People take part in a rally against anti-Asian hate crimes in San Mateo, California, the United States, on Feb. 27, 2021. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)
Anti-Black or African-American hate crimes continued to be the largest bias incident category, with 63.2 per cent of all single-bias incidents in 2021….reports Asian Lite News
A total of 1,005 hate crimes related to religion were reported in 2021 in the US with Sikhs being the most targeted religious groups, according to statistics revealed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Incidents related to religion comprised 14.2 per cent of incidents, the Hate Crime Statistics revealed.
The largest categories of religion-based crime included anti-Jewish incidents at 31.9 per cent followed by anti-Sikh incidents at 21.3 per cent.
While anti-Muslims accounted for 9.5 per cent of religion-based hate crimes, anti-Catholic incidents accounted for 6.1 per cent.
Overall, law enforcement agencies reported 7,262 total incidents and 9,024 victims, demonstrating that hate crimes remain a concern for communities across the country.
The overall number of agencies reporting decreased to 11,834, from 15,138 in 2021, so data cannot reliably be compared across years.
According to the 2021 data, 64.8 per cent of victims were targeted because of the offenders’ bias toward race/ethnicity/ancestry, which continues to be the largest bias motivation category.
Anti-Black or African-American hate crimes continued to be the largest bias incident category, with 63.2 per cent of all single-bias incidents in 2021.
Additionally, anti-Asian incidents represented 4.3 per cent of incidents reported in 2021, the statistics revealed.
Together, incidents related to sexual orientation and gender identity represented 19.7 per cent of all single-bias cases reported in 2022.
CDCR has updated policy on February 1 that requires staff members to shave facial hair, irrespective of any religious or medical reasons they may have for keeping it…reports Asian Lite News
Sikhs and civil rights activists have expressed grave concerns over California correctional agency’s updated policy that forces bearded officers to shave or face disciplinary action.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) rolled out an updated policy on February 1 that requires staff members to shave facial hair, irrespective of any religious or medical reasons they may have for keeping it.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Northern California and the Sikh Coalition, the new policy would disproportionately target religious minorities like Sikh and Black Americans.
“This policy has created enormous fear and confusion for Sikh CDCR peace officers whose previously held religious accommodations are no longer valid. It now seemingly forces them to either comply with the shaving requirement under extreme duress or risk their employment,” said Harsimran Kaur, Sikh Coalition’s senior legal counsel.
A CDCR representative said the policy change is an effort to comply with the department’s Covid safety measures.
“They’ve rolled out this blanket, very over-broad policy, that all peace officers must shave to wear N-95s,” Kaur told NBC News. “But we know that there are alternative respirators out there that bearded people can wear safely to do their jobs… We think there’s a way to keep bearded people safe and not trample on their civil rights.”
In a letter addressed to the CDCR, the rights groups also mention a medical condition that causes painful skin inflammation and scarring, specifically among Black men. The new policy “unfairly penalizes Black officers who are much more likely than their white coworkers to suffer from a painful skin condition caused by shaving,” said Brandon Greene, director of the Racial and Economic Justice Program at the ACLU of Northern California.
“This policy may result in disproportionate discipline and firings of Black CDCR officers,” Greene said.
In the week since the policy went into full effect, both organisations received requests for legal help from Black and Sikh individuals working at CDCR facilities across the state who have been negatively impacted by this move. According to a December 2022 report from the California Department of Human Resources, about 2,000 of CDCR’s approximately 41,000 employees are Black men. Although the exact number of Sikh CDCR peace officers is not available, observant Sikhs are required to wear a religious uniform consisting of a dastaar (turban) and articles of faith, including but not limited to kesh (uncut hair, including an unshorn beard).
“Between just these two impacted communities, it’s conservatively estimated that hundreds of CDCR peace officers are in jeopardy of being forced to make the false choice between their health or faith and their career,” the Sikh Coalition-ACLU letter stated.
