Melbourne Sikh temple arson 'an attack on religion'

AN elder at a Melbourne Sikh temple suspected to have been torched by arsonists has described the early-morning vandalism as an "attack on religion", placing further strain on diplomatic relations already damaged by a spate of serious assaults on Indian students.

The partially built Nanaksar Thath Isher Darbar temple in Melbourne's outer southeastern suburbs, home to a congregation of Sikhs, many of whom come from the Punjab in northern India, is believed to have been set on fire with the use of molotov cocktails early yesterday.

Distraught temple elder Satnam Singh said the wilful destruction of a "God house" was an attack on Indians.

Detective Senior Constable Paul Stow, in charge of the investigation, said the fire was being treated as suspicious, but detectives were yet to establish whether race or religion had motivated the arsonists.

"At this stage there is nothing to suggest it is (race-related) other than the fact that it happened to a temple," Detective Constable Stow told The Australian yesterday.

The Sikh temple, known as a gurdwara, is in the middle of a large empty paddock in front of a sprawling housing estate at Lynbrook, on Melbourne's suburban fringe. The fire could put further pressure on bilateral relations between India and Australia, which have come under renewed strain since the stabbing of a 21-year-old Punjab-born accounting graduate, Nitin Garg, in a park in Melbourne's west earlier this month.

Among the members of the Indian community who visited the temple yesterday to survey the damage was the consul-general of India in Melbourne, Anil Kumar Gupta, who walked around the site taking notes and talking with elders. One worshipper, who asked not to be named, said he was informed by police that three molotov cocktails and a jerry can containing petrol were found inside the temple. Constable Stow confirmed that "a number of items were located to suggest accelerant was used".

Despite initial police reports indicating that a group of teens had lit "a couple of small fires" in piles of rubbish in the temple, Constable Stow said police believed the arson to be a "deliberately lit fire" rather than a bonfire that had burned out of control.

A police spokeswoman last night said investigators were keeping an open mind about the investigation.

"We can't discount anything," she said.

Victorian police have been criticised and caricatured in India for being too quick to rule out racism as a motive for attacks on Indian students.

Walking through the blackened interior yesterday, Mr Singh said the fire was "very, very personal".

"This is an attack on religion, this is very bad," he said. "This should not have been done, this is a God house, everybody who comes here prays to God."

When asked whether he believed the attack to be race-related, Mr Singh said: "Yes, attack on Indians."

The deputy high commissioner of India, V.K. Sharma, yesterday said: "We have no comment to make."

It is believed two people were seen leaving the temple near midnight.

with thanks : source : http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/melbourne-sikh-temple-arson-an-attack-on-religion/story-e6frg6nf-1225819009767

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com

UNITED SIKHS Congratulates Our Former Legal Director on His New Position at the United States Department of Justice

New York, NY: Harpreet Singh, Esq., former Legal Director of UNITED SIKHS recently joined the U.S. Department of Justice, Community Relations Service as the Regional Director of Region III. The Staff and Volunteers at UNITED SIKHS wish him all the best in his new position where he will work to prevent and reduce community conflicts and tensions arising from differences of race, color, and national origin.

Harpreet Singh joined UNITED SIKHS as Legal Director in 2003 and has been an invaluable member of the legal team in a majority of the advocacy endeavors undertaken by the organization. One of his most important cases at UNITED SIKHS consisted of winning a groundbreaking kirpan (a religious sword worn as one of five articles of faith) case in 2005 in Detroit, where a Sikh student was arrested for wearing a 10-inch kirpan. The judge in that case ruled that the kirpan should not be considered a knife or a weapon, and the ruling has been used by many advocates to defend the right to wear the kirpan. He also worked on many other important cases, such as the recent US Airways settlement with the Sikh religious musicians, and a variety of profiling, hate crime, and employment discrimination cases.

