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Sikh Kirpan Bill In California
Assembly
WSN Bureau
 LOS ANGELES: At a time when even the Indian Government is not
cooperating with the Sikh community to ensure their religious rights
are protected at all times, the Diaspora Sikhs seem to be making
their point with a vigour and dedication worthy of emulation. Thanks
to a concerted and well argued campaign underlining the integral
need of community symbols for any practising Sikh, California
Assemblyman from Long Beach, Warren Furutani, has now introduced a
Bill to make sensitisation and awareness about "kirpan" mandatory
for law enforcement officers.
If passed, legislation AB 504 will require police officers to
receive instruction about the Sikh faith. Sikhs have in the past
experienced prejudiced behaviour, harassment and discrimination
often emerging out of complete lack of awareness about their
religious symbols.
Such a measure, if introduced, will also go a long way in
establishing the separate identity of the Sikhs in American people's
minds who, because of their lack of knowledge, often end up
confusing the community with Arabs or Muslims. Kirpan is one of the
five articles of faith that any baptised Sikh is required to carry
at all times. In hundreds of years, there has never been a single
incident of a baptised Sikh misusing his integral symbol of kirpan
in any untoward activity, a fact grudgingly acknowledged even by
detractors of the community.
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Oklahoma legislation may bar turbans
OKLAHOMA: The recent passage of a legislation in Oklahoma that
would prohibit individuals from wearing head scarves and head
garments for driver’s license photographs has caused resentment
among various religious groups. Members of the House had voted
88-8 in favour of the measure.
A US-based advocacy group, American Legal Defense and Education
Fund (SALDEF), has called upon members of Oklahoma Senate to
emphasize that religious freedom was a state policy. The
legislation was introduced by Oklahoma Rep Rex Duncan in
response to news that a Muslim woman was allowed to wear ‘hijab’
in her driver’s license photograph at her local Department of
Motor Vehicles.
Because the proposed law forbids all headcoverings, the
religious rights of observant Sikhs who wear religiously
mandated turbans are in jeopardy. |
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The Bill introduced in
California will be
the first of its kind anywhere in the
United States
where Sikhs did suffer racial attacks after the 9/11 attacks.
Furutani's bill is scheduled to be reviewed in late March.
“The Sikh community, who are a vibrant, peaceful and law
abiding part of our state, should not live in fear of arrest by law
enforcement for carrying the “kirpan”, which is an integral part of
their religious faith,” said Furutani, while introducing the Bill
earlier this week.
“It symbolizes cutting through injustice and lies to get to
the truth,” said Neha Singh of the Sikh Coalition, a civil-rights
organization that has an office in
Alameda
County.
Various organisations in the
US, including the
Sikh Coalition, have been lobbying with state lawmakers and law
enforcement representatives for this legislation after the arrest of
many Sikhs for carrying the “kirpan”.
The Bill says that law enforcement officers should be trained
in “how to recognise and interact with persons carrying a ‘kirpan’”.
It is likely to be passed into law.
“Because Sikhs carry ‘kirpans’ required by their religious
code of conduct, they can be arrested and charged with violating
state or local concealed weapons laws,” said advocacy group Sikh
Coalition in a statement. “Such arrests violate Sikhs’ rights and
are a waste of taxpayers’ money .” There have been more than 20
cases when Sikhs have been criminally charged for carrying “kirpan”.
In most cases, either the prosecutors didn’t press charges or the
judges dismissed the case.
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March 2009
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