Last year, a federal appeals court ruled that Sikhs recruits in the US Marine Corps can keep a beard and wear turbans. The judges cited cutting hair and shaving beards as a violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
Protesters said they want expanded use of domestic violence tracking bracelets to protect victims from their attackers…reports Asian Lite News
Canadians took to the streets in Montreal to protest against rising cases of domestic violence after an Indo-Canadian Sikh was recently charged with murder in the death of his two children.
Screaming “enough is enough” and “not one more”, about a dozen protesters marched from downtown Montreal’s Place du Canada to Parc Emilie-Gamelin demanding that swift action must be taken against domestic violence, CBC News reported.
Kamaljit Arora, 45, was was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of his 11-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter in Laval.
He was also accused of assaulting and strangling his wife.
In another case, an 82-year-old man was charged with second-degree murder, after his 90-year-old wife was found dead in a seniors’ residence in Quebec.
“How many more women must be killed before things change?” she said. “Who will raise their hands with me to say that enough is enough?” Christine Giroux, a survivor of intimate partner violence and the organiser of the protest, told CBC News.
Protesters said they want expanded use of domestic violence tracking bracelets to protect victims from their attackers, and more severe criminal punishments for abusers at a federal level.
In a series of latest initiatives to fight domestic violence, the Quebec government had said in December 2021 that violent partners and people accused of domestic violence could be ordered to wear tracking bracelets.
The bracelets can only be used for people who have been given sentences ranging from six months to two years less a day.
Distraught and shocked, Arora’s neighbours in Laval said they were still trying to come to terms with the deaths of two children in their locality.
“I wasn’t able to process it in my head… How could someone do that to their own children? Nobody should go through a situation like this,” Parm Kamal Singh, a distant relative of the victims, told a Brampton-based TV channel.
According to CTV News, between May 2020 and now, 44 women and children have been killed in Quebec in family violence situations.
Half of the women were between the ages of 24 and 44 and 16 per cent of the murder victims were children as young as three.
Last year, 5,318 incidents of intimate-partner violence were reported to Montreal police, representing 23.7 per cent of all reported crimes against people in Montreal.
Since January, 19 deaths have been linked to domestic violence in Quebec — 12 women, six children and one male partner.
In 2021, 17 women in Quebec were slain by an intimate partner or former partner. There were 21 femicides in 2020 and 11 in 2019, the Montreal Gazette reported.
As part of her campaign she knocked over 40,000 doors and spoked to over 22,500 residents in the last two months…reports Asian Lite News
Indo-Canadian healthcare worker Navjit Kaur Brar has become the first turban-wearing Sikh woman to be elected as Brampton City Councillor in the recent Municipal council polls.
Brar, a respiratory therapist and a mother of three, won the race for City Councillor in Wards 2 and 6, beating Jermaine Chambers, a former Conservative MP candidate for Brampton West.
Brar had 28.85 per cent of the votes cast on Monday with Chambers as nearest contender with 22.59 per cent, and Carmen Wilson coming in third at 15.41 per cent, the Brampton Guardian reported.
“I am so proud of @Navjitkaurbrar. She was a selfless and dedicated front line healthcare worker during the pandemic. She has stepped up for public service and I am confident she will be a phenomenal addition to Brampton City Council,” tweeted Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, who won a second term in recent election.
Navjit Kaur Brar Pic credits Twitter
As part of her campaign she knocked over 40,000 doors and spoked to over 22,500 residents in the last two months.
“Over the past 3 years, I’ve spoken to countless Bramptonians and the sentiment I hear is that they are all hurting, they feel unheard, they feel left behind. With the rising cost of living It’s getting harder to raise and provide for your family in Brampton… As your city councillor I will fight for better services for all Bramptonians and ensure that your voices are heard,” Brar had said in her campaign pitch.
Brar previously ran as the Ontario NDP candidate in Brampton West, losing out to incumbent Progressive Conservative MPP Amarjot Sandhu.
