The Sikh Coalition Denounces the King Hearings and Stands Up for Human Rights
A week and a half ago I posted a blog entitled, Anti-Muslim Hate Comes to Orange County. In it, there was a video showing Muslims attending a fundraiser for homeless shelters being viciously screamed at by members of a local Tea Party group. Racial epithets and a horrific display of disrespect towards the men and women walking to and from the venue were shown.
The point of my post was not to endorse or villify the beliefs of Islam, liberalism, Sharia law, terrorist organizations, or even the organization which the Muslims in this case happened to be attending. It was to highlight the fundamental teachings of the Sikh Religion: no human being should be treated this way regardless of their political affiliation, religion, caste, or gender. We may disagree on some aspects of Sikhi, but human rights, I assumed, was something that we all agreed were the basic foundation blocks for Sikhism. The next day, a possible hate crime took place in Sacramento where two elderly Sikh men were shot. It was absolutely tragic and incredibly sad, and some commenters believed that the incident was the result of “liberal” Sikhs who sided with “Muslim issues,” thus creating an image of terrorists/Muslims/Sikhs as one and the same. The suggested solution was for Sikhs to distance themselves from Muslims and “Muslim Issues.”
I stopped reading the comments after the first few because the views being expressed were truly shocking, and the bickering, name-calling, and hostile tone was, to be honest, pretty brutal. Not something I’d expect to hear from readers on a progressive Sikh Blog. It was a relief to find out that these views really were just of a tiny fraction of the Sikh community.
A few days ago, I received a newsletter from the Sikh Coalition, an organization that deserves many accolades for all the hard work it has done and strides it has made, not just for Sikhs, but for bridging gaps and creating a sense of unity amongst various communities since it was founded in 9/11. The newsletter was written in response to the King Hearings on “the extent of radicalization of American Muslims.” Although the focus of these hearings was solely on American Muslims -nothing to do with Sikhs- the Sikh Coalition didn’t view it as a “Muslim Issue,” but a human rights one. Standing up for the rights of others is detailed in every aspect of our religion and is an undeniable part of Sikhism. In addition to the newsletter, they also reached a much wider audience with A Sikh Perspective on the King Hearings published in the Washington Post written by Rajdeep Singh, Director of Law and Policy for the Sikh Coalition. Their handling of it did not compromise the Sikh identity, and in fact made the Sikh identity stand out even more. They tackled the issue with eloquence, tact, and drew very clearly on the similarities and basic rights of all human beings and the distinction between the Sikh Identity and the Muslim Identity without making that the focus of either the newsletter or the Washington Post article.
Below is the newsletter and a short youtube video of Congressman Ellison telling the story of an American Muslim hero on 9/11 :
Standing in Solidarity with Religious Minorities; Affirming Our Values as Sikhs
March 11, 2011 (Washington, DC) – Yesterday morning, the Committee on Homeland Security in the U.S. House of Representatives began investigative hearings on domestic radicalization. The hearings singled out American Muslims as the sole subject of Congressional scrutiny.
While we recognize the vital necessity of efforts to counter violent extremism in America, the Sikh Coalition strongly believes these hearings to be unfair and dangerous. Their sole focus on American Muslims broadly tarnishes a community of millions of peaceful, law-abiding Americans. The inevitable result of the hearings will be an America divided, not united, in the fight against violent extremism.
Not surprisingly, editorial boards across the United States have either condemned or seriously called into question the hearings. The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Miami Herald, Seattle Timesand Philadelphia Inquirer have weighed-in against the hearings. America’s most prominent faith community organizations have also stood up in solidarity with Muslim Americans. The National Council on Churches, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Baptist Joint Committee, and the Rabbinical Assembly have opposed the hearings. Finally, America’s oldest and most respected civil rights organizations, including the NAACP and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, have joined forces to oppose the hearings.
Representative Peter King (R-NY), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, states that singling out Muslims for scrutiny is necessary because U.S. Muslims have been “uncooperative” with law enforcement. He cites no specific law enforcement official for this statement. In fact, his position has been found to be unsupported by many credible organizations. A study issued last month by Duke University and the University of North Carolina found that Muslim Americans are the largest source of tips bringing terror suspects to the attention of authorities. Similarly, a Muslim Public Affairs Council report found that 7 out of 11 Al-Qaeda related plots in the past 15 months were thwarted due to the assistance of Muslims.
Sheriff Lee Baca of Los Angeles County stated that: “American Muslim community leaders within Los Angeles have not hesitated to put themselves in potentially uncomfortable positions to interact with law enforcement.” Similarly, Michael Rolince, who headed the Counterterrorism Division in the FBI’s Washington field office stated this week: “I will tell you in no uncertain terms that the community has on multiple occasions come forward and assisted law enforcement.”
