Sikh Federation (Uk) Launch Urgent Campaign For Respect For Dastaar At European Airports

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Sikh Federation (UK) launch urgent campaign for respect for Dastaar at European Airports

Sikh Federation (UK) launch urgent campaign for respect for Dastaar at European Airports - immediately send the letter attached to your MP (see link below).

Arrange to take part in a mass Sikh Lobby and meet your MP on Wednesday 30 June between 1.30-4.30pm at the UK Houses of Parliament.

All Gurdwaras are urged to be represented and arrange transport for Sangat to take part in the lobby.

Download the standard letter to be sent to your local MP from:

http://www.sikhfederation.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=161:sikh-federation-uk-launch-urgent-campaign-for-respect-for-dastaar-at-european-airports&catid=35:news

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Sikh Federation (UK) launch urgent campaign for respect for Dastaar at European Airports

Sikh Federation (UK) launch urgent campaign for respect for Dastaar at European Airports - immediately send the letter attached to your MP (see link below).

Arrange to take part in a mass Sikh Lobby and meet your MP on Wednesday 30 June between 1.30-4.30pm at the UK Houses of Parliament.

All Gurdwaras are urged to be represented and arrange transport for Sangat to take part in the lobby.

Download the standard letter to be sent to your local MP from:

http://www.sikhfederation.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=161:sikh-federation-uk-launch-urgent-campaign-for-respect-for-dastaar-at-european-airports&catid=35:news

Please widely circulate the Facebook link below:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=136961962980485

As the Facebook invite states:

This impacts on all Sikhs with Dastaars (from the USA, Canada, Australia, Punjab etc.) that will be visiting any European Union country and will wish to fly home. You should also be getting your governments to put pressure on European countries to exempt the Dastaar from hand searches.

[Pyara]

Is this letter only effective if you are able to personally attend the lobby and directly meet you MP? Can I still write to my MP and request his attendance, even if I cannot make the 30th?

Thanks

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Is this letter only effective if you are able to personally attend the lobby and directly meet you MP? Can I still write to my MP and request his attendance, even if I cannot make the 30th?

Thanks

Everyone should try and write to their MP.

If you are unable to attend the lobby try and get other Sikhs where you live to attend.

The MP should act on your letter and write back to you and explain what action he/she has taken.

[Khalasthan86]

I have sent the letter to my MP, John Spellar I would of come, but I got school

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Please sign the associated petition and share as widely as possible

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/respectsikhturban/signatures

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

You may the following link helpful to write direct to your MP:

http://www.writetothem.com/

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Discussion took place on the Sikh Channel between 7-8pm tonight.

A simple Promo for the mass Sikh Lobby on Wednesday 30 June 2010 from 1.30-4.30pm has also started.

This will be updated tomorrow.

[chatanga]

Jag Singh, the letter from the Sikhfed website is in pdf format. i cant use it, can you post a copy of sample letter here, so i can use it to write to my mp plz?

and plz do the same in future so we can avoid delays.

thanks bro.

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Jag Singh, the letter from the Sikhfed website is in pdf format. i cant use it, can you post a copy of sample letter here, so i can use it to write to my mp plz?

and plz do the same in future so we can avoid delays.

thanks bro.

It is a word document on http://www.sikhfederation.com

Dear [MPs Name]

EU Regulation on screening of passengers at airports

As a member of the Sikh community I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the implementation of Commission Regulation (EU) No 185/2010. See link below:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:055:0001:0055:EN:PDF

The Regulation, which came into effect on 29 April 2010, requires hand searches and discourages the use of hand-held metal detectors if walk-through metal detectors suggest a passenger may be carrying a prohibited article. This presents a major difficulty for turban wearing Sikhs as the walk-through metal detectors will almost always go off because Sikhs will be wearing a Kara (iron bangle) and if they are practising Sikhs they will be wearing a small Kirpan with a blade of up to 6cm, which now appear to be specifically allowed under the new Regulation (see later).

The Regulation is being interpreted as requiring hand searches of the Sikh turban, which as you will appreciate would be highly offensive and most insensitive towards Sikhs. It will become an issue of considerable concern within the Sikh community and with MPs from 1 July 2010 when the new policy is to be implemented at Heathrow Airport. We understand other airports may already have started to partially implement the Regulation and there have already been complaints.

The Regulation (4.1.1.7) allows for the appropriate authority to create categories of passengers that, for objective reasons, shall be subject to special screening procedures or may be exempted from screening. We suggest you write to and meet with Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, the Secretary of State for Transport, as a matter of urgency and insist on Sikh turbans being exempt from hand searches and only subject to walk-through metal detectors (that have the inherent limitations described as regards Sikhs) and/or hand-held metal detectors. An alternative is to ensure there are sufficient full body scanners for turban wearing Sikhs at all UK airports that will be able to detect if a passenger may be carrying a prohibited article.

Sikh from across the UK plan to hold a mass lobby of Parliament on 30 June between 1.30-4.30pm and hope that action can be taken by then to delay the implementation at all UK airports until an acceptable solution (i.e. exemption covering the Sikh turban) is found for turban wearing Sikhs.

Sikhs are also looking for the Department of Transport to issue a letter covering the right of practising Sikh passengers to now be able to wear a small Kirpan with a blade of up to 6cm as implied by the new Regulation. As the latter applies across Europe and the authorities other than in the UK may be oblivious to the right of practising Sikh passengers to be able to wear a small Kirpan we are looking for the Department to obtain suitable letters in relevant languages from its counterparts across the EU so British Sikhs when flying back from mainland Europe are allowed to exercise the same right as in the UK under this Regulation.

We encourage you to be available to meet a delegation of Sikhs from your constituency between 1.30-4.30pm on 30 June. Sikhs are in the process of arranging the booking of a large room in Portcullis House or the House itself between 3.00-4.30pm where we hope the Secretary of State for Transport can address Sikhs and our elected representatives.

[Your name]

[Your full postal address, including postcode]