Another Sikh candidate, Gurpartap Singh Toor, knocked off his opponent Gurpreet Dhillon in Wards 9 and 10 by a scant 227 votes.
As many as 40 Punjabis were in the fray for Brampton civic elections, according to local media reports.
Out of 354,884 eligible voters in Brampton, only 87,155 of them turned up to cast ballots — an abysmal voter turnout of approximately 24.56 per cent, according to unofficial results, The Pointer reported.
The Indo-Canadian community, along with the councillor candidates, had raised concerns over the election date overlapping with Diwali — one of the most-awaited festivals celebrated by the large swathe of Indian diaspora present in the North American country.
“It is very problematic that the elections are taking place on the Diwali day, especially the municipal election that has always seen a low voter turnout,” Gurpratap Singh Toor, who has won Wards 9 and 10, had told Omni Punjabi.
Elections for municipal government are held every four years on the fourth Monday of October, which fell on October 24 this time.
These polls usually elect a mayor and city council and sometimes also a school board.
Around 40 per cent of Brampton’s population is South Asian, and the municipal election also fell on the religious festival of Diwali, celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains.
The political leadership in both UK and Canada have been turning a blind eye to these extremist Sikh groups and been allowing them to collect funds to fuel a separatist movement against India…writes Rajinder S Taggar
India’s is expected to take a tougher diplomatic position to drive home its message to UK and Canada that they need to do much more to curb anti-India activities of some radical Sikhs and Muslim organisations living in the two western countries.
Both External Affairs Minister S. Jaishakar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval are reported to be formulating tougher diplomatic measures against both the countries to let them know that they cannot take India for granted.
The tougher stand will make it clear to both countries that it cannot be business as usual with New Delhi unless concrete steps are taken to stop anti-India activities.
The political leadership in both UK and Canada have been turning a blind eye to these extremist Sikh groups and been allowing them to collect funds to fuel a separatist movement against India.
According to sources, New Delhi has demanded answers from Canada on the outcome of various complaints about hate crimes and anti-India activities being carried out in Canadian territory.
New Delhi has lodged a strong protest with the UK authorities over the incidents of vandalisation of Hindu temples and symbols in Leicester and also expressed its displeasure to Canada as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not do anything to stop an illegal “referendum” on Khalistan in Brampton on September 18, conducted by a proscribed organisation Sikhs For Justice.
On the other hand, he has been vocal in opposing Russia’s attempt to conduct a referendum in Ukraine. New Delhi is upset over the double standards being adopted by Trudeau and is likely to take stronger
Trudeau had responded to the Indian missive sent to him September 16 to take action against SFJ saying that in Canada people were free to express their views and beliefs in a peaceful manner. No action could be taken against them till they created a law and order problem.
BAPS Swami Narayan mandir in Brampton was recently vandalised by Khalistanis evoking a strong reaction jointly from the Hindu community and the Ontario Sikh Gurdwara Council. The police registered a case and were searching for the miscreants.
On September 18, a miscreant in black clothes scaled up to pull down the saffron flag of a Hindu temple in East Leicester as a cheering crowd watched the mischievous act in the presence of the police and raised slogans of “Allah-u-Akbar.”
This was followed by a chain of violent incidents wherein properties and vehicles of the Hindu community were damaged. Rumours were spread that a Mosque had been vandalised. The police arrested 47 people who were part of a mob that damaged Hindu properties and vehicles. Clashes had also taken place between the Hindus and Muslims on August 28 after the India-Pakistan match in Dubai. The videos of the old incident were still doing the rounds.
At the same time there is a lot of resentment also amongst the larger Punjabi community against the radical elements.
Pro-India, California-based Punjabi Sukhi Chahal, said in an interview on New Dateline Punjab YouTube channel that the Sikh community settled abroad needs to stand up against the Khalistani forces if it wants long-term peace and progress.
