US judge apologies to Sikh

AMRITSAR: A US judge has sent personal letter of apology to a Sikh - Hardeep Singh for asking him to remove his 'hat' in the courtroom.

Giving details of the incident staff attorney, International Civil and Human Rights Advocacy, United Sikhs, a Sikh NGO, Manmeet Singh told TOI on Wednesday that Hardeep Singh, resident of Battle Creek, Michigan was accompanying his friend to the court hearing in the Kalamazoo Country Probate Court on October 16, 2012. He was asked to remove his 'hat'.

He said that all his attempts to explain that it wasn't a hat but a Sikh turban, an inseparable part of his Sikh identity were halted by the judge. Another couple's effort to defend Hardeep Singh failed too. The judge asked Singh to either remove his "hat" or leave the courtroom following which Hardeep chose to leave the courtroom.

This incident came as a rude shock and Sikhs were appalled at the treatment meted out to one of their own by a giver of justice.

After the incident United Sikhs legal team filed a Civil Rights Complaint with the Department of Justice. "After persistent advocacy, positive results have been achieved" said he.

"We are humbled to announce another civil rights policy advocacy victory resulting in the modification of court procedures in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, to recognize the Sikh religious practices" he said.

Singh told that their advocacy leads to a new policy on accommodation of religious attire and headwear in Kalamazoo County Probate Court in Michigan.

The apology letter, the new non discrimination policy related to religious attire and headwear, the new complaint form and training for court staff were all steps in the right direction. "The new policy and complaint form will benefit not only Sikhs, but also Jews, Muslims and people of other faiths who wear some sort of head covering or religious attire" said Singh.


[timesofindia.indiatimes.com]

CHARDI KALA - Bravo to united Sikhs - excellent work

Good to see Sikhs are winning small battles in western hemisphere but war still continue. Now in Canada yet there is another discriminatory act, so called “Charter of Quebec Values" would ban religious symbols for public workers.
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Public employees would not be allowed to wear overt religious symbols at work under the proposed charter of Quebec values, released by the Parti Québécois today.
A diagram from the charter of Quebec values website illustrating banned overt religious symbols for public employees. A diagram from the charter of Quebec values website illustrating banned overt religious symbols for public employees. (http://www.nosvaleurs.gouv.qc.ca)A diagram from the charter of Quebec values website illustrating permitted religious symbols for public employees.A diagram from the charter of Quebec values website illustrating permitted religious symbols for public employees. (http://www.nosvaleurs.gouv.qc.ca)
The minister in charge of the charter, Bernard Drainville, announced at the national assembly that if the charter were adopted by the legislature, the wearing of kippas, turbans, burkas, hijabs and "large" crosses would be banned for civil servants while they are on the job.

“If the state is neutral, those working for the state should be equally neutral in their image,” said Drainville.

The plan would apply to judges, police, prosecutors, public daycare workers, teachers, school employees, hospital workers and municipal personnel...

[www.cbc.ca]
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