Rupinder Mohan Singh |

MTA officially settles with Sikhs and Muslims on ‘brand or segregate’ policy

May 30, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Earlier this month and as a result of a seven-year long legal challenge, New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), which oversees public transit in the city, agreed in principle to eliminate the requirement that Sikhs or Muslims who wear religious head-coverings to affix a corporate logo on the head-covering, or be segregated out of public view. This policy was coined as “brand or segregate”. The settlement was officially filed in federal court today, and includes: Transit Authority employees will no […]

Categories: Civil Rights, News Bits • Tags: brand or segregate, Metropolitan Transit Authority, MTA, Muslim, New York, Sikh, Turban, United States Department of Justice

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CA Workplace Religious Freedom Act passes Assembly vote

May 29, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

This afternoon, California’s proposed Workplace Religious Freedom Act (AB 1964 – mentioned previously here), introduced by Assemblymember Mariko Yamada, passed through the State Assembly: SACRAMENTO, Calif.—The state Assembly has approved a bill that would add more protections for religious freedom in the workplace, specifying that discrimination laws also apply to religious clothing and hairstyles. Lawmakers on Tuesday approved AB1964 by Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada. The Davis Democrat says she was upset to learn that Sikh and Muslim workers continue to face […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Politics • Tags: AB1964, California, California State Assembly, Mariko Yamada, Sikh Coalition, Workplace Religious Freedom Act, WRFA

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On being a ‘mansome’ Sikh

May 29, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

“But, when you have a beard, a mustache, it’s like a mask. You can’t see the person’s face. It’s hidden.” As disagreeable as the words sounded, my friend’s tone was very gentle and civil. It was almost as if he was asking me the question: why bother? I was a nine-year-old Sikh boy with a little mustache fuzz and a patka (a Sikh boy’s headcovering), speaking with the clean-shaven teenaged Hindu boy next door whom I befriended on this extended […]

Categories: Reflections, TV/Movies • Tags: Facial hair, Mansome, Morgan Spurlock, Super Size Me

CA Sikhs to launch American Sikh Political Action Committee

May 29, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Sikhs in California are launching a political action committee (known as a “PAC”) under the name American Sikh Political Action Committee to support the political efforts of California’s Sikh community. According to OpenSecrets.org, at the federal level: Political Action Committee (PAC) — A popular term for a political committee organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates. Most PACs represent business, labor or ideological interests. PACs can give $5,000 to a candidate committee per […]

Categories: Events, Politics • Tags: American Sikh Political Action Committee, California, PAC, Political Action Committee, Sacramento

The Weekly Beard! for May 28, 2012

May 28, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Comedian Demetri Martin tweets on the attachment qualities of the beard: Having a beard is a good way to make your face more susceptible to velcro. — Demetri Martin (@DemetriMartin) April 24, 2012 Click here for previous editions of The Weekly Beard!

Categories: The Weekly Beard • Tags: Demetri Martin, velcro

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American Turban is now on Facebook

May 25, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

American Turban now has a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/americanturban . God help us all.

Categories: American Turban • Tags: Facebook

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Indianapolis, IN Sikh students talk about their experiences

May 24, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Sunny recalled a troubling incident when he was in middle school. “One person actually went so far to insult one of the five K’s by actually taking it off of me. But I confronted the principal about it, and he told me that as soon as he found out who it was, he’d do something about it. But the guy ended up getting kicked out for some other reason, so it didn’t matter.” — Sandeep “Sunny” Atwal, 18, comments in […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: bullying, Indiana, Indianapolis, Sandeep "Sunny" Atwal

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Lawsuit against Jay Leno over Golden Temple remark to be dismissed

May 24, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

You may recall the news of a Sikh physician in Bakersfield, California who initiated a lawsuit against Jay Leno over the comedian’s use of a picture of Darbar Sahib (also known as the Golden Temple, Sikhism’s central shrine in Amritsar, India) as part of a joke on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The plaintiff has now requested that the lawsuit be dismissed: The joke, which was broadcast on January 9, shows the homes of the GOP candidates including Newt […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: Amritsar, Bakersfield, California, Darbar Sahib, Harmandir Sahib, Jay Leno, Mitt Romney, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

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NY students learn to debate and about each other in interfaith project

May 23, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

An interfaith project in New York city brings together students from a variety of religious backgrounds to learn debating skills, and about each other: Sikh, Muslim and Hindu students from across New York City have spent the last six months learning the art of debate through “Debate in the Neighborhood,” a collaboration between the International Debate Education Association and the Interfaith Center of New York. “The goal of it is to bring immigrant and first generation youth together in a […]

Categories: Interfaith • Tags: IDEA, Interfaith Center of New York, International Debate Education Association, New York

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Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Author Archives: Rupinder Mohan Singh

MTA officially settles with Sikhs and Muslims on ‘brand or segregate’ policy

CA Workplace Religious Freedom Act passes Assembly vote

On being a ‘mansome’ Sikh

CA Sikhs to launch American Sikh Political Action Committee

The Weekly Beard! for May 28, 2012

American Turban is now on Facebook

Indianapolis, IN Sikh students talk about their experiences

Lawsuit against Jay Leno over Golden Temple remark to be dismissed

NY students learn to debate and about each other in interfaith project