As part of UNITED SIKHS’ legal team, Harpreet Singh consistently provided his expertise and service to the Sikh community not only in United States, but also in landmark Sikh civil rights cases around the world, including the UNITED SIKHS Right to Turban campaign in France, students’ right to turban in Belgium, and advocating for humanitarian aid and rights of Sikhs and other minorities in Pakistan.

In addition to his legal role, Harpreet represented the Sikh community’s interest in pending legislative matters in Congress and partnered with various coalitions of civil rights organizations to influence legislation. His advocacy duties included representation of the Sikh community’s concerns regarding employment discrimination, hate and bias crimes, school bullying, racial and religious profiling and immigration reform during meetings with White House officials, the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and the State Department.

Additionally, he played a pivotal role in building a strong relationship with the United States Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC), and has spearheaded several collaborative projects with them, which have increased the reporting of the Sikh community of incidents of religious discrimination in the workplace.

Harpreet Singh, Former Legal Director, UNITED SIKHS, congratulating the community on Guru Nanak Sahib Ji's Gurpurab, and reminding them of their duty to advocate for justice at a 2009 celebration organized by The White House Office of Public Engagement.

The U.S. Department of Justice, Community Relations Service (CRS) is a federal agency responsible for working with governments, public/private organizations and community groups to resolve and prevent conflict situations stemming from differences in ethnic origin, race, and color. CRS mediators are often called upon to diffuse situations which may otherwise end up in violence and racial tensions.

“While we are sad to see Harpreet leave, we are thrilled at the opportunities that await him in this new position,” says Kuldip Singh, Director, UNITED SIKHS. He adds, “We wish him all the best for a bright career, and look forward to working with him in the future on relevant issues concerning civil rights and community relations.”

To send Harpreet Singh a congratulatory message, please email law-usa@unitedsikhs.org with a subject line: Congratulations Harpreet Singh, Esq, and the message will be passed on. All duties that were previously handled by Harpreet Singh will be looked over by Jaspreet Singh, UNITED SIKHS Staff Attorney.

For a previous press release on policy level representation of Sikh civil and human rights, visit: http://www.unitedsikhs.org/PressReleases/PRSRLS-10-11-2009-00.html

Issued by:
Jaspreet Singh
Staff Attorney
UNITED SIKHS
646-315-3909
Email: law-usa@unitedsikhs.org

Sikhs target of 'Allah' attack

Vandals threw stones at a Sikh temple, adding to religious tensions over a string of attacks on churches in Muslim-dominated Malaysia.

The church attacks - since Friday eight have been hit with firebombs and one with paint - came after a court overturned a Government ban and allowed a Catholic newspaper to use the word "Allah" to refer to God. Some of the Sikh scriptures also use "Allah".

Twenty small stones were thrown into the compound of a gurdwara in Kuala Lumpur's Sentul neighbourhood, district police chief Zakaria Pagan said.

Only a 100-year-old mirror was damaged and no one was hurt.

Stones were also thrown at a telecom building next door. A temple volunteer and office building security guard heard the attack, but did not see any suspects. Pagan said police believed the incident was "mischief", and unrelated to attacks on the churches.

Temple chief Gurdial Singh said he was surprised by the attack but not concerned. He said it was an isolated incident by "someone taking advantage of the situation".

"We have already done our prayers. To us, it's a small issue."

However, the 120,000 Sikhs in Malaysia were not going to stop using "Allah", he said.

"We cannot change our scriptures ... I think the Government has not handled it properly. We need dialogue ... As far as we are concerned we are doing our prayers [using Allah].

There is no way any law is stopping us."

The Muslim-dominated Government argues "Allah" is exclusive to Islam and forbids non-Muslims from using it. The Arabic word, which predates Islam, is routinely used by Christians in other Muslim countries.

The Malaysian Government has banned "Allah" in published material and not in everyday speech.

With thanks : source : http://www.nzherald.co.nz/religion-and-beliefs/news/article.cfm?c_id=301&objectid=10620032

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com

Now a Sikh temple targeted by arsonist in Melbourne

Sikh temple targeted by arsonist
ANDRA JACKSON
January 14, 2010 - 1:42PM

Police are investigating an overnight fire that damaged a partially constructed Sikh temple in Melbourne's south-east.