A journalist revealed that it was for the first time the Hindu community gathered in large numbers in Brampton to participate in a sammelan. This was being viewed as a silent message to Khalistanis.
Amid heightened activities by Khalistanis, the UK Sikh community has started to push back against anti-India forces….reports Asian Lite news
The British Sikh Association said on Wednesday that the BJP-led government at the Centre has done more than most governments for the welfare of Sikhs.
“BJP Govt is not responsible for the massacre of innocent Sikhs. BJP Govt had done more than most for the Sikhs, Kartarpur Corridor, Baal Veer Diwas, repeal of the farm bills. Sikhs can be against a Govt but not against India the Motherland of the Sikhs and their Gurus,” the British Sikh Association said in a tweet.
Amid heightened activities by Khalistanis, the UK Sikh community has started to push back against anti-India forces.
At the heart of this push back is Southall in London, which remains among the largest hubs of the Sikh community in the UK and has a distinction of hosting UK’s largest and most prominent gurdwaras.
BJP Govt is not responsible for the massacre of innocent Sikhs. BJP Govt had done more than most for the Sikhs, Kartarpur Corridor, Baal Veer Diwas, repeal of the farm bills. Sikhs can be against a Govt but not against 🇮🇳 India the Motherland of the Sikhs and their Gurus. https://t.co/xf5xai6nsK
Earlier, in an unprecedented move, the community leaders gathered at Gurdwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha, Park Avenue, and challenged the prevailing anti-India narrative propagated by Khalistanis and their backers.
They passed a resolution thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his current government for doing so much for the Sikh community and helping to bridge the misunderstandings. They especially thanked the PM for announcing December 26 as Bir Bal Divas and declaring it as a public holiday.
In a congregation, community leaders and gurdwara committee office-bearers challenged those who are pushing factually incorrect t narrative about India and its current govt under Narendra Modi. They also challenged them to disprove their views, which have no political agenda or motive.
The local community in the UK considers this as a bold step from within the community, which had so far kept silent and chose to not to confront a handful of Khalistanis propagating anti-India narrative without any consequences from the local agencies.
The community, which is broadly fed up with Khalistani lies, has been fearful of bullying by Khalistanis and was desisting from speaking up openly against them.
Sikh community leader in UK passed an unprecedented resolution thanking Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government for doing so much for the Sikh community and helping to bridge the misunderstandings….reports Asian Lite News
Amidst heightened activities by Khalistanis, the Sikh community in the UK has started pushing back against anti-India forces in country.
At the heart of this push back is Southall in London, which remains among the largest hubs of Sikh community in the UK and has a distinction of hosting the country’s largest and most prominent gurdwaras.
In an unprecedented move, the community leaders gathered at Gurdwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha, Park Avenue, and challenged the prevailing anti-India narrative propagated by Khalistanis and their backers.
They passed an unprecedented resolution thanking Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government for doing so much for the Sikh community and helping to bridge the misunderstandings.
They especially thanked Modi for announcing December 26 as Bir Bal Divas and declaring it as a public holiday.
In a congregation, community leaders and gurudwara committee office bearers challenged those who are pushing factually incorrect narrative about India and the Modi-led government.
They also challenged them to disprove their views, which has no political agenda or motive.
Sikhs in the UK consider this as a bold step within the community, which had so far kept silent and chose to not to confront a handful Khalistanis propagating anti-India narrative without any consequences from the local agencies.
The community, which is broadly fed up with Khalistani lies, have been fearful of bullying by Khalistanis and have been desisting from speaking up openly against them.
Sikh minorities in Pakistan have regularly become a target of rampant violence stemming from personal enmity to professional or economic rivalry….reports Asian Lite News
A spate of killings since 2014, has raised worries that Sikhs might be the latest target of Pakistan’s religious extremist groups, leaving community members uncertain of their future in the country.
