Kirpan | American Turban

Sikh boys refused entry to a go-karting attraction in Livermore, California, because they were wearing patkas. (Source: Sikh24)

No-karting for Sikh boys in CA

August 13, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In late July, at a theme park in Livermore, California (called Boomer’s Parks), several Sikh boys wearing patkas (a version of a turban for young Sikh boys) were not permitted to ride on go-karts because the owners of the attraction, Palace Entertainment, have a strict policy prohibiting loose hair or any kind of head-covering: “We’ve had a safety policy in place for quite some time at all our parks that prohibits hats, baseball caps, Yarmulkes,” [Palace Entertainment spokesperson Michele Wischmeyer] […]

Categories: Civil Rights • Tags: AMC Theatres, Boomer's Parks, California, Kirpan, Livermore, Palace Entertainment, patka, Turban

"Ikman and Manjot Singh, shown here with their children, were forced to leave an AMC theater in Emeryville, Calif., after security guards accused the couple of carrying weapons." (Source: India West)

Religious freedom at the movies

July 3, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

A recent incident in which a Sikh couple was ejected from an AMC movie theater in Emeryville, California, because they each were wearing a kirpan, a small sword that is a recognized article of the Sikh faith (worn by Sikhs who are initiated into the Khalsa order), has raised the issues of religious freedom and racial profiling: On June 22, Manjot and Ikman Singh were preparing to watch the new Superman movie, “Man of Steel,” at AMC’s Bay 16 theater […]

Categories: Civil Rights • Tags: AMC, AMC Theatres, California, Emeryville, Ikman Kaur, Khalsa, Kirpan, Manjot Singh

"Jurupa school board members on Monday, Nov. 19, discussed safety issues on campus, including a request by some Sikh students to bring ceremonial kirpans to school." (source: Press-Enterprise)

California school board allows Sikh students to wear kirpan, with restriction

November 27, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In southern California, the Board of the Jurupa Unified School District recently enacted a provision allowing Sikh students to carry a kirpan — a sword or blade that is an article of the Sikh faith — on its school campuses: Under the new policy, parents agree to sign a statement that requires the kirpan — a daggerlike object that is a sacred article of faith — to be worn under clothing, to have the blade dulled, to be soldered or […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Sikhism • Tags: California, Jurupa Unified School District, Jurupa Valley, Khalsa, Kirpan, SALDEF, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund

Reflecting on Sikhism as a “peaceful” religion

October 2, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In a thought-provoking article, Jodha, at the blog The Langar Hall, discusses the recent framing of Sikhism as a “peaceful” religion: My point isn’t whether Sikhs are peaceful or not, individuals come in all shapes and colors. The level of violence against women, against female fetuses, and often against one another, doesn’t seem to me that we are a particularly ‘peaceful’ people and should be so glib with our descriptions. Moving from Sikhs to Sikhi – I hope we never […]

Categories: Reflections, Sikhism • Tags: Guru Gobind Singh, Guru Hargobind, Khalsa, Kirpan, Sikhism

Sikh Civil Rights: The canary in the mine

January 21, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

UNITED SIKHS, a United Nations-affiliated Sikh advocacy and human development group, just released their Global Sikh Civil & Human Rights Report, which summarizes the results from surveys completed by Sikhs around the world: This past year, challenges to Sikh civil and human rights included: Belgium and other countries maintained policies that did not officially recognize the Sikh religion; Sikhs and other religious minorities are still precluded from manifesting their external religious identity in schools in France; Racial/Religious profiling of Sikhs and […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Reports/Studies • Tags: Global Sikh Civil & Human Rights Report, Kirpan, Parti Québécois, Quebec, Quebec National Assembly, United Nations, United Sikhs