Firefighters were called to the temple on Evans Road in Lynbrook early yesterday morning by a neighbour who noticed an intruder inside the building.

Firefighters arrived at about 12.30am to find three bonfires had been lit. They were extinguished in a short time, a CFA spokeswoman said.

A fireman said that three seats had been set alight and some damage had been caused but it would have been far worse had the building been completed

A police spokeswoman said investigators believed a teenager seen in the area might be responsible.

"They said it does not appear to be of a racial nature," the spokeswoman said.

Master Darshan Singh, the president of the Sri Guru Nanak Satsang temple in Blackburn, said it was the second incident at a Sikh temple in recent weeks and the community was "very concerned and very worried. The situation is not improving."

"These are race related. I do not believe the recent murders are. That can happened to anyone but this was definitely an effort that is race related," he said.

Mr Singh said that following yesterday's fire he had contacted Nunawading police and requested security measures to protect the Blackburn temple.

With thanks : Source : http://www.theage.com.au/national/sikh-temple-targeted-by-arsonist-20100114-m8rf.html

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com

CBI files closure report in Mangolpuri anti-Sikh riots case

PTI

New Delhi: After filing charge sheets in two cases of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, CBI today submitted a closure report in a case pertaining to the death of a medical practitioner here during the 25-year-old incident.

The report was filed in the court of CMM, Tis Hazari Court, in the case pertaining to the death of Iqbal Singh Chadda, a medical practitioner in Mangolpuri area here, during riots following assassination of Indira Gandhi, the then prime minister of India, a CBI spokesperson said.

During the investigation conducted by CBI, the complainant could not give any information as to where, when and who killed her husband Dr Chadda and burnt his body.

"Moreover, witnesses earlier examined by the local police were also questioned but they could not provide any information relating to the killing of Dr Iqbal Singh Chadda," the official said.

During the extensive field investigation conducted at Mangolpuri, it was found that several persons or witnesses residing there in 1984 have since expired.

"Several others have shifted their residence and are not traceable
in spite of best efforts. During the process, two relevant witnesses were traced. In their examination, they stated that Dr Iqbal Singh Chadda had taken shelter in their home in the intervening night of November one and two, 1984.

"In the wee hours of November two, 1984, a mob entered their house, dragged out Dr Chadda and killed him near their house. They stated that they could not identify any of the assailants. Later on, they came to know that Dr Iqbal Singh Chadda was killed in the street near their house by a mob and his dead body was burnt by putting a 'khokha' on it," the official said.

An FIR was registered at Police Station Mangolpuri in connection with the riots that followed the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the then prime minister of India.

Further, the government had appointed the Nanavati Commission in May 2000 for enquiring into the 1984 anti Sikh riots incidents. The Nanavati Commission submitted its report to the government on February 9, 2005.

After considering the findings of the Nanavati Commission, the ministry of home affairs, directed CBI on October 24, 2005 to investigate or re-investigate the cases including this case.

Accordingly, this case was re-registered in CBI.During investigation, various affidavits, filed before different commissions and considered by the Nanavati Commission, were obtained from the ministry of home affairs, segregated police station wise and the relevant affidavits relating to police station Mangolpuri were scrutinised.

"The scrutiny of the affidavits revealed that the affidavits filed by only one affiant pertains to the death of Dr Iqbal Singh Chadda. The said affiant had expired on June three, 2005, therefore could not be examined," he said.

Furthermore, the contents of the affidavits could not be corroborated or substantiated during the investigation.

During investigation, a list of 10 affiants, all residents of Mangolpuri during 1984, who had filed affidavits before Nanavati commission, was collected with the help of the November 1984 Carnage Justice Committee.

Examination of available witnesses could not yield any relevant information pertaining to this incident, the official said.

Later, a person, who had surfaced in media as a witness to Anti Sikh Riot incidents, was also examined. But he expressed his ignorance about the killing of Dr Iqbal Singh Chadda.