Recently on September 30, Satnam Singh, a Sikh Unani medicine practitioner was shot down inside his clinic in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province’s Peshawar. Later Islamic State (Daesh) had claimed responsibility for the killing. In January last year, Ravinder Singh, who lived in Malaysia and had returned to his home in Pakistan for his wedding. He was murdered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province’s Mardan city.
Sikh rights advocates claim that the population of their minority community in the country has dropped dramatically since 2002, as forced conversions and violence against Sikhs have ramped up with little to no legal protections in place, Daily Sikh reported.
Professor Kalyan Singh, who is a minority rights activist and a teacher at Lahore’s GC College University said that one of the reasons behind this decline of the Sikh population is forced conversion.
“This is a fact the Sikh population in Pakistan has been consistently declining. One of the reasons behind this decline is, of course, forced conversion,” Professor Singh said.
According to Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), only 6,146 Sikhs were claimed to be registered in Pakistan.
According to a census conducted by NGO Sikh Resource and Study Centre (SRSC), about 50,000 Sikhs still live in Pakistan. Whereas, the US Department of State claims the Sikh population in Pakistan to be at 20,000.
However, in the 2017 population census, Sikhs were not included and there is no hard data on their numbers as well.
Most of the Sikh population is settled in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, followed by Sindh and Punjab.
The Sikh population also face other forms of violence in the country. Harmeet Singh, a Sikh news anchor received threatening calls.
He said, “I will be left with no other option but to leave Pakistan,” after being distressed over receiving threatening calls and police inaction, reported Daily Sikh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6pVizCbuZk&t=69s
In 2007, Sikhs living in the tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province faced Jizya, a tax levied on non-Muslims living in a Muslim state, imposed by the Pakistani Taliban.
In 2009, the Taliban destroyed the houses of 11 Sikh families in Orakzai Agency for refusing to pay jizya. In 2010, a young man named Jaspal Singh from Khyber Agency was beheaded after his family couldn’t pay Jizya, reported Daily Sikh.
Sikh minorities in Pakistan have regularly become a target of rampant violence stemming from personal enmity to professional or economic rivalry.
Religious minorities remain a soft target of non-state actors and religiously inspired extremists in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the dogged persistence of state policies has failed to reboot the judicial system and rule of law. Pakistan on several occasions has promised to safeguard the interests of minority communities in the nation. However, rampant attacks on the minorities narrate a different story. (ANI)
The Foreign Ministry also stated that India also stands for Afghans who have been partners in the promotion of mutual development, reports Asian Lite News
India is in constant touch with the representatives of Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities, said the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday asserting that the country will facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan.
The ministry also stated that India also stands for Afghans who have been partners in the promotion of mutual development.
We are in constant touch with the representatives of Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities. We will facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan: Ministry of External Affairs
Commenting on the prevailing situation in Afghanistan, the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “The security situation in Kabul has deteriorated significantly in the last few days. It is changing rapidly even as we speak.”
He said that the government has been closely monitoring all developments in Afghanistan.
“We have been issuing periodic advisories for the safety and security of Indian nationals in that country, including calling for their immediate return to India,” he said.
He also said that they had circulated emergency contact numbers and had also been extending assistance to community members. “We are aware that there are still some Indian nationals in Afghanistan who wish to return and we are in touch with them,” he said.
About Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities, he said, “We are in constant touch with the representatives of Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities. We will facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan.”
The officer also said that there are also a number of Afghans who have been Indian partners in the promotion of mutual developmental, educational and people to people endeavours. “We will stand by them,” he said.
India concerned about people of Indian-origin stranded in Afghanistan: Hardeep Puri (ANI)
He informed that commercial operations from Kabul airport have been suspended today. “This has forced a pause in our repatriation efforts. We are awaiting the resumption of flights to restart the process,” the officer added.
The situation in Afghanistan is being monitored on a constant basis at high levels and the government will take all steps to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals and our interests in Afghanistan, he assured.
Several Sikh families are stuck there and are looking for safe passage out of the war ravaged country. One of them is Sanmeet Singh, an Afghan Sikh, whose family members are in Afghanistan and they have no idea how to return to India.
