UK Passport Office - current ban on Kirpaans

[Harpartap Singh]

VahegurujikaKhalsa, VahegurujikiFateh!

Sangat ji,

The UK Passport Service are trying to agree a meeting date with the Sikh community concerning their current ban on the Sri Sahib.

Please could everybody send me details of all occasions when a Sikh has been refused entry to the Passport Office or if they have been forced to remove their Sri Sahibs. This information is urgently needed in order to show that 'most Sikhs are NOT content to comply.

I hope the Sangat will assist me in this. Make a difference - get the word out and lets get this information collated.

PS - please could somebody please post this on all e-groups they are members of as I am having difficulties accessing them. My email address is harpartaap@hotmail.com

Harpartap Singh

[stopsingh]

VahegurujikaKhalsa, VahegurujikiFateh!

Sangat ji,

The UK Passport Service are trying to agree a meeting date with the Sikh community concerning their current ban on the Sri Sahib.

Please could everybody send me details of all occasions when a Sikh has been refused entry to the Passport Office or if they have been forced to remove their Sri Sahibs. This information is urgently needed in order to show that 'most Sikhs are NOT content to comply.

I hope the Sangat will assist me in this. Make a difference - get the word out and lets get this information collated.

PS - please could somebody please post this on all e-groups they are members of as I am having difficulties accessing them. My email address is harpartaap@hotmail.com

Harpartap Singh

My dad, mum and grandad went to the IND office in Solihull a few years ago and had a similar problem. Went a few weeks ago with my gran and she had no problems and there were a few other Singh there wearing kirpans.

The Offensive Weapons Act 1996, the Crime Act 1951 and the Criminal Justice Act 1988, all exempt, on public rather than private property, items which have religious significance. So this ban is illegal. Wrie to the Attorney General and ask him to take action against the passport office. :wub: @

[DhadiMania]

info@thesikh-times.co.uk

speak to gurjeet kaur the editor of the sikh times, she had to remove her kirpaan when she went into the home office building.

[Yasmin]

Just curious to know... as you know there are problems in France because of the ban on religious clothes etc, does it apply to passports?

Does anyone here in the UK know if it is legal for you to wear turban and I my hijab in passport and driving license pictures? Or would we be asked to remove it?

[ms514]

Sat Sri Akal:

Yasmin Bhenji, if you are a resident of France, you will most likely face trouble wearing the hijab in a passport picture. I say this based on a story from before the religious articles of faith ban was initiated...a Sikh man was refused to take a passport picture with his turban in France. They sent a French minister to Darbar Sahib after that (obviously, it had little effect on their psyche).

However, in the UK, you should not have a problem. Others from the UK, please confirm.