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  Know Your Rights - Preventing Hate Crimes

  In recent weeks, there has been an increase in anti-Muslim rhetoric throughout the nation and a violent assault on a Muslim cab driver in New York.  In light of these troubling developments, the Sikh Coalition reminds the Sikh community to take precautions:   
  
  

  (1) Review Personal Safety Tips 

  Click here to review personal safety tips 

  
   (2) Know What to Do in Case of an Emergency 

  Punjabi Brochure on Hate Crimes Prevention - California 

  Checklist for Hate Crime Victims - Asian American Justice Center

  
   (3) Be Proactive

  
   Pitch positive stories about Sikhs to your local media outlets.  Education is the most powerful weapon against bias and ignorance, and local newspapers and television channels can help our community propagate a positive image of Sikhs.  In recent years, Sikh sangats have successfully worked with newspaper and television reporters to highlight the significance of Guru Ka Langar (free community kitchen), Anand Karaj (Sikh wedding ceremony), and Dastaar Bandi (Sikh turban-tying ceremony).

  
   As always, the Sikh Coalition encourages Sikhs to practice their faith fearlessly.  If you have any questions, or if you wish to report an incident, please contact legal@sikhcoalition.org.

• Fall 2010 Internship Program

  The Sikh Coalition Internship Program allows students pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies to gain hands-on experience in promoting the civil and human rights of all individuals. Throughout the years, interns have worked to further the mission and vision of the Sikh Coalition by helping to achieve legal victories, as well as educating and empowering the community and contributing to the growth of the organization.

  Prospective interns should be undergraduate or graduate students who are hard-working, enthusiastic, and dedicated to protecting and advocating for the civil and human rights of all individuals. All internships are unpaid and require at 10 hour/week minimum commitment for eight weeks unless otherwise noted. A work-study option can be discussed if applicable. For more information contact Satjeet Kaur at satjeet@sikhcoalition.org.

• Sikh Coalition Participates in UN's Universal Periodic Review

  Last April, the Sikh Coalition was invited to participate in a consultation on profiling and post-9/11 discrimination as part of the United Nations' Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process.  The UPR was established by the UN General Assembly in 2006 as a mechanism by which member states can evaluate their fidelity to international human rights law.  This month, the US government published its final UPR Report and consultation summaries, noting concerns about profiling and discrimination raised by the Arab, Muslim, Sikh and South Asian communities.

• 'The Sikhs' Brochures - Quick, Easy Way to Explain Sikhi

  Recently, the Coalition has mailed out over 7,000 of these brochures.  Sangat members across the world are asking for these handy resources to educate their fellow neighbors on the Sikh faith.  The brochures are available in 7 different languages - English, Spanish, Turkish, Portuguese, French, Italian and Chinese.  If you would like these brochures mailed to you free of charge, please send an email to education@sikhcoalition.org with your mailing addresss, quantity and language needed, and how you intend to use the brochure.  Do your part to educate others on the beauty of Sikhi!

  English Conversational Classes Have Started!

  Community members in Richmond Hill, Queens began their first set of English Conversational Classes as a part of an ongoing program that the Sikh Coalition is offering in partnership with the City of New York.  Along with English conversation practice, community members are provided with resources on language access, health information and other important resources for new immigrants.  For more information on either volunteering or participating in these classes, please contact Tejpreet Kaur at: tejpreet@sikhcoalition.org.

  Sikh Student Associations Endorse WRFA Legislation

  Led by the Sikh Coalition and community members Angad Singh and Namisha Kaur, 18 Sikh Student Associations around the country have petitioned Congress to introduce and pass the Workplace Religious Freedom Act (WRFA).  If enacted, this legislation will end most forms of workplace discrimination against Sikhs in the United States. 

In this Issue

• Know Your Rights - Preventing Hate Crimes 
  
• Fall 2010 Internship Program
• Sikh Coalition Participates in UN's Universal Periodic Review
• English Conversational Classes Have Started!
• 'The Sikhs' Brochures - Quick, Easy Way to Explain Sikhi
• Sikh Student Associations Endorse WRFA Legislation