UNITED SIKHS Condemns Malicious Campaign against Sikhs: Raises Concern About Transnational Repression

UNITED SIKHS is a humanitarian aid and Sikh civil rights advocacy, nonprofit organization established in New York since 1999. Recently, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) issued false statements maligning the Sikh community by falsely portraying Sikhs as extremists and more and the Sikh community has needed to respond.

Specifically, on October 5, 2024, a local California newspaper, The Sacramento Bee, reported in an article, “In the Shadow of a Freeway Shooting Lurks the Fear of Sikhs Threatened in California,” that Ramya Ramakrishnan, Director of HAF Community Outreach stated that Sikh places of worship, called gurdwaras, have been engaging in criminal activity. Specifically, the article stated that in a phone interview, Ramya Ramakrishnan, HAF Community Outreach Director, and one of the principal organizers of an April conference of California law enforcement, entitled “Hate Violence and Extremism” stated in that conference that Sikh gurdwaras had been “home to illegal drugs and weapons.” This article also stated that “In April, at the request of HAF, dozens of police chiefs, district attorneys and federal law enforcement officials attended a day-long “Combating Rising Hinduphobia” conference. The event included an hour-long training on the Khalistan movement. The conference training materials falsely stated that “Khalistani leaders are linked to terrorism.”

This propaganda is false, defamatory and malicious and aims to discredit the long history of the Sikh community as law abiding and valuable members of the worldwide community, including in the United States, Canada, India, Europe and elsewhere.

UNITED SIKHS strongly condemns the false propaganda by institutions like Ramya Ramakrishnan, HAF, which seek to defame all Sikhs who are known to be peace-loving and patriotic. The Sikh community is a vibrant community in the service of humanity that includes caring for all people in need through worldwide volunteerism during natural and man-made disasters and providing langar in communities worldwide through its gurdwaras. The Sikh community members are making significant contributions to the social, scientific, and cultural fabric of the United States.

Such false, and malicious propaganda by HAF aims to intimidate Sikhs and HAF’s actions heighten Sikhs’ concerns about transnational repression. The FBI and others have uncovered attempts by governments and institutions to target the Sikh community with defamation, violence and assassinations here in the United States and abroad.

This is an unacceptable attempt to repress a freedom-loving community and reeks of the transnational repression Sikhs face here in the United States. Defamation and false propaganda by institutions like HAF expose Sikhs to animosity and violence and can not be ignored. It warrants a call to action by the United States government and our global community.

The Sikh community has a long and proud history in the United States. Notably, Dalip Saundh was the first Sikh and Asian American to be elected to the U.S. Congress. Since their arrival, Sikhs have confronted religious and racial discrimination despite making significant contributions to the social, scientific, and cultural fabric of the nation.

UNITED SIKHS appeals to the public to recognize and reject the harmful stereotypes being propagated by HAF. In the current climate, hateful rhetoric against Sikhs exacerbates hate crimes against the Sikhs and Middle Eastern communities. It is crucial to stand against such divisive tactics and support the Sikh community in their pursuit of peace and justice.

Finally, following the Sacramento Bee’s October 5th story, “In the Shadow of a Freeway Shooting Lurks the Fear of Sikhs Threatened in California,” we echo the Joint Sikhs Organizational Statement on Anti-Sikh Sentiments and Narratives in California, and we demand an immediate response and a public apology for the defamatory, false, malicious and irresponsible remarks made by Ramya Ramakrishnan and condoned by the Hindu American Foundation’s leadership.

Manvinder Singh

Director of Advocacy

P: +1-888-243-1690

manvinder.singh@unitedsikhs.org | law@unitedsikhs.org

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