Sikh Freedom Lobby - 31 May 2006 (brussels)

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

From SikhSangat.org

Europe

Ensuring Freedom of Sikhs to practice our Faith

By SSNews

May 24, 2006, 18:20

There have been numerous cases of Sikhs in France feeling 'pressured' to give up their faith to 'fit' in with Social norms. One such example is that of eight year old Harjeet Singh (pictured) and his father who both were 'pressured' by the principal of the elementary school that the child attended. The principal stated the boy would have to remove his 'Rumaal' (head-covering) and “make an "effort social" to cut his hair to facilitate the integration into French society of the young boy, who had just arrived from Panjab.”

Even after UNITED SIKHS got involved and explained to the principal that the schoolboy had a legal right to wear the 'Rumaal' as it was not one of the banned "ostensible religious signs" the principal refused to admit the child. After UNITED SIKHS pursued the case District Education Inspector of Seine St Denis, Mr Delaubier intervened to ensure Harjeet Singh would be admitted into school.

UNITED SIKHS in France are ensuring that Sikhs continue to have basic freedoms to practice their faith. The Sikh Federation (UK) is organizing a "Sikh Freedom Lobby" in Brussels on Wednesday 31 May 2006 from 12pm. In the Sikh Freedom Lobby one of the freedom issues is the freedom of Sikhs in Europe to practice their faith. They have recognised that while Sikhs in France are experiencing major problems with religious freedoms; similar problems exist for school children in Belgium and difficulties have also occurred in Germany. The right to wear the Kirpan is facing increasing challenge in many countries throughout Europe and is likely to become more problematic due to security considerations. The "Sikh Freedom Lobby" is an ideal opportunity for Sikhs from across Europe to unite and demonstrate our opposition to all restrictions on our articles of faith.

Sikhs across USA are encouraged to consider doing something similar in Washington DC as being done in Brussels. Sikhs in India, Australia and New Zealand are urged to follow suit in the steps of the Sikh Federation and speak up to pre-empt laws restricting religious freedoms of Sikhs such as those in France from being adopted by other countries.

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

EDM 2219 - DEATH PENALTY IN INDIA

22.05.2006

That this House welcomes Amnesty International UK's section Report 2006, Standing Up for Human Rights, which calls upon India to send a strong signal of its support for human rights by abolishing the death penalty; calls for the release of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar who, having been illegally extradited from Germany, is currently under sentence of death; and urges the UK Government to use whatever influence it can to urge the Indian government to abolish the death penalty and to free Professor Bhullar.

To all UK residents: Could you please urge your MP to sign EDM 2219, if you do not know who your MP is you can find out by http://www.locata.co.uk/commons/ and send them a message. Alternatively, use www.faxyourmp.com

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Important message for Sikhs hoping to take part in the Sikh Freedom Lobby in Brussels on Wednesday 31st May 2006

Meetings have been arranged with many UK MEPs. Please remember you can not simply just turn up at the European Parliament. You must have made prior arrangements for an MEP to sign you in. Please email the sikhfederationuk@yahoo.co.uk as soon as possible if you are intending to take part from the UK so we can inform the relevant regional co-ordinator. Please indicate how you are planning to travel and what time you will reach the European Parliament. Pleae try and do this by 6.30pm today (Monday 29 May).

Many Sikhs in mainland Europe (France, Germany, Nerthlands, Belgium, Italy etc.) have been in contact in the last 48 hours saying they will be attending. HOWEVER most have assumed they can get in to the EU Parliament on the back of the UK meetings. This is not likely to be the case so they have been urged to make a special effort in the next 48 hours to make sure they make arrangements for meetings with MEPs for their own countries/regions).

PRESS RELEASE

Monday 1 May 2006

SIKH FEDERATION (UK) ANNOUNCE FIRST EVER SIKH FREEDOM LOBBY IN EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The Sikh Federation (UK) in collaboration with Sikh organisations throughout Europe is organising the first ever European Sikh Lobby Day. The 'SIKH FREEDOM LOBBY' will be taking place in Brussels on the afternoon of Wednesday 31 May 2006 from 12 noon.

