World Sikh Lobby Day

[sikhlionz]

World Sikh Lobby Day

25 - 26th March 2007

has been organised at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Programme is:

Sunday 25th March

Venue: Gurdwara Sahib Switzerland, Langenthal

12-4pm - International Human Rights Conference - with non-Sikh speakers and the international media

6-9pm - Meeting of Sikh delegates from across the world to discuss the international political strategy of the Sikh Nation.

Monday 26th March

Venue: UN Human Rights Council, Geneva

11-12.30pm - Respect for Human Rights & Fundamental Freedoms - The 60 Year Experience of the Sikhs

2-5pm - Sikh Human Rights Awareness Rally outside UN building

Note: The Sikh Federation (UK) has made arrangements for up to 2 named Sikh representatives from each country to receive guest photo passes to enter the UN for the 11am seminar. The names of the 2 representatives need to be emailed to info@sikhfederation.com by Saturday 17th March. The names should match individual identity documents which each person will need to bring with them.

Issues to be raised at the UN Human Rights Council on 26th March

1. 50th Anniversary - Treaty of Rome - Religious Freedoms in Europe

2. Why has Amnesty International been denied access to investigate in Panjab for almost 30 years?

3. Why is the UN Rapporteur on Torture not being allowed to visit Panjab?

4. UN investigation into the lack of justice for the November 1984 Anti Sikh Pogroms

5. Release of Sikh political prisoners - Professor Bhullar, Paramjeet Singh, etc.

6. Fake encounters, disappearances, killing of 36 Sikhs in Kashmir, Jaswant Singh Khalra case

7. International image of Sikhs and restrictions on Sikhs and Sikh organisations

8. Sikh right to self-determination and campaign for an Independent Sikh State

Media covering the World Sikh Lobby Day will include Akash Radio, Raaj Radio, Panjab Radio. Contacts for your country are on the attached poster. For general information contact info@sikhfederation.com

[Nirvair S Khalsa]

A request to the administration to make this topic containing information of a Mahaan Panthic Event as a STICKY?

Thanks in advance!

Vaheguroo Jee Kaa Khalsa, Vaheguroo Jee Kee Phateh!!!

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Discussion programme yesterday (Wednesday 21 March) 8-10pm (UK time) on AKASH RADIO was about the World Sikh Lobby.

Today (Thursday 22 March - 8-10pm UK time) ) there will be a discussion programme on the World Sikh Lobby on RAAJ RADIO.

Also MATV will be highlighting the World Sikh Lobby (Thursday 22 March - 9.30-10.30pm UK time).

Please give feedback.

[Nirvair S Khalsa]

Discussion programme yesterday (Wednesday 21 March) 8-10pm (UK time) on AKASH RADIO was about the World Sikh Lobby.

Today (Thursday 22 March - 8-10pm UK time) ) there will be a discussion programme on the World Sikh Lobby on RAAJ RADIO.

Also MATV will be highlighting the World Sikh Lobby (Thursday 22 March - 9.30-10.30pm UK time).

Please give feedback.

For those missing it...

...EXCELLENT DISCUSSION PROGRAMME ON SKY MATV (793) NOW REGARDING THE WORLD SIKH LOBBY!!!

...Bhai Dabinderjit Singh is the guest speaker on the programme briefing viewers about the International Event!

Vaheguroo Jee Kaa Khalsa, Vaheguroo Jee Kee Phateh!!!

[sikhlionz]

http://www.sikhsangat.org/ssn/publish/Euro...an_Rights.shtml

Sikhs To Gather At United Nations For Human Rights

Representatives from across the world will be joining hundreds of Sikhs in Switzerland on Sunday to lobby for their human rights.

Members of the Sikh Federation UK will be attending the World Sikh Lobby, the first event of its kind ever to be held. The day will begin with an International Human Rights Conference with non-Sikh speakers and the international media. After that there will be a meeting of Sikh delegates from across the world to discuss the international political strategy of the Sikh Nation.

On Monday, hundreds of Sikhs will gather at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. The day will begin with a programme on Respect for Human Rights & Fundamental Freedoms: The 60 Year Experience of the Sikhs. This will be followed by a Sikh Human Rights Awareness Rally next to the UN building. It is planned to coincide with the fourth session of the UN Human Rights Council and the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

Gurmel Singh Bolla, from the Derby group, said:

"Issues raised by the representatives will include the humans rights abuses of Sikhs in India, indefinite detention of Sikh political prisoners in India and Sikhs' rights to self determination and campaign for an independent Sikh state, Khalistan."

