It’s a shame when people think they can denigrate the sacred religious articles of others and get away with it. Please sign the SALDEF sponsored petition below and get Al Rantel to apologize. The last public figure to make anti-Sikh remarks of this level was a gentleman named John Cooksey, and the Pluralism Project has a nice writeup on that.  Would Rantel make the same remarks about Nuns or about Jews?  Please sign the petition and read on.

Sign the Petition

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SALDEF has done an awesome job working with the US Department of Justice Community Relations Service. One example of that is the many trainings that have been going on in the years since 9/11. Here’s the press release.

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Here’s the SALDEF Press Release:

Maryland Teens Arrested in Burtonsville Hate Crime
SALDEF commends Montgomery County Police for efforts in apprehending alleged perpetrators

Washington, DC: October 4, 2007 – Yesteday, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the nations oldest and largest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization, was informed that five teens have been arrested in connection with a string of attacks in Burtonsville, Maryland. SALDEF spoke directly with Chief Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department who discussed the arrests and indicated that additional arrests are expected. (more…)

Saldef writes:

Two Elderly Sikh American Men Suffer Vicious Attack in Maryland
FBI asked to probe possible hate crime; Community urged to continue reporting similar incidents

Washington D.C. – September 20, 2007: The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the nation’s oldest and largest Sikh American civil rights organization, filed a formal complaint today with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about an alleged hate crime in Burtonsville, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC.

The incident occurred when two Sikh American men were walking near their home during the afternoon of Saturday, September 15, 2007. During their walk they were approached by a group of six young men.

As the group approached, one of the young men struck the first victim with a blow to the side of his face, causing him to fall to the ground and partially lose consciousness. When the other victim attempted to call the police, another young man took his cell phone and began assaulting him. The attackers continued their assault on the victims after which they fled from the scene.

As no valuables were taken from the victims, there are indications the attack could have been racially and religiously motivated.
“Such attacks create an environment of fear for not only all Maryland residents, but for all minorities across the country,” said SALDEF Associate Director Rajbir S. Datta. “Unfortunately, the incident, which took place four days after the sixth anniversary of 9/11, has become an all too common experience for Sikh Americans.”

SALDEF has filed formal complaints with the FBI and Montgomery County Police Department encouraging them to investigate the attack as a possible hate crime.

If you believe you have been the target of bias, workplace discrimination, harassment, or a hate crime please contact SALDEF immediately via email, at 877-917-4547 and also report it online.

The nation’s oldest Sikh advocacy group, SALDEF, will be hosting an awards banquet in DC. Sikhswim will be there. More info from SALDEF:

The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the nation’s oldest and largest Sikh civil rights organization, is proud to announce the 2007 Civil Rights Awards Banquet. Join us as we recognize national and state-elected officials, youth activists, community leaders, business entrepreneurs, and political appointees who have worked diligently to support the Sikh American community.

http://saldef.org/content.aspx?a=1755