The four freedom issues to be covered are:

- the freedom of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and other Sikh political prisoners languishing in Indian jails

- the freedom of Sikhs in Europe to practice their faith

- the freedom to expose the genocide of Sikhs in 1984 and the widespread abuse of human rights in India

- the freedom for Sikhs to exercise their right to self determination

To coincide with the lobby Written Declaration 0030/2006 was tabled in the European Parliament last week on the punitive treatment of political and human rights activists in India. The Written Declaration concerns the case of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and will be an important focus for the lobby. There are still over one hundred known Sikh political prisoners that are still being held without trial or on fabricated charges.

The declaration while referring to the Professor mentions his illegal deportation from Germany, the intense political persecution he suffered in Panjab, the torture he was subjected to and the contentious trial and death sentence imposed. It calls on the European Commission and the German Government to press for an immediate withdrawal of the death sentence imposed and to demand a full review of the Professor's case in accordance with international law, under monitoring by UN observers. It also calls on the European Commission and Council to demand that India cease its punitive treatment of political and human rights activists in areas of political unrest.

Sikhs throughout the 25-member EU Member States have been encouraged to contact their MEPs and urge them to sign Written Declaration 0030/2006. In addition, MEPs are being urged to get other MEPs belonging to the same EU political grouping to support the declaration.

Sikhs will make a further push on getting signatories at the Sikh Freedom Lobby at the end of the month. On 26 May 2006 Professor Davinderpal Singh will be 42-years old having spent the last quarter of his life in prison and over half his life facing persecution.

The freedom of Sikhs in Europe to visibly practice their faith is a major concern for Sikhs living in Europe. For the last couple of years the right to wear the Sikh turban (dastaar) in France with respect to school children and when obtaining documentation, such as passports and driving licences have been well publicised. However, similar problems exist for school children in Belgium and difficulties have also occurred in Germany. In addition, the right to wear the Kirpan is increasingly being challenged in many countries throughout Europe.

Recently a delegation of MEPs has returned from Panjab and promised to take the dastaar issue up with the French authorities. The Sikh Freedom Lobby will provide an ideal opportunity for Sikhs from across Europe to unite and demonstrate our opposition to all restrictions on our articles of faith.

With the 22nd anniversary of the June 1984 genocide of Sikhs fast approaching the third freedom issue to be raised in Brussels will be the freedom for groups like Amnesty International and the UN Rapporteur on Torture to have full access to Panjab to expose human rights abuses.

Amnesty International has now been prevented from entering Panjab for over 25 years. Sikh human rights activists that have tried to expose human rights abuses, such as torture, fake encounters and disappearances have met with the same fate. The Indian authorities have recently admitted they sponsored the killing of innocent people in Panjab to create an atmosphere for the police to allow them to use excessive force, stage fake encounters, torture and disappear at will, use extortion and kill anyone that dared associate with the Sikh independence movement.

As Sikhs in countries across the world are making preparations to mark the 22nd anniversary of the June 1984 massacre the Sikh Freedom Lobby in Brussels provides an excellent political platform for Sikhs from across Europe to exert political pressure on India to allow the international community to learn the truth of 1984 and the events of the last 25 years and seek the justice Sikhs deserve.

The fourth and final issue that will be raised is the freedom for Sikhs to exercise their right to self determination. Twelve months ago a paper was presented to UK Parliamentarians titled "Self determination as a human right and its applicability to the Sikhs". This started a debate with UK politicians on why Sikhs believe it is legitimate for Sikhs to have the right to self determination.

The Sikh Federation (UK) has argued there must be an open dialogue with Sikhs on their right to self determination and that the "territorial integrity" of India can not be used as an excuse if politicians believe in the principles that have been established at the UN.

Politicians that apply the territorial integrity "limitation" to India have been reminded:

- The limitation only applies where “States conduct themselves in compliance with the principle of equal rights and self-determination" - India opted out of this defence in 1966 when they put down a "reservation" when ratifying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. India in effect stated in the UN that the right of self determination only applied to people living outside India. France, Germany and the Netherlands objected to the reservation on the grounds self determination must apply to all people. The UN has invited India to withdraw this reservation, but India has neglected to respond.

- It is now internationally recognised that any government which is oppressive to peoples within its territory may no longer be able to rely on the ground of ‘territorial integrity’ as a limitation on the right of self-determination.

