Dear Los Angeles Area Sikhs,

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

Under current California regulations, all state prisoners must shave their beards to 1/2 inch length!  The state makes no accommodations for religion. Our client, a Sikh prisoner, was punished for refusing to cut his beard to 1/2 an inch.

The Sikh Coalition and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit asking the court to force the state to stop punishing our Sikh client for practicing his religion, and to get rid of the beard rule state-wide.  The case will be heard on Monday, June 6th at 1:30 pm in federal court in Los Angeles.   We need Sikh community members to attend the hearing to show the judge the importance of this case to the California Sikh community.  Please attend the hearing!  Please ask your Sikh friends or family to attend!

The details are:

Who: Sikh community
What: Seminal Hearing on Basra v. Cate case - Motion for Preliminary Injunction
When: Monday, June 6th @ 1:30 pm
Where: US District Court Central District of California, 312 Spring Street, Los Angeles CA 90012, Courtroom 6 (Judge Stephen V. Wilson)
Why: So that the right to practice Sikhi is protected at all levels of government

Sometimes people ask why the Sikh Coalition takes cases on behalf of prisoners.  We work to ensure that the right to practice Sikhi is protected at all levels of government - and for all Sikhs in America.  Every Sikh has the right to practice their faith. However, right now, the 1/2 inch beard rule means that it is not legal to be a Sikh while imprisoned. 

For questions, please email harsimran@sikhcoalition,org.  Thank you!