European Court rules against the Sikh turban in French schools
2009
Manmohan Singh (L) & Nicolas Sarkozy (C)
Sikhs feel let down once again in history, now by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the apex European judicial body supposed to be the guarantor of human rights and human dignity.
The Court in its judgement confirmed what French President Nicolas Sarkozy had told me (Tejinder Singh) last September at the concluding press conference of the European Union/India Summit in Marseille, France.
ANGER OF SARKOZY, SILENCE OF SINGH
Standing next to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a Sikh wearing a light blue turban, Sarkozy answered this reporter’s (Tejinder Singh) question about the wearing of turbans by Sikhs in France.
Regarding the required Sikh head covering, an integral part of their religious identity, Sarkozy, replied curtly, “Sir, we respect Sikhs. We respect their customs, their traditions. They are most welcome to France.”
Visibly irritated, Sarkozy continued in French, “But sir, we have rules, rules concerning the neutrality of civil servants, rules concerning secularism, and these rules don't apply only to Sikhs, they apply to Muslims or others. They apply to all on the territory of the French Republic."
The practice by Sikhs of allowing one’s hair to grow naturally is a symbol of respect, the most important of the five outward symbols required of all Sikhs, and the turban is worn to cover the uncut hair. Sarkozy explained that the banning of turbans is not discrimination, that, “These rules apply to everybody, to everybody with no exception. There is no discrimination whatsoever.”
Making it clear to the Sikh community in France that they have no option other than to conform to the rules, Sarkozy made the paradoxical statement, “We respect their traditions and their customs and we are convinced that they too respect the laws, traditions and customs of the French Republic.”
During this whole episode, Indian Premier Singh stayed silent on the subject even though I had put the question to both the leaders.
DISCRIMINATION BEGINS EARLY IN FRANCE
US LAWMAKER HONDA SPOKE
US Congressman Mike Honda (Democrat-California), who represents Silicon Valley and who is involved in this issue in his capacity as Chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, told this correspondent last year, “I don’t believe in sacrificing freedom in order to protect freedom. Turbans are part of the religious identity of Sikhs and we must strive to respect their freedom of religious expression. A balance can be struck between national security and religious liberties, but that balance can only be reached by consulting all the parties involved, in this case the Sikh community.”
“It would be ironic that many Sikhs, who fled their homeland seeking religious freedom, would find that America curtailed their religious freedoms when they arrived upon our shores,” Honda had added.
EUROPEAN LAWMAKER GILL
Asked to comment, Neena Gill, a member of the European Parliament had said last year, “I am astounded by the level of discrimination that is in fact growing … it is not confined to France … it is in Belgium, in Germany and it really smacks against all these initiatives that the European Commission is constantly launching.”
However, solutions aimed at nurturing “unity in diversity,” the European Union’s frequently appearing slogan, are already working in the United Kingdom, one of the member states of the European Union, and across the Atlantic in the United States.
Highlighting the integration and diversity that prevails across the English Channel, Gill, who was born in Punjab, India, said, “If you look at the United Kingdom, you can wear a turban not only in mainstream jobs but also in the police, the army, the air force or the navy. There is no restriction. In fact, the army has special days when they try and recruit people from the Sikh community and the Dastar (turban) is not a problem for them, so I really think we do need to raise awareness, especially from the European Commission in these particular years of Equality and Intercultural Dialogue. We have to target the resources at these issues to ensure that there is greater awareness across the EU in accepting people of different appearances.”
The root cause of the discrimination and a pragmatic solution to root it out was aptly summed up by Jennifer Handshew, a seasoned public relations professional in New York who had told this journalist, “I feel that ignorance and fear are the primary factors that fuel this discrimination and believe that education and awareness will help people better understand what the turban means to the Sikhs.”
What Handshew and others suggest provide a succinct analysis and a solution, but for now, the door to a respectable life in France for Sikhs has been slammed shut by the ECHR while French President Sarkozy had set the ball rolling last year in the presence of Indian Premier Manmohan Singh, himself a member of the Sikh community.
http://parse.ly/p3
2009
Manmohan Singh (L) & Nicolas Sarkozy (C)
Sikhs feel let down once again in history, now by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the apex European judicial body supposed to be the guarantor of human rights and human dignity.
