On March 29, 2011, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights held a hearing titled Protecting the Civil Rights of American Muslims. The Sikh Coalition submitted a
statement for the hearing record as well.
Sikh civil rights issues figured prominently in the discussions. United States Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Thomas E. Perez, to his credit referenced the Muslim, Arab, South Asian, and Sikh American
experience during his testimony. The Sikh Coalition was also explicitly acknowledged by Senator Dick Durbin, who chairs the Subcommittee. (
Click here to watch the hearing in its entirety.)
These efforts are part of the Coalition’s ongoing drive to promote Sikh American civil rights and awareness in the U.S. Congress. In January,
four members of Congress wrote a letter, initiated by the Sikh Coalition, to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to demand clarity about airport screening policies. The Sikh Coalition highlighted this issue in a February letter to the
House Transportation Subcommittee and again in March for the
Senate Judiciary Committee.
In early March, the Sikh Coalition initiated and drafted a collaborative letter from Sikh advocacy organizations, including SALDEF and UNITED SIKHS, in response to the controversial
Peter King hearings.