This is the first ever seminar in the UN about Sikhs. This pioneering seminar will take place in the largest conference facility which has a 300 seat capacity. SSNews have exclusively been provided with the flyers which will be given out to encourage representatives from Member States and NGOs to attend:

The upcoming picture is of a large banner which will be used outside the UN. There will also be two other large banners giving similar messages:

These are the postcards (front and back) which will be distributed to representatives from Member States and NGOs both inside and outside the UN:

The following is a copy of the World Sikh Lobby Day poster with Panjabi translation:

The issues to be raised at the World Sikh Lobby Day at the UN Human Rights Council are:

1. 50th Anniversary - Treaty of Rome - Religious Freedoms in Europe

2. Why has Amnesty International been denied access to investigate in Panjab for almost 30 years?

3. Why is the UN Rapporteur on Torture not being allowed to visit Panjab?

4. UN investigation into the lack of justice for the November 1984 Anti Sikh Pogroms

5. Release of Sikh political prisoners - Professor Bhullar, Paramjeet Singh, etc.

6. Fake encounters, disappearances, killing of 36 Sikhs in Kashmir, Jaswant Singh Khalra case

7. International image of Sikhs and restrictions on Sikhs and Sikh organisations

8. Sikh right to self-determination and campaign for an Independent Sikh State

[Carpe Diem]

Anyone know how its going or went?

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

SIKHS GATHER TO PUSH FOR RIGHTS - DERBY EVENING TELEGRAPH

09:30 - 23 March 2007

Derby representatives will be joining hundreds of Sikhs in Switzerland on Sunday to lobby for their rights.

Members of the Derby branch of the Sikh Federation UK will be attending the World Sikh Lobby, the first event of its kind to be held.

It is planned to coincide with the fourth session of the UN Human Rights Council and the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

Gurmel Singh Bolla, from the Derby group, said: "Issues raised by the representatives will include the humans rights abuse of Sikhs in India, detention of Sikh political prisoners in India and Sikhs' rights to self determination and campaign for an independent Sikh state, Khalistan."

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Sikh organizations give memorandum to UN

By Ravinder Singh Robin

Amritsar, Mar 27 : Representatives of nearly 25 Sikh organizations from around the world gave a memorandum to the UN on various international Sikh issues in Geneva on Tuesday.

Nearly 200 members of the various Sikh organizations from 15 countries assembled at Langenthal to highlight the problem of religious freedom. The conference coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

Talking to ANI from Switzerland, Harminder Singh, senior member of Sikh Foundation, said that though most of the Sikh affairs in India were taken care by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC), but as far as international Sikh issues were concerned, the SGPC had failed to take them up at international platform.

The representatives said that their demands include a request that the UN endorses International Code of Practice on Sikh articles of faith.

They said that Sikhs across the world were facing increasing difficulties regarding religious freedoms and their visible identity due to a lack of knowledge and ignorance.

The memorandum said that there was a need to properly protect the Sikh identity and articles of faith at work, in business and in public places.

Harminder Singh said that identity crises were one of the major issues for the Sikh living outside India. He lamented that SGPC also failed to resolve turban issue with the Government of France.

This was the first time that representatives of various Sikh organizations from different countries assembled on an international platform to not only discuss the Sikh issues, but also put forward their best efforts for resolving these issues, he added.

Besides Sikh representatives, senior members of various human right organizations also took part in the conference.

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

PRESS RELEASE

Monday 26 March 2007

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS PROBLEM OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS ON EUROPE’S 50th BIRTHDAY

As European countries gathered to celebrate their 50th birthday in Berlin on the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome Sikhs held an international human rights conference in Langenthal, Switzerland to highlight the problem of religious freedoms.

The freedom of an estimated 1 million Sikhs in Europe to visibly practice their faith is a major concern for Sikhs throughout the world. Sikh representatives from over a dozen countries across the globe took part in the conference that attracted a number of non-Sikh speakers, such as Dr Charles Graves, the Secretary General of Interfaith International and Rev Dr Hans Ucko the Interfaith Director of the World Council of Churches.