The Court in its judgement confirmed what French President Nicolas Sarkozy had told me (Tejinder Singh) last September at the concluding press conference of the European Union/India Summit in Marseille, France.
ANGER OF SARKOZY, SILENCE OF SINGH
Standing next to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a Sikh wearing a light blue turban, Sarkozy answered this reporter’s (Tejinder Singh) question about the wearing of turbans by Sikhs in France.
Regarding the required Sikh head covering, an integral part of their religious identity, Sarkozy, replied curtly, “Sir, we respect Sikhs. We respect their customs, their traditions. They are most welcome to France.”
Visibly irritated, Sarkozy continued in French, “But sir, we have rules, rules concerning the neutrality of civil servants, rules concerning secularism, and these rules don't apply only to Sikhs, they apply to Muslims or others. They apply to all on the territory of the French Republic."
The practice by Sikhs of allowing one’s hair to grow naturally is a symbol of respect, the most important of the five outward symbols required of all Sikhs, and the turban is worn to cover the uncut hair. Sarkozy explained that the banning of turbans is not discrimination, that, “These rules apply to everybody, to everybody with no exception. There is no discrimination whatsoever.”
Making it clear to the Sikh community in France that they have no option other than to conform to the rules, Sarkozy made the paradoxical statement, “We respect their traditions and their customs and we are convinced that they too respect the laws, traditions and customs of the French Republic.”
During this whole episode, Indian Premier Singh stayed silent on the subject even though I had put the question to both the leaders.
DISCRIMINATION BEGINS EARLY IN FRANCE
US LAWMAKER HONDA SPOKE
US Congressman Mike Honda (Democrat-California), who represents Silicon Valley and who is involved in this issue in his capacity as Chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, told this correspondent last year, “I don’t believe in sacrificing freedom in order to protect freedom. Turbans are part of the religious identity of Sikhs and we must strive to respect their freedom of religious expression. A balance can be struck between national security and religious liberties, but that balance can only be reached by consulting all the parties involved, in this case the Sikh community.”
“It would be ironic that many Sikhs, who fled their homeland seeking religious freedom, would find that America curtailed their religious freedoms when they arrived upon our shores,” Honda had added.
EUROPEAN LAWMAKER GILL
Asked to comment, Neena Gill, a member of the European Parliament had said last year, “I am astounded by the level of discrimination that is in fact growing … it is not confined to France … it is in Belgium, in Germany and it really smacks against all these initiatives that the European Commission is constantly launching.”
However, solutions aimed at nurturing “unity in diversity,” the European Union’s frequently appearing slogan, are already working in the United Kingdom, one of the member states of the European Union, and across the Atlantic in the United States.
Highlighting the integration and diversity that prevails across the English Channel, Gill, who was born in Punjab, India, said, “If you look at the United Kingdom, you can wear a turban not only in mainstream jobs but also in the police, the army, the air force or the navy. There is no restriction. In fact, the army has special days when they try and recruit people from the Sikh community and the Dastar (turban) is not a problem for them, so I really think we do need to raise awareness, especially from the European Commission in these particular years of Equality and Intercultural Dialogue. We have to target the resources at these issues to ensure that there is greater awareness across the EU in accepting people of different appearances.”
The root cause of the discrimination and a pragmatic solution to root it out was aptly summed up by Jennifer Handshew, a seasoned public relations professional in New York who had told this journalist, “I feel that ignorance and fear are the primary factors that fuel this discrimination and believe that education and awareness will help people better understand what the turban means to the Sikhs.”
What Handshew and others suggest provide a succinct analysis and a solution, but for now, the door to a respectable life in France for Sikhs has been slammed shut by the ECHR while French President Sarkozy had set the ball rolling last year in the presence of Indian Premier Manmohan Singh, himself a member of the Sikh community.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: European Court rules against the Sikh turban in French schools - National Europe Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/europe-poli...-the-sikh-turban-french-schools#ixzz1Ax9JGez8
http://parse.ly/p3