Polygraph test of some suspects or accused persons were also conducted but no deception was reported. Therefore, despite hardest and sincere efforts put in during the investigation by CBI, no evidence could be gathered against the suspects or accused persons involved in the murder of Dr Iqbal Singh Chadda, the official added.

With thanks : source : http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_cbi-files-closure-report-in-mangolpuri-anti-sikh-riots-case_1334456

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com

Suit against new Nanakshahi calendar

CHANDIGARH: A civil suit seeking restraint on the implementation of new Nanakshahi calendar was filed in city’s district court by Harmohinder singh Punjab unit, Shiromani Akali Dal, Delhi, on Tuesday here.

The suit was filed seeking permanent injunction restraining Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and its members from implementing new Nanakshahi calendar as decided in January 3 meeting, until a calendar is decided by the Sikh community. The suit added that directions be issued to the SGPC and its members to prevent it from interfering in decisions of religious interpretations, practices and assuming the role of religious authority in contravention of the constitution.

According to suit, Pal Singh Purewal, a Canadian and renowned Sikh scholar, drafted calendar after consulting various scholars, jurists and members of various Sikh bodies. This calendar was accepted by Sikh community worldwide and was implemented in year 2003. However, recently SGPC constituted a body to determine calendar for Sikh religious holy days with a direction for all Sikhs to observe these and celebrate or commemorate them.

The committee set up by SGPC lacks competence in field of both calendars and religious dates. It lacks legal authority to deliberate on such matters, the plaint claimed.

PLEASE CLICK HEAD LINE ABOVE TO READ THE NEWS ON TIMES OF INDIA.

with thanks : source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Suit-against-new-Nanakshahi-calendar/articleshow/5438882.cms

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com

Sikhs Face Increased Harassment at Borders Amidst New Screening Rules at Airports

Washington DC, USA: Sikhs are facing unwarranted attention at airports while traveling, with an increase of reports of harassment at border entry points and during airport screening. According to new screening procedures announced by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) standards, all passengers traveling to the United States originating or passing through fourteen countries, including Pakistan, will be subject to heightened security screening, including full-body pat-downs and luggage searches. Additionally, UNITED SIKHS has received more reports of Sikhs, American citizens, who have been subjected to detainment and questioning, when traveling domestically or entering from Canada and European countries. We are filing complaints on behalf of these individuals with government agencies as they occur; please submit your complaint by clicking here.

While many Sikh travelers already face “discretionary” screening of their turbans, as “bulky clothing,” 100% of the time at certain airports, the new screening standards inclusion of Pakistan as a country that mandates additional screening puts all Sikhs who have visited Pakistan under special scrutiny. Certain Sikhs have complained of being unlawfully placed on watchlists, for no apparent reason, and also have complained that they are detained on multiple occasions for two to four hours upon entry into the USA, despite being American Citizens, and being cleared for entry every time. The new screening standards create an entirely new problem of profiling on the basis of country of origin, instead of using behavior or better intelligence sharing as a method to promote security, to the benefit of all Americans, such as those suggested here.

Pakistan was the birthplace of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. With half of Sikh historical Gurdwaras (places of worship) located in Pakistan, many American Sikhs and Sikhs from throughout the world travel to Pakistan for religious purposes. Additionally, due to the current humanitarian crisis in Pakistan, many organizations are working in the South Asian country to provide humanitarian relief to the civilian families suffering due to the ongoing war on terrorism. The current practices of the Border Security and TSA officials have shown that Sikhs who have visited Pakistan are now being subjected to additional scrutiny. This creates a problem for Sikhs who want to visit Pakistan for religious reasons, and also discourages volunteers, Sikh and non-Sikh, from lending a helping hand to civilians in Pakistan who have lost their homes and means of livelihood due to the war.