The Sikh Freedom Lobby in Brussels will allow Sikhs for the first time to engage at the European level on the importance of the Sikh right to self determination and why organisations, such as the Sikh Federation (UK) passionately believe in the establishment of an independent sovereign Sikh State, Khalistan. Given the French, German and Dutch support for the right to self determination it will be important that Sikhs from these countries attend in large numbers.

The Sikh Federation (UK) has appealed to Sikhs across Europe to contact MEPs and ask them to sign Written Declaration 0030/2006. It has asked for each country in Europe where Sikhs live to organise an appropriately sized delegation to ask for a brief lobbying meeting with MEPs on the Sikh Freedom Lobby in Brussels on Wednesday 31 May. In the UK MEPs are split into twelve regions. The aim is to have a delegation of five to ten Sikhs from each region with a regional co-ordinator ensuring all MEPs in the region are contacted and MEPs are aware of all Sikhs attending for each region. Similar arrangements are likely in other countries where MEPs represent regions and a sufficient number of Sikhs are able to attend.

Gurjeet Singh

National Press Secretary

Sikh Federation (UK)

Notes:

1. Individuals wishing to identify their MEPs and get contact details can use the European Parliament website. For those working in English they can use the link below and choose to search for an MEP by name or by region.

2. When individuals taking part in the lobby contact their regional MEPs to ask for a meeting, it is essential that they also ask that the MEP sign them into the Parliament building.

3. Each 'country' delegation should come fully prepared to speak on each of the issues.

4. Any person wishing to attend from the UK or elsewhere in Europe should keep the Sikh Federation (UK) informed by emailing sikhfederationuk@yahoo.co.uk

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

I'm stuck in Brussels with little access to the Internet

Please try and make it to Room P1A002 between 4.30-5.30pm in the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday 31 May. This room will hold almost 300.

Please email as many MEPs as possible an tell them that they can meet Sikhs from across Europe and hear our calls for FREEDOM.

MEPs can also meet with a cross section of Sikhs from across Europe in Room A1H1 between 1-2pm. This room will hold around 40 people.

Around 40 other meetings are planned with MEPs from 12 noon to 6pm.

This is an excellent opportunity to make the SIKH VOICE HEARD IN EUROPE and throughout the world.

Note:

The Sikh Federation (UK) in collaboration with Sikh organisations throughout Europe is organising the first ever European Sikh Lobby Day. The 'SIKH FREEDOM LOBBY' will be taking place in Brussels on the afternoon of Wednesday 31 May 2006 from 12 noon.

The four freedom issues to be covered are:

- the freedom of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and other Sikh political prisoners languishing in Indian jails

- the freedom of Sikhs in Europe to practice their faith

- the freedom to expose the genocide of Sikhs in 1984 and the widespread abuse of human rights in India

- the freedom for Sikhs to exercise their right to self determination

[Pakandi baba]

The lobby is today isn't it!

Pleae post any details on here so we can keep up with what the outcome was, including attendance.

Thanks

[sikhlionz]

http://www.sikhsangat.org/publish/article_1070.shtml

[Pakandi baba]

http://www.sikhsangat.org/publish/article_1070.shtml

Well that's just bloody great! Sikhs go to discuss tolerance of our relgion, and the first hurdle is at the European Parliment!!

Once they were allowed in, what happened and what was resloved?

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

SIKH FEDERATION (UK)

sikhfederationuk@yahoo.co.uk

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday 1 June 2006

SIKHS VOW TO CHALLENGE RACISM IN EUROPE

1. The Sikh Federation (UK) in collaboration with Sikh organisations throughout Europe yesterday organised the first ever European Sikh Lobby Day. With around 150-200 Sikh delegates from across Europe the SIKH FREEDOM LOBBY was expected to be a major step in pushing for greater freedoms for Sikhs.

