Sikh Summit 2011 in Review: UNITED SIKHS Legal Advocacy since our May Meeting with Over 30 Representatives and 5 Government Agencies

Washington, DC: Building upon the work accomplished at the May 2011 Sikh Summit, UNITED SIKHS’ legal team has continued to advocate on behalf the Sikh community, focusing on the issues of:

• Racial/ Religious Profiling,
• Employment Discrimination,
• Bullying,
• Hate Crimes,
• Census
• Religious Accommodations
• International Religious Freedom

Through the hard work of UNITED SIKHS and leaders and activists within the Sikh community, the Sikh Summit was made possible and community representatives were able to voice their concerns about a variety of issues to elected officials. (To view the previous Press Release on the 2011 Sikh Summit click here.)

The Sikh Summit, for the first time this year, also hosted a dinner to acknowledge the tireless efforts of our volunteers and community leaders. One such leader was Harpreet Singh Sandhu, former Councilman of Richmond, California.  After being honored for his service to the Sikh community, Harpreet Singh Sandhu stated, “The work that you’re [UNITED SIKHS] doing now is tremendous.  It reflects from coast to coast.  So, please continue to do this work.” He urged the dinner attendants, “Please give to this organization.  It’s a wonderful organization, doing very hard work.”  To view Harpreet Singh Sandhu’s speech after being honored click here.  To view other community leaders being honored please click here and here.

Following the Sikh Summit, which was held in early May, UNITED SIKHS continues to work on the issues that were brought to the attention of the 35 government officials with whom the Sikh Summit participants met. In continuing our advocacy efforts to address racial profiling UNITED SIKHS has:

• Met with the TSA administrator and other TSA officials to discuss the detrimental impact of racial/ religious profiling policies and the lack of proper redress mechanisms to protect a flying passengers civil rights.
• In the efforts to eliminate bullying at the local level, Legal Fellow, Ilana Ofgang testified on June 13th, 2011 at a New York City Council hearing on the NYC Department of Education’s ( to view the testimony, click here).
• Senior Staff Attorney, Hansdeep Singh, has spoken at the Washington Times Conference on Religious Persecution and at the SAALT Community Hearing regarding 9/11.
• Participating at the Computers, Freedom, and Privacy (CFP) Conference in June by developing a panel and calling on experts to discuss aviation security and policies(for more information about this conference, click here).

Even three months after the Sikh Summit, Sikh Summit attendees are still inspired by the week of meetings they participated in and they are more committed than ever to advocate for Sikh civil rights. Sahib Kaur, one of the youth advocates who participated in this year’s Summit stated, “The Sikh Summit was a success as it has been in previous years. I feel that we as a community should follow up regularly with the elected officials to see if the policies discussed are in progress.’ She affirmed her commitment to remaining involved in advocacy efforts not just during the Sikh Summit but throughout the year, “It is our job to secure and fight for our rights in the country we call home. We, as Sikhs in this country have definitely come a long way, and we will only continue to strive for the best.” 

During the Summit, many attendees were interviewed about their thoughts and reflections on the issues, to view some of these statements, click here.

Ms. Kaur invoked the words of Abraham Lincoln to illustrate her commitment to promoting Sikh civil rights, and how important it is in the larger context of minority rights generally,”That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well,’ -we as a community need to work hard to achieve great success in protecting our civil rights.”

This sentiment is particularly important in light of the approaching 10 year anniversary of the tragic events of September 11th 2001. After 9/11, the Sikh community experienced an increase in hate crimes, bullying and other forms of bias based discrimination. Throughout the week of the Sikh Summit, a common theme was that the community felt the need for greater education and outreach. To respond to these concerns, UNITED SIKHS is stepping up it’s education and outreach materials (one example of this is our recent community newsletter on employment discrimination, view it by clicking here).

As part of this campaign, the legal team is creating Know Your Rights materials and Sikh Awareness presentations that can be used by community members to take action in their own neighborhoods and educate others about Sikhs and the challenges faced by the community at large. We are timing the release of these materials to commemorate the 10th anniversary of September 11th in order to emphasize the importance of inter-faith, inter-community dialogue, respect and education. Be on the look out for the release of these materials in the first weeks of September!

Additionally, UNITED SIKHS will be participating in and supporting several community events surrounding the 10th anniversary of September 11th in partnership with a variety of coalitions and will keep you informed of this calendar of events (see below). We urge you all to come out and support these events!

What can you do? Raise your voice! Educate others about Sikhism. UNITED SIKHS is continuing to work with lawmakers and like-minded organizations to combat discrimination throughout the nation. Want to learn more and get involved? Contact us by clicking here! Donate to our ongoing work by clicking here!

• Take a look at the calendar of events surrounding the 10th anniversary of 9/11 below. Please show your support and attend these events, to honor the victims of 9/11 and promote a peaceful tomorrow:
  • Unheard Voices of 9/11: Community Hearings Hosted by Sikh Coalition on Saturday August 20th in NYC from 1pm-4pm and on Saturday August 27th in San Francisco.  Join this important discussion on the impact of 9/11 on the rights and liberties of Arabs, Muslims, Sikhs and
  • National Week of Action: Reflecting on Our Loss and Reclaiming Our Rights Hosted by Rights Working Group from September 11th -17th across the country, click here to view a map of events and find out more about how to get involved.
  • An America for All of Us Campaign led by South Asian Americans Leading Together, click here to view events taking place across the country and find out more about how to get involved.
  • Prepare New York is a coalition of interfaith organizations who are hosting a series of events surrounding the 10th anniversary of 9/11, click here to learn more and get involved in these events.
• Participate in education and awareness efforts about Sikhs and Sikhism. For ideas, tools, and more information on how to get involved, contact us at: law-usa@unitedsikhs.org. Support advocacy work to put an end to discrimination against Sikhs. Volunteer with UNITED SIKHS, and Donate to our civil rights advocacy projects.

Issued by:
Ilana Ofgang
Legal Fellow
law-usa@unitedsikhs.org