Sikhs protest in London against "intimidation, disrespect" during airports' turban searches

LONDON: Sikhs have been protesting atLondon Parliament Square against "intimidation and disrespect" of their turbans being searched at European airports. 

The protest was organized by a cable TV station based in Birmingham and London, the Sikh Channel, and similar protests were held inBrussels, Rome and Madrid, The Independent reports. 
The turban, known as a Dastar, is regarded as a symbol of Sikh identity.

A Sikh Channel employee, Amar Deep Singh, travelled from Derby to participate in the protest. 


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Sikhs demand investigation into “disrespect” at European airports

Britain's Sikh community has called for an investigation into allegations of “intimidation and disrespect” suffered by turban-wearing Sikhs at European airports, following complaints that they are forced to remove their turbans for security check even after they have successfully passed through scanners.

Hundreds of Sikhs held a rally outside Parliament demanding an end to “discrimination” against turban-wearing Sikhs and urging the British government to take up the issue with its European allies.

They said the turban, known as “Dastar,” was an important part of Sikh identity and its forcible removal was an “infringement” of their faith.

Similar protests were held in several other European capitals, including, Rome, Madrid and Brussels.

Rami Ranger, Chairman of the British Sikh Association, said the turban symbolised “the Sikh Gurus' commitment to human freedom…The Sikhs with their turbans paid supreme sacrifices in both the Great Wars and changed the course of world history. It is important that in their time of need to preserve their identity, the world repays that debt to them,” he said.

The protesters alleged that turban-wearing Sikhs were being singled for extra security checks.

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High priests demand murder charges for showing disrespect to Granth Sahib

AMRITSAR: Sikh clerics have asked Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Avtar Singh Makkar to impress upon the Central government to issue directions for registration of cases under Section 302 (murder) instead of Hurting Religious Sentiments (295 A) in cases of disrespect shown to Sri Guru Granth Sahib, considered as 'living Guru' by Sikhs, reasoning that even the Supreme Court had declared Sri Guru Granth Sahib as a 'juristic person'.

Talking to media persons after holding a meeting of five Sikh high priests on Monday, Jathedar ofAkal Takht Giani Gurbachan Singh said that in recent past incidents of disrespect to Sri Guru Granth Sahib had increased and there was dire need to implement stringent laws to punish the culprits.

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BSP suspends MLA after Sikh remarks

The Bahujan Samaj Party on Monday suspended its sitting MLA from Meerut city, Haji Yaqub Qureshi, on disciplinary grounds. Yaqub is the same person who had publicly announced a reward of Rs 51 crore on the head of a Danish cartoonist in 2006.

The BSP said Yaqub was suspended for his alleged objectionable remarks about the Sikh community during the inauguration of a slaughterhouse in Meerut.

Chief Minister Mayawati, who is also national president of her party, has issued instructions not to allow Qureshi at any party programme.

But sources said the action came because of his brother Yusuf Qureshi's decision to join the Congress. The Congress has already given a ticket to Yusuf for contesting the 2012 Assembly polls from Meerut city.

“The party was not ready to see the two brothers — Yaqub and Yusuf — as candidates of BSP and Congress, respectively, in the same Meerut district. It could have sent a wrong impression to its core voters and the action against Yaqub was inevitable,” a source in the BSP said.

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Sikhs seek access to PoK gurdwaras

Sixty-four years after partition, Sikhs of Jammu and Kashmir are trying for the revival of the gurdwaras in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) which have been non-functional since their migration in 1947.

Thanks to the renewed Indo-Pak thaw, the Sikhs are trying hard to revisit the gurdwaras in PoK similar to revered gurdwaras in other cities of Pakistan for pilgrimage.

The Sikhs have kicked off the process by meeting the former prime minister of PoK Sultan Mehmood Chaudhary who advised the Valley recently. “We have urged Sultan Mehmood Chaudhary to use his good offices to help the Sikh community to visit the historical gurdwaras with Pakistani government,” said Jagmohan Singh Raina, chairman of All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee.

PoK and northern areas are dotted with Gurdwaras as several Sikh Gurus visited the places centuries ago. But after raiders’ attack in 1947, Sikhs migrated to Jammu and Kashmir leaving behind their property and religious places.

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Victory was always on but sweep lifts their bigger hopes

That the Shiromani Akali Dal would easily win the elections to the “mini-parliament” of the Sikhs, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, was a foregone conclusion. What mattered was the handling of the SGPC polls, the margin of the SAD victory and the trends it might throw up ahead of the Assembly polls, due in five months.

The SAD, with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal as its patron and his son and deputy Sukhbir Singh Badal as its president, had any major rival to face, with the Congress neither contesting the elections nor overtly backing candidates. The SAD, which had a tie-up with the Sant Samaj, bagged 157 of the 170 seats while its main rival, the Panthic Morcha of five Sikh organisations, was left trailing way behind.

The euphoric Badals have been hailing the results as a pointer to the outcome of the ensuing Assembly elections, while the Congress has called the SGPC elections a “farce” that will have no impact on the Assembly elections. The SGPC elections, which have always been won by the Akalis (they bagged 134 seats last time), have a total electorate of 56 lakh compared to the 1.8 crore voters registered for the Assembly elections to be held by February.

The SAD had appeared desperate to put up a good show. There were reports of tension and clashes among party workers even during the selection of candidates. Later, a few who had been denied tickets contested as rebel candidates. Despite the unmatched resources with the ruling party, there were areas in which multi-cornered contests led to uncertainties about the outcome.

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Vegas police develop educational course on Sikhism

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas police say they've finished developing an online course to educate civilians and police officers about the Sikh (SEEK') religion.

The department's counter terrorism center has been working with the Sikh community in southern Nevada since January to create the overview of the faith, its practices and its cultural interactions.

Sikhism developed about 500 years ago in the Punjab region of northern India.

Sikhs in the U.S. have occasionally been the target of anti-Muslim sentiment because of the turbans and beards they wear. The religion is separate from Islam.

Police officials say they hope the online course fosters mutual respect and understanding between the department and the Sikh community.

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Baroness Warsi visits Sikh Holy Shrine

Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple) was visited by Baroness Warsi, Britain’s first Asian Cabinet Minister.

Her recent trip to India was for talks on interfaith issues, women’s empowerment as well as UK-India trade matters and bilateral issues.

The trip included a visit to Amritsar where she first went to Harmadar Sahib the sacred Sikh Shrine and then went to  Jallianwala Bagh. She said: “I am delighted to be here for my first visit to India beginning today. It was a great honour to visit the Golden Temple and to meet with the local Sikh community.”

Baroness Warsi also spent some time at the Langar at the Golden temple with local Sikh women volunteering in the kitchen. After visiting Jallianwala Bagh, she added: “Today has also been a deeply emotional experience, as I laid a wreath at the Jallianwala Bagh.” In the evening Baroness Warsi hosted a reception to launch the new BMI route from Amritsar to London-Heathrow. 

The Minister was in New Delhi yesterday (19.09.11) where she called on senior Indian Government Ministers, including Minister for Law and Minority Affairs Salman Khursheed, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik and the Chief Minister of Delhi Shiela Dikshit.

The Minister also spoke about her life at the Jamia Islamia University. She said:

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