2. The Federation had pre-arranged around forty separate meetings with UK MEPs with delegates from each region. They were hoping to cover the following four freedom issues:

- the freedom of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and other Sikh political prisoners languishing in Indian jails

- the freedom of Sikhs in Europe to practice their faith

- the freedom to expose the genocide of Sikhs in 1984 and the widespread abuse of human rights in India

- the freedom for Sikhs to exercise their right to self determination

3. On the eve of the lobby the Federation became increasingly concerned that practising Sikhs, some 95% of those attending, may be denied access to the European Parliament because of one of their five essential articles of faith the 'Kirpan'. Neena Gill the only MEP with a Sikh background took up the issue with the Secretary General. Initially the organisers were told by those responsible for security that as Sikhs had pre-arranged meetings with individual MEPs they would have no difficulties entering the EU Parliament provided names of those attending were provided in advance. Around 125 names of Sikhs who were known to be attending were provided the day before the lobby.

4. However, as Sikhs started arriving at the EU Parliament from around 11.30am to meet their elected representatives they were told 'a decision was made late last night by the Secretary General to deny practising Sikhs the right to enter Parliament unless they were prepared to remove the Kirpan as they were there in relatively large numbers. Several hours of chaos resulted with UK MEPs furious and embarrassed that they were not being entrusted to sign in small groups of Sikhs who had arranged to meet with them. MEPs were totally unaware of the decision to deny people that had elected them the right to meet with them in Parliament. A Federation spokesman said: 'this was a complete fiasco with the EU Parliament denying Sikhs their democratic right to meet and lobby MEPs inside a building they pay for through their taxes'.

5. For some Sikhs the discrimination did not stop there. As several tried to fly back late last night from Belgium to the UK they were stopped by security and told they would only be allowed to fly if they were willing to remove their turbans so they could be inspected. Sikhs were more than willing for security staff to use hand held scanners to examine their turbans as is the case in all other major airports of the world. Jaspal Singh one of the Sikhs caught up in this said: 'To ask a Sikh to remove the turban is highly offensive and for this to be happening in Brussels of all places is something that should not be tolerated. One of the other Sikhs with Jaspal Singh who makes regular trips to Brussels working for the EU who wished not to be named said: 'A similar incident happen to me six months earlier, a written complaint was made at the time to the head of security to provide a copy of the so-called new rules at Brussels airport relating to the Sikh turban and provide an explanation of why hand held scanners could not be used for the Sikh turban that would avoid causing serious offence. No reply had been forthcoming and now the same incident was occurring without explanation.'

6. A further written complaint was made this morning by the two Sikhs who were forced to miss their flights last night. They learnt that many other Sikhs have made written complaints about their treatment and the UK Government had now also raised the matter. The Sikhs affected have vowed to take this issue up with MEPs who said they would take this up with the Belgium authorities at the highest level. Bhai Amrik Singh, the Chairman of the Sikh Federation (UK) said: 'the EU has thrown Sikhs a challenge that we shall rise to. The EU should be about tolerance and valuing diversity not racism. In a few weeks time we will be back in Brussels in even greater numbers to see if Europe lives up to the freedoms that tens of thousands of practising Sikhs died for in the two World Wars. Events like these are also leading many in the Sikh Diaspora to conclude the Sikhs must have their own sovereign state so governments and countries around the world can appreciate and value what the Sikh Nation has to offer.

Gurjeet Singh

National Press Secretary

Sikh Federation (UK)

[Pakandi baba]

[ Events like these are also leading many in the Sikh Diaspora to conclude the Sikhs must have their own sovereign state so governments and countries around the world can appreciate and value what the Sikh Nation has to offer.

Gurjeet Singh

National Press Secretary

Sikh Federation (UK)

Thanks Khalsa Ji for that long response which you've taken time to type :TH:

It's a shame that this happened during the visit but at least it proves to the MEP's that discrimination is ripe (right on their doorstep).

What was the outcome of the 5 points that were discussed?

We need to address the Sikh righ to Independence more as this is a neccessity more now that ever!

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

SIKH FEDERATION (UK)

sikhfederationuk@yahoo.co.uk

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday 1 June 2006

SIKHS RAISE AWARENESS IN EUROPE AT FREEDOM LOBBY

1. The Sikh Federation (UK) united with Sikh organisations throughout Europe yesterday to organise the first ever European Sikh Lobby Day. With around 150-200 Sikh delegates from across Europe the SIKH FREEDOM LOBBY was an important international step in pushing for greater freedoms for Sikhs.