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. Similarly Sikhs with turbans are not able to take up public appointments and more recently some Sikhs in France are even being prevented from entering banks unless they agree to remove their turbans. The Sikhs have been fighting these restrictions and are preparing to take several of their cases to the European Court of Human Rights.

Similar problems exist for school children in Belgium and difficulties for Sikhs to work while wearing the turban are occurring at an alarming rate in virtually all countries in Europe other than the UK. The Sikh community in the UK, which is by far the largest in Europe, has fought and succeeded in securing greater rights in the last 40 years, although more recently these rights are been challenged due to practices in mainland Europe. One of the main reasons for Sikhs being afforded protection is that UK law has ruled that Sikhs are not simply a faith community, but a distinct ethnic and racial group that is protected by discrimination laws.

50 years ago the Treaty of Rome established the principle of the freedom of movement of labour. The Treaty for example allows British Sikhs to travel to and work in France and yet the practical conditions and national law that prevail in France does not make this possible. Turban wearing Sikh police officers, school teachers or university lecturers in the UK should be allowed to work in France, but French law contravenes the Treaty as it insists Sikhs can not take up public appointments such as these without first removing their turbans.

For the last fifteen months Sikhs with turbans have also been experiencing increasing difficulties travelling back from Brussels airport. When Sikhs with turbans go through security at the airport and the alarm sounds security staff insist Sikhs remove their turbans so they can be properly inspected. To ask a Sikh to remove the turban is highly offensive. They refuse to use hand held scanners to examine turbans as is the case in all other major airports of the world. No explanation has been given of why hand held scanners can not be used for the Sikh turban that would avoid causing serious offence.

Similarly, the right to wear the Kirpan, one of the five articles of faith, which is mandatory for practising Sikhs, is increasingly being challenged in many countries throughout Europe. For example, in Denmark a recent court ruling declared Sikhs are no longer allowed to wear Kirpans. Last year around 150-200 practising Sikhs took part in a lobby of the European Parliament in Brussels and although Sikhs had pre-arranged around 40 meetings with MEPs they were denied the right to enter Parliament unless they were prepared to remove their Kirpans.

Sikhs throughout the world are facing increasing difficulties regarding religious freedoms and their visible identity due to a lack of knowledge and ignorance. Sikhs continue to experience difficulties undertaking day to day activities.

On Monday Sikh representatives also took their case to the UN Human Rights Council. In a written submission Sikhs called for a UN endorsed international Code of Practice concerning the Sikh's right to religious freedom and the need to properly protect the Sikh identity and articles of faith at work, in business and in public places.

In devising the Code the UN have also been urged to consult the newly established International Sikh Advisory Board (ISAB) which was agreed and announced the day before. The ISAB will be based in the UK and comprise 25 Amritdhari (practising) Sikhs drawn from across the world and working closely with leading Sikh organisations in each country.

Gurjeet Singh

National Press Secretary

Sikh Federation (UK)

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Sikh organizations give memorandum to UN

By Ravinder Singh Robin

Amritsar, Mar 27 : Representatives of nearly 25 Sikh organizations from around the world gave a memorandum to the UN on various international Sikh issues in Geneva on Tuesday.

Nearly 200 members of the various Sikh organizations from 15 countries assembled at Langenthal to highlight the problem of religious freedom. The conference coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

Talking to ANI from Switzerland, Harminder Singh, senior member of Sikh Foundation, said that though most of the Sikh affairs in India were taken care by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC), but as far as international Sikh issues were concerned, the SGPC had failed to take them up at international platform.

The representatives said that their demands include a request that the UN endorses International Code of Practice on Sikh articles of faith.

They said that Sikhs across the world were facing increasing difficulties regarding religious freedoms and their visible identity due to a lack of knowledge and ignorance.

The memorandum said that there was a need to properly protect the Sikh identity and articles of faith at work, in business and in public places.

Harminder Singh said that identity crises were one of the major issues for the Sikh living outside India. He lamented that SGPC also failed to resolve turban issue with the Government of France.

This was the first time that representatives of various Sikh organizations from different countries assembled on an international platform to not only discuss the Sikh issues, but also put forward their best efforts for resolving these issues, he added.

Besides Sikh representatives, senior members of various human right organizations also took part in the conference.

The full memorandum can be read at:

http://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?showto...t=0#entry243050