Rupinder Mohan Singh |

A Sikh’s reaction to the killing of Osama bin Laden: one year later

May 3, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

This time last year, I reflected on the circumstances in which I heard the news of the assassination of Osama bin Laden by US Navy SEALs in Pakistan: As the evening progressed, we watched the images of people gathering in Washington, D.C., and at Ground Zero in New York, waving American flags, singing the national anthem, and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The outpouring of patriotism, in the manner of what might resemble a frat party, caused me some apprehension. It […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, Reflections, Reports/Studies • Tags: hate crimes, Osama bin Laden, Post-9/11, Sikh Coalition, Sikh Presenter's Course

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Sikhs in Redding, CA area to celebrate Vaisakhi this weekend

May 2, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Vaisakhi is traditionally celebrated in the middle of April, however the Sikhs in the Redding, California area are ready to celebrate for themselves this Saturday. The Sikh Center of Anderson, about ten miles south of the northern California city of Redding, will be celebrating their fifth annual Vaisakhi Festival and Day of Non-Violence this Saturday, May 5: The public is invited to attend the celebration that will include Punjabi food, displays, demonstrations and workshops reflecting aspects of Punjabi life in […]

Categories: Events • Tags: Anderson, California, Sikh Centre of Anderson, Vaisakhi

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Picture of the Day: Lakhvir Singh Sidhu, champion turban

May 2, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

San Jose, California-based Punjab Radio USA recently announced the winner of their second annual turban-tying competition, awarding Lakhvir Singh Sidhu the top prize: In order to raise awareness of Sikh identity and promote pride among younger American Sikhs, the San Jose-based Punjabi Radio USA launched a turban tying competition on Facebook last year, attracting thousands of participants across the globe. The news of the competition hit streets across the world as pictures of colorful turbans started pouring into Punjabi Radio’s […]

Categories: Events, Picture of the Day • Tags: California, Lakhvir Singh Sidhu, Punjab Radio USA, San Jose, turban competition

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MTA agrees to unbrand Sikh turbans

May 2, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

For the better part of the last decade, Sikhs and Muslims have been campaigning against a discriminatory policy by New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) that required followers of these religions to affix the MTA logo on religious articles of faith that were worn on the head, even though the MTA distributed headwear that did not carry the logo to other employees . For Sikhs, this meant that for the purposes of employment, they were required to attach an “MTA” […]

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

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Picture of the Day: Nine-year old Sikh actress to debut in “Avengers” film

May 1, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Naperville, Illinois is the home of M’Laah Kaur Singh, a nine-year-old who has a role in the upcoming film “The Avengers“. Apparently, she has already decided to follow on a nontraditional career path, says her mother when talking about both of her children: “I saw a spark in both of them early on,” Jaslyn said. “M’Laah always said there’re too many doctors in the family already, and wanted to do something different. She has a very sarcastic sense about her.” […]

Categories: Picture of the Day, Profiles, TV/Movies • Tags: Avengers, Illinois, M'Laah Kaur Singh, Marvel Studios, Marvel Universe, Naperville

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Sikh Coalition hits a home run with FlyRights app

May 1, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

By now, you have likely heard of the smartphone app (available for iPhone and Android devices) released by the Sikh Coalition called FlyRights, which was released yesterday (April 30), and is free of cost. The news of this app’s release has spread virally among news outlets and has been applauded by other civil rights organizations and the general public. FlyRights allows travelers (Sikh or otherwise) to now report complaints to the TSA and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) if they […]

Categories: Civil Rights • Tags: Android, FlyRights, iconify, iPhone, Racial profiling, Sikh Coalition, smartphone app, Transportation Security Administration, TSA

The Weekly Beard! for April 30, 2012

April 30, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

I’ve often been asked how my beard feels. Sometimes, it feels angry. Click here for previous editions of The Weekly Beard!

Categories: The Weekly Beard • Tags: Angry Beard

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Picture of the Day: Utah’s Sikh community

April 27, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The Salt Lake Tribune, a newspaper based in Salt Lake City, Utah, provides a profile of Utah’s growing Sikh population: There are an estimated 250 Sikh families in Utah, or about 800 to 1,000 people, and their numbers have been growing since a handful of families arrived in the 1980s. Sikhs are respected members of the community, worshipping and working alongside their neighbors of all backgrounds. In Utah, they are engineers, executives and entrepreneurs. In fact, local leaders say, Sikhs […]

Categories: Picture of the Day • Tags: Salt Lake City, Sikh Temple of Utah, Taylorsville, Utah

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Backhanded compliment of the day

April 26, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Don’t forget your passport or your shots: Nearby First Avenue is a great place to walk and discover Oak Park. It is home to many Sikh families and smells of onion cooked with an untried spice entice. This aroma, and the extremely friendly children who swarm up with all the gossip of the street, make it seem like a distant country. — writer Guphy Gustafson, in the Sacramento News & Review in Sacramento, California, profiles the city’s Oak Park neighborhood […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: California, Oak Park, Sacramento, Sacramento News & Review

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Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Author Archives: Rupinder Mohan Singh

A Sikh’s reaction to the killing of Osama bin Laden: one year later

Sikhs in Redding, CA area to celebrate Vaisakhi this weekend

Picture of the Day: Lakhvir Singh Sidhu, champion turban

MTA agrees to unbrand Sikh turbans

Picture of the Day: Nine-year old Sikh actress to debut in “Avengers” film

Sikh Coalition hits a home run with FlyRights app

The Weekly Beard! for April 30, 2012

Picture of the Day: Utah’s Sikh community

Backhanded compliment of the day