2. The Federation had pre-arranged around forty separate meetings with UK MEPs with delegates from each region. Will the help of Neena Gill, the only MEP with a Sikh background they had also arranged for up to 300 Sikhs and MEPs from a number of EU Member States to gather for what many believed would be the largest ever lobby of its kind. They had also arranged for a 25-member delegation of Sikhs from across the EU to meet all MEPs just before the Plenary Session. They were to cover the following four freedom issues:

- the freedom of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and other Sikh political prisoners languishing in Indian jails

- the freedom of Sikhs in Europe to practice their faith

- the freedom to expose the genocide of Sikhs in 1984 and the widespread abuse of human rights in India

- the freedom for Sikhs to exercise their right to self determination

3. Despite the huge disruption caused by the EU Parliament in refusing to allow Sikhs to enter wearing their Kirpans many of those present reflected that the lobby was nonetheless a massive success. The organisers suspected that as 95% of those attending the lobby were wearing Kirpans this may cause difficulties due to ignorance about Sikhs in mainland Europe. As advised Sikhs staggered their entry into the UK Parliament from 11.30am. However, only one or two small groups were allowed into Parliament before security officials insisted that all Sikhs wearing Kirpans must remove their Kirpans before entering. Representatives from the UK, Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands agreed that Sikhs would not agree to remove their Kirpans and made this clear to MEPs and their representatives as they came to meet them to take them into the Parliament building.

4. UK MEPs were furious that Sikhs who had pre-arranged meetings with them were being denied access to the building. A stand off then resulted between MEPs and EU officials over the next three hours. MEPs from across the political spectrum and their assistants joined Sikhs in the lobby of the Parliament building and worked tirelessly to find a solution to accommodate the Sikhs. UK MEPs the Sikhs met yesterday included: Andrew Duff, Bill Newton Dunn, Dr Caroline Lucas, Christopher Heaton-Harris, Claude Moraes, Daniel Hannan, Derek Clark, Diana Wallis, Elspeth Attwooll, Eluned Morgan, Glenis Willmott, Glyn Ford, Godfrey Bloom, Jean Lambert, Liz Lynne, Malcolm Harbour, Neena Gill, Nigel Farage, Niranjan Deva, Peter Skinner, Robert Kilroy-Silk, Roger Helmer, Sajjad Karim, Baroness Sarah Ludford, Sharon Bowles, Terence Wynn and Thomas Wise.

5. Some of the UK MEPS were kind enough to stop French, German, Belgium and Dutch MEPs passing through the lobby area to meet with delegations from these countries. One former UK MP commented that Sikhs from UK had been very clever in creating what was a virtual UK Parliament 'Central Lobby' by replacing the 'green card' system by requests to MEPs to join them in the lobby area and then using their sheer presence to get across why they were there.

6. The no compromise stance taken by the Sikhs finally resulted in a breakthrough when it was agreed a 12-member delegation of Sikhs from across the EU should be allowed to enter the EU Parliament with their Kirpans to meet MEPs taking part in the Plenary Session and to brief the media who had by this time become very aware of the difficulties being experienced by Sikhs. In addition a location was found close to the Parliament building where all Sikhs gathered and all 650+ MEPs were informed that as the EU Parliament system had in effect failed to show the tolerance and respect towards the diversity of the Sikh identity they should meet Sikhs at this outside location.

7. By taking this stance Sikhs showed that by being united and remaining firm in their beliefs they have the strength and respect of politicians to win major concessions. A Federation spokesman said: 'We turned a difficult situation to our advantage. By the time we left many MEPs and the media were sympathetic to our point of view. We now need to turn that sympathy and understanding into positive action that will benefit Sikhs.

8. Bhai Amrik Singh, the Chairman of the Sikh Federation (UK) said: 'We are united in the challenge presented to Sikhs in the EU and have offered to assist EU institutions and member states in raising awareness about the Sikhs - the most visible minority in the world - and the issues that cause us most concern. Our wish is citizens in the EU become better informed, more tolerant and value diversity. In a few weeks time we have pledged to return to Brussels in even greater numbers to see if Europe recognises our freedoms. Tens of thousands of practising Sikhs died for freedom in Europe in the two World Wars, the least we can expect is respect for our right to be different and support for our own freedom'.

Gurjeet Singh

National Press Secretary

Sikh Federation (UK)