Commenting on the situation, Jaspreet Singh , UNITED SIKHS Staff Attorney stated, “UNITED SIKHS is highly concerned about the safety of fellow Americans and supports the Government's efforts to make this country and the world a peaceful place to live. However, people are continuously singled out based on country of origin, race, and religion, rather than behavior or better intelligence sharing. Furthermore, we've seen little ability to effectively redress civil rights complaints resulting from these ineffective policies.”

UNITED SIKHS has joined hands with other South Asian and Sikh organizations to to prevent profiling of any sort during screening measures. To read a copy of the letter, please click here.

To read a previous press release from UNITED SIKHS on this issue, please visit: http://unitedsikhs.org/PressReleases/PRSRLS-27-12-2009-00.html

Issued By:
Amardeep Singh
Legal Coordinator
law-usa@unitedsikhs.org
amardeep.singh@unitedsikhs.org
Phone: 888-243-1690

Sikhs begin karsewa to construct gurudwara

BAHRAICH: The Sikh devotees from all over the country reached Dadahi village here. Led by Damdami Taksal Akhara in Punjab, they began the 'Karsewa'(construction) of new building of Nanaksahi Gurdwara on Monday.

It may be recalled that some mischievous elements had desecrated the Guru Granth Saheb in the village recently. The devotees began the `karseva' by demolishing the old building. `Akhand Paath' and `Sabad Kirtan' was held. Some devotees then left for Uttarakhand with the ashes of the holy scripture for immersing it into the pious waters of Nanakmata.

Some anti-social elements burnt the holy scripture kept in the Gurudwara on December 19 last year. The Sikhs became angry and held demonstrations. The community then decided to reconstruct the building afresh after demolishing the old one. Sikhs from all corner of the country reached Dadahi village on Sunday.

Disciples of Dera Nanak Saheb led by Sant Baba Sulakhan Singh carried out `karseva' and demolished the old structure for the constructed of new building of Gurdwara. Parikarma marg will be constructed around the building to avoid inconvenience to the devotees.

A procession was also taken out. The paath of Guru Granth Saheb paath is being held for the last three days in which a group of 10 devotees of Ajmata Damdami Taksal of Punjab are participating. Addressing the devotees, Lakhwinder Singh of Damdama Akhara said that the honour of the Sikh community should be protected at all cost.

Those who stole and burnt the holy book should be severely dealt with. Gyani Jarnail Singh of Roop Huzoori Ragi Jatha led a kirtan. President, Bahraich Gurdwara Management Committee Sardar Bhupendra Singh also addressed the gathering.

Source : with thanks : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/allahabad/Sikhs-begin-karsewa-to-construct-gurudwara/articleshow/5434425.cms

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com

Indian set on fire in Melbourne

WATCH THE VIDEO timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videoshow/5426718.cms

MELBOURNE: In yet another attack targeting Indians in Australia, a 29-year-old man from the country was set on fire by a group of four here, drawing strong condemnation from a student body which called such assaults unacceptable and asked authorities not to "dodge" the issue.

Jaspreet Singh was attacked in Essendon area of northwest Melbourne shortly before 2.00 am local time (0730 HRS IST), a week after an Indian student was stabbed to death amid a slew of assaults on the community in Australia.

Singh, who suffered 20 per cent burns including on his arms, chest and face, was admitted to 'The Alfred' hospital.

Singh and his wife left a dinner party in Essendon, in the city's northwest, between 1.30 am and 2 am and drove to their nearby home in Grice Crescent. He dropped his wife at home and had gone to park his car when he was attacked, local media reported.

Police said that as he was getting out of the car, four men attacked him, pushing him back against the vehicle and pouring an unknown fluid on him. One of the men then ignited the fluid with a lighter before all the attackers fled.

The victim, who is now in a stable condition in the hospital, ran from the car while peeling off his clothes.

Denying any racial angle to the attack, detective acting senior sergeant Neil Smyth said it is not yet known who the four men could be or their relationship to the victim. He said investigations indicate the attack was random.

"It's unlikely to be a racially motivated incident as due to the timing and the nature, it's highly unlikely anyone could have targeted the victim in the circumstances," Smyth said.

