faculty, student, and outside speakers presenting ethnic and religious perspectives combined with the discussion of the pertinent legal issues surrounding profiling and hate crimes. Below is a list of panelists and topics of discussion.

For additional information, please contact amandeep.singh@sikhcoalition.org.

Coalition Intern Selected for APPEAL Fellowship

Supreet Kaur, a member of The Coalition’s Justice Watch Team, will participate as a Fellow in the Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment and Leadership (APPEAL) Youth Leadership Program. The year-long fellowship involves implementation of projects jointly sponsored by The Coalition and APPEAL within the Sikh community, and includes participation in APPEAL’s National Youth Leadership Summit, which will be held from October 12-14 in Hawaii.

Fellows were selected by APPEAL from across the U.S. and the Pacific Islands. Supreet Kaur, currently an undergraduate student at Columbia University, was chosen for participation in the program based on her work with the Sikh community through her ongoing internship with The Sikh Coalition.

Sikhs Rejected by State House Security: NESSC and Organizers of Vigil Take a Courageous Stand

An Interfaith Vigil Against Hate planned for the Great Hall at the Massachusetts State House on October 9 has been derailed by State House security, whose leadership has refused entry by Sikh participants who wear a kirpan, a Sikh religious sword. The kirpan has deep religious significance to devout Sikhs and is not a weapon. The wearing of a kirpan is a religious requirement for all initiated Sikhs.

All efforts to negotiate by the Sikh delegation led by Inderpreet Singh failed when security officials refused to discuss the issue. The Vigil, which is endorsed by Massachusetts legislators and more than 70 religious organizations, will move to 25 Beacon Street, headquarters of the Unitarian Universalist Association. The time remains the same: 11 a.m. on Wednesday, October 9.

The Sikh Coalition extends it support and applauds the several non-Sikh organizers and the New England Sikh Study Circle (NESSC) who took a stand by refusing to compromise on the issues of wearing a kirpan.

Members of the Massachusetts Interfaith Alliance will accompany Sikh participants in a walk from the State House to UUA headquarters.

Legal precedent has established that the Sikh kirpan is a religious symbol. Among other decisions, the Ohio Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on December 31, 1996, “To be a Sikh is to wear a kirpan—it’s that simple. It is a religious symbol and in no way a weapon.”

Featured participants in the vigil are the Sikh Children’s Kirtan (sacred music) Group from Milford, MA, who will appear in colorful traditional clothing. Sikh and Muslim college students will speak about their experiences, good and bad, following 9/11, and student members of “Outnumber the Hate” will display their artwork, poetry, and prose.

For more information, call Sam Starobin at 617-277-3535 or John Hurley at 617 -948-6131 or Inderpreet Singh at 781-899-5565.

UIC And Coalition Host Sikh Student Retreat In Midwest

The midwest area Sikh Student Retreat on Sept 27th-29th, organized by the University of Illinois Sikh Student Associaition and cosponsored by The Coalition was a resounding success. The retreat theme focused on the one year anniversary of September 11th and its impact on Sikhs as well as general Sikh ideology and practice. A theme shabad composed by the First Body of Nanak was sung in the original Raag Soohi: “Bhar Joban Mai Math Paeerday Ghar Pahunee Bal Raam Jeeo” - O' Beloved Almighty, I have been full of myself in this life, like being intoxicated with wine, and I have not realized I am just a guest in my parents' home.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Natasha Kaur at natasha@cyzap.com or at 312-355-8740.

Community Forum on National Origin Discrimination in Seattle

A community forum sponsored by the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

On October 9th, the Civil Rights Division staff and other agency representatives will answer questions, provide free educational materials and receive complaints.

Have you been discriminated against because of your national origin, Race or religion?

• Employment: Have you been refused a job, harassed at work or fired?
• Housing: Have you been denied an apartment or a mortgage?
• Police misconduct: Have you been discriminated against by a law enforcement officer?
• Education: Have you or your children been denied access to education?
• Hate Crimes: Have you or a family member been attacked or threatened? Has your house or property been damaged?

Further information: Please contact Margaret Hu, by telephone at (202)514-0094 or by email at margaret.hu@usdoj.gov, for further information about the community forum on national origin discrimination. The site is wheelchair accessible. If you need further accommodation, please contact Joy Moro, at (206)723-1725.