Sanmeet Singh has requested the Indian government to evacuate his family members stuck in Afghanistan as soon as possible.
Sanmeet Singh, who came to the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi on Monday to rectify a mistake in his passport, claimed, “after the embassy got him to get his passport re-issued, the name was spelt wrongly. The embassy has not given any word on correcting the name in the passport.”
Sanmeet Singh, who lives in Tilak Nagar, Delhi, has appealed to the Government of India to evacuate his family members from Afghanistan soon.
He told , “I just want to make this appeal to the Government of India, that 80 to 90 Sikhs who are stuck there should be taken out and sent to Delhi as soon as possible.”
“They are presently put up at Kardeparwan Gurdwara in Kabul, Afghanistan is in a very difficult situation,” he said.
He added, “If I had left about a week ago for Kabul, I would have brought my family members back to India. Several of my relatives are stuck there.”
While talking to the media, Sanmeet broke down as he prayed for the safety of his family.
The Afghanistan embassy in Delhi saw a stream of people on Monday morning, some came to tell their problems to the embassy authorities and some wanted information about their family members.
Reports say thousands of people have stormed the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, in the hope of getting out of the war-torn country. There is no flight in or out of Kabul airport as of now.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has approached the Pakistan government for immediate repair of the historical Gurdwara Nanaksar Sahib, whose building is on verge of collapse
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the Sikh community’s largest representative body, has approached the Pakistan government for immediate repair of historical Gurdwara Nanaksar Sahib.
Gurdwara Nanaksar Sahib
“The shrine is on verge of collapse, and has also offered to perform ‘sewa’ (voluntary service) if the Pakistan government is not able to reconstruct the religious place constructed in the memory of Sikh’s first master Guru Nanak Dev,” SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur told Zee News.
The SGPC leader said that she was deeply moved to see the crumbling building of Gurdwara Nanaksar Sahib.
Bibi Jagir Kaur also told the leading Indian news channel that she had written a letter to the Pakistan government to pay immediate attention and order repair of the religious site.
Situated at Chak Fateh Bhinder village in Daska tehsil of Sialkot district of Pakistan’s Punjab Gurdwara Nanaksar Sahib has constructed over a hundred years ago, said Pak historian Shahid Shabbir alias Baba Ji who had recently visited the Gurdwara Nanaksar Sahib.
Sikh’s first master Guru Nanak Dev had stayed at Chak Fateh Bhinder village after completion of his fourth ‘udasi’ (travel) said, Baba Ji. He said there was not even a single Sikh family in around twenty-five kilometres of the Gurdwara, but it was still being maintained by a local Muslim family who lived near the Gurdwara. He said only a handful of Sikhs lived in Sialkot.
While stating that Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) didn’t take care of less frequented Gurdwara of Pakistan, an Indian historian Surinder Kochhar said that according to photographs of the Gurdwara, its building was falling apart and its roof’s had already caved in, besides, the doors had been removed, he said.
SGPC PRESIDENT BIBI JAGIR KAUR: Once the real condition of Gurdwara buildings in Pakistan is documented, I am sure Sikhs from around the world would volunteer to carry out repair and other necessary development of the area which will also not put any burden on the Pak government
“The building has borne the brunt of vagaries of bad weather but strangely PSGPC didn’t bother to even repair the Sikh holy place leave alone beginning the religious services in the Gurdwara,” said Kochhar.
Kochhar suggested that PSGPC should prepare a list of historical Gurdwara’s in Pakistan and the condition of their buildings to maintain transparency.
“Once the real condition of Gurdwara buildings in Pakistan is documented, I am sure Sikhs from around the world would volunteer to carry out repair and other necessary development of the area which will also not put any burden on the Pak government,” he told the Zee News.
Bibi Jagir Kaur said the SGPC had also offered the Pakistan government to carry out the ‘sewa’ if they had any problem in doing so.
