New York , NY, November 14, 2005 – The Coalition is proud to announce a historic hearing of the nation's first Dastaar Bill on November 17, 2005 in New York City. This bill, known officially as the Uniform Anti-Discrimination Bill (Intro. No. 577) will ban discrimination in city agencies on the basis of religious headdress, such as the Dastaar.

The Sikh Coalition now requires your sewa to ensure that the Dastaar bill becomes law. We need to fill City Hall with Sikhs. We thus call on all Sikh women, men and children to attend the hearings.
WHERE: NYC City Hall ; hearing at 250 Broadway, 14 th Floor.
*Buses will leave from the Flushing, Baba Makhan Shah Lobana, and Sikh Cultural Society Gurdwaras at 10am to go to City Hall
WHEN: Thursday, November 17th, 2005, at 12:30 PM
WHO: All New York area Sikhs. If you can take half the day off, or if you are not working on that day, Please make an effort to show you support. All parents at home with children, elders, young children are encouraged to attend.

This bill, if passed, will ensure that Sikhs working in New York City agencies will never again be forced to choose between their jobs and their turbans or other religious head coverings.

Please ask your friends and family members to attend the hearing on November 17, 2005. This is the first time the New York City Council is ever holding a hearing specifically to discuss issues facing Sikhs. We will never have a chance to make a first impression like this with the City leadership again. They should know that the Sikh community will stand up for its rights by attending public hearings on their issues.

If we can get this bill passed in New York City, we can press other cities and states to adopt similar bills. Whole classes of discrimination cases against Sikhs could be wiped out. Please inform all your New York friends and family members. Together, we can create history for Sikhs and other religious minorities in this country.

Organizations Endorsing the Dastaar Bill

• The Sikh Coalition
• Alt Muslims.com
• American Jewish Congress
• Anti-Defamation League of New York
• Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee of New York
• Arab American Association of New York
• Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
• Brennan Center for Justice)
• Coalition for Asian American Children and Families
• Coney Island Avenue Project
• Connect
• Council of Peoples Organization
• Council on American-Islamic Relations – New York
• Desi Society (A Fraternal Organization of South Asian NYPD Officers)
• DWA FANM
• Episcopal Diocese of New York
• Grand Council of Guardians
• Harlem Imams Shura
• Immigration Equality
• Islamic Circle of North America
• Islamic Leadership Council of NY
• Legal Access Network for South Asians
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center
• Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood
• Muslim Alliance in North America
• Muslim Consultative Network
• Muslim Foundation of America, Inc.
• New Immigrant Community Empowerment
• New York Area Muslim Bar Association
• New York Civil Liberties Union
• New York Disaster Interfaith Services
• New York Immigration Coalition
• Sakhi for South Asian Women
• Shobak.org
• South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow
• South Asian Bar Association of New York