As Sikhs, we have an obligation to stand for the human rights of all people. It is important that we uphold this sacred obligation as the Muslim American community endures the type of unfair scrutiny that leads to hate crimes, workplace discrimination, school bullying, and profiling. We would also note that, apart from being unfair, the hearings can create a toxic environment for Sikh Americans, who are often targeted for hate crimes and discrimination during times of heightened hostility toward Muslim Americans.
The Sikh Coalition calls on Congressman King to end the politics of division and practice inclusive politics that recognizes our joint interest in creating an America that is safe and secure for all.
18 Responses to “The Sikh Coalition Denounces the King Hearings and Stands Up for Human Rights”
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Human rights are for all humans including Muslims of USA .
Please also Blog for
kashmiri Pundits
Pakistani Chritsians
Egyptian coptic chrisitans
Well said. Please contribute !
I have no hate towards anyone, But i really think site has step over the line mingling Sikh identity with Muslims, I firmly believe that someone is getting paid, This the Last time if will visit this site.
I assure you NO ONE is getting paid Sarbjit. We really are that committed to Guru's belief in justice towards all.
There not getting payed by anyone this is just a case of you ever heard of "ABCD" used by new immigrants from India? Well in this case its not ABCD its ABCS and ABCK (you can always replace A with B).
The author of this Blog is a Lucky man that he lives in USA .
He has the freedom to write what ever comes to his mind on a American owned gadget ( Ihe Internet).
Had he been in Paksitan where his ancestors must have lived and blogged for Christians of Pakistan he would have been.
“Tasserized ”
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-Punjab-governor-Salman-Tasser-killed-by-his-guard/articleshow/7216684.cms
What you say is true Harinder. It is a sad state of affairs in Pakistan, but we stand by those that are still calling for their voices to be heard. In India, it is also a sad state of affairs.
Still we take inspiration from places like Tunisia and Egypt, while sending our prayers to the proud in Bahrain, Yemen, and Libya. Those of us here in the US absolutely should be giving voice to these issues, rather than having naysayers attempt to disparage us.
fact 1:–Pakistan is Ex Punjab from where most of the SIKHS originated
fact-2:–Muhammad Ali Jinnah founder of Pakisitan when he dumped SIkhs out by Direct action .
fact 3:–Muhammad Ali Jinnah wanted Pakistan to be a "SECULAR STATE "
fact 4:–We Know today Pakistan is a "The most Dangerous country in the world"
with in 60 years of its birth in 1947 (If the greatest threats to global security come from terrorism, nuclear weapons and the spread of failed states, Pakistan stands at the nexus of all three phenomena) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1568535…
This is the power of "SHARIA " and "KORAN" to transform a society
Most Islamic socities have gone down this route if not down to this level .
Thank you for your comments, Harinder, but I don't see what this has to do with my post. My post is not about Pakistan, Muhammad Jinnah, Sharia, or the Koran. And your last statement, even if there was proof for it, adds nothing to the discussion, and seeks to enter into a debate on the fundamentals of Islam. That is definitely not what this post is about. Your comments are always welcome, but please try and keep them relevant.
Just explain me this
1)Russia vs Afghanistan war :–
“35,000 Muslim radicals from 43 Islamic countries in the Middle East, North and East Africa, Central Asia and the Far East,” fought for the Afghan Mujahideen.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_mujahid_move…
Why did Afghanis not fight it out alone?
I still don't understand what this has to do with my post. So I'm not going to answer it. Please keep your comments relevant.
Remeber Islam transecends national boundaries .
Let us talk of your American Muslim friend whom you want to save from religious persecution with your "UNIVERSALIST " approach to life.
Now in USA these event happen :–
1) September 11th or 9/11 (pronounced as "nine eleven"), were a series of coordinated suicide attacks by al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001
2) Nidal Malik Hasan a American Mulslim attack his own country men in uniform.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Hood_shooting
How would you keep the nation safe if you were made President of USA ?
Harinder, please keep your comments relevant to the post.
One noticeable aspect unique about this weblog is the youth who have diligently devised its policy jealously guard it too. That perhaps is the only way to keep the discussion relevant and progressing on the selected posts one at a time without muddling it all up!
This is then called propogonada and not discussion
I find Keith Ellison to be pretty odious. Here he is lying about the Quran to Bill Maher.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hzX8moyM_s
Here's another piece about Ellison and his lies. Does a 'Sikh' blog really need to publicise a Muslim hoodwinking the American people and media in order to criticise the hearings which are there to investigate the radicalisation of the Muslim community?
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2…
So you denounce the practices currently being used to get a better understanding of, and combat extremism. What do you propose the HSC does instead? I noticed that your post is very short on alternatives.
That's the sign of a weak argument.