The incident is being investigated by the arson and explosives squad of police.

Police appealed for public assistance to locate the victim's clothes, which he shed as he fled the scene.

Singh's friends said he has been living in the city on a spouse visa.

Meanwhile, Gautam Gupta, President of Federation of Indian Students of Australia (FISA), said such attacks are unacceptable and the federal Government must act against them.

"We are extremely disturbed, we have contacted the Prime Minister's office and have suggested that they intervene, it's high time they intervene," he said. "How many times are they going to just dodge this issue."

Australian Deputy Premier Julia Gillard condemned the attack on Singh, saying the "matter remains under investigation by Victorian police and government would not comment further until police provide more information".

"Government condemns such acts of violence in the strongest way," she said.

The attack comes a week after the stabbing death of 21-year-old Indian graduate Nitin Garg in a Yarraville park while he was on his way to his part-time job in a restaurant.

The body of another Indian youth, 25-year-old Ranjodh Singh, was found beside Wilga Road in Willbriggie in the neighbouring state of New South Wales on December 29.

with thanks : source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/indians-abroad/Indian-set-on-fire-in-Melbourne/articleshow/5426643.cms

Sikhsindia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com

Oz: Burnt body confirmed to be that of Indian

Wednesday, January 6, 2010,11:56 [IST]

Melbourne, Jan 6: Australian police has reportedly confirmed that the partially burnt body found last week is that of an Indian national, identified as Ranjodh Singh.

25-year-old Singh was living at Wagga and was visiting Griffith at the time of his death, say media reports.

The body was found on Tuesday, Dec 29, beside Wilga Road in southern New South Wales.

Griffith police Inspector Paul Smith, who announced the confirmation of the victim's identity on Wednesday, Jan 6, described Singh's death as 'horrific'.

Repeating an appeal for public information, the inspector said, "We are reaching out to all members of the Griffith community to come forward, including members of the local Indian community who might hold crucial information that could be the key to solving Mr Singh's death."

Reports that the burnt body found last week was suspected to be that of an Indian hit the media on Tuesday, Jan 5.

This came just two days after the murder of 21-year-old Nitin Garg surfaced.

In the wake of these fatal attacks, Indian government issued a travel advisory to its students urging them to practice additional security precautions.

With thanks : source : http://news.oneindia.in/2010/01/06/australia-burnt-body-found-confirmed-indian-singh.html

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com

In Kabul, stranded Indians take refuge in a gurdwara

KABUL: Dozens of Indian labourers have been forced to take refuge in Kabul’s Sikh temple after job agents who promised lucrative jobs in the unstable capital disappeared, leaving the men penniless and without passports.

Billions of dollars in Western military contracts have turned Afghanistan — long a source of refugees fleeing chronic conflict — into an unlikely magnet for migrant workers willing to risk their lives for a more lucrative pay packet.

Around 200 stranded men were crowded into the Karte Parwan Gurdwara, the centre of Afghanistan’s small Sikh community, last month. Many flew home after their families scraped together funds for flights and travel documents, but over 30 are still stuck. Mumbai-native Subhedar Khandu is one of them. He said he paid Rs 1,50,000 ($3,300) to an agent who promised he would earn $800 a month doing construction in Afghanistan.

“I took out a loan to pay the agent, who I met in Mumbai. I thought I would get a one-year contact,” Khandu said. Instead, when he arrived in November, he was locked up in a house with other labourers, given only one meal per day and no work or salary. When his visa expired a month later, the agent vanished and the men turned to their embassy in desperation.

“We were locked in a kind of camp for one month. This is much better but we have nothing to do still, we just sleep a lot.” Contractors supplying foreign troops, who have been fighting in Afghanistan for over eight years, often rely on foreign migrant workers for menial but comparatively well-paid jobs in construction, food preparation and other fields.

with thanks : source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/In-Kabul-stranded-Indians-take-refuge-in-a-gurdwara/articleshow/5431730.cms

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com