November 20, 2023 (Washington, DC) — This week, the Sikh Coalition released a letter signed by leading Sikh civil rights organizations Ensaaf, the Jakara Movement and the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund to express our grave concerns regarding the continued threat of transnational repression against the Sikh community in the United States. The letter calls on Congress to pass and President Biden to sign the Transnational Repression Policy Act (H.R. 3654/S.831), which is a vital step in protecting the rights and safety of all individuals—especially those targeted by the malicious behavior of foreign governments.
Now, the Sikh Coalition urges you to TAKE ACTION by taking two minutes to call on your member of Congress to pass this critical legislation. By using our free advocacy tool to send a pre-written letter to your elected officials, you can advocate for the Transnational Repression Policy Act and the critical protections it offers against the reach of foreign governments into the United States.
As a reminder, in the days that followed Canada’s announcement into the investigation of Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder, the Sikh Coalition prioritized engaging the Biden Administration—including via our letter to President Biden, our statement for the record in favor of the reauthorization of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and our public testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Accountability. We have also held meetings with the White House, members of Congress on Capitol Hill, and federal agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security to ask that they stand for the civil rights and safety of Sikhs in the United States.
Please TAKE ACTION today by contacting your elected officials in the House of Representatives and Senate about this bipartisan legislation. In doing so, you can push Congress to counteract efforts that would infringe upon the civil liberties of individuals within the United States’ borders. Once you take action, please forward this email or share a simple link, thesikh.co/take-action-trpa, to encourage your family and friends to do so as well.
The Sikh Coalition is undertaking this work because we are gravely concerned about the possibility of efforts to harm or kill peaceful, law-abiding Sikhs in the United States on the basis of political views they may or may not hold. These serious threats to the safety of Sikhs are intended to silence our community and suppress our Sikh faith and identity. We continue to believe that everyone has the fundamental right to advocate for their beliefs, and no one should be targeted on the basis of their identity.
As always, the Sikh Coalition urges you to practice your faith fearlessly.