Kirpan bill to be re-introduced in California after veto
October 14th, 2009 - 9:33 am ICT by IANS ( 2 comments )
By Gurmukh Singh
Los Angeles, Oct 14 (IANS) After California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a unanimously passed bill over the carrying of kirpan by Sikhs, the bill will be reintroduced in the state assembly.
The bill - AB 504 - was introduced in February by assembly member Warren Furutani to educate law enforcement agencies to stop the arrests of Sikhs for carrying their kirpans in California. It was passed unanimously by the assembly, but Schwarzenegger vetoed it last week, saying it is “unnecessary.”
But assembly member Furutani said he will re-introduce the bill at the earliest.
“I am committed to carrying this legislation again until this or any other governor signs it. I urge the Sikh community to stand with me as we continue this fight,” Furutani said.
The bill, which was drafted with input from the Police Officers’ Standard and Training Commission (POST) of California, would have been the first such law in the US if it had been okayed by the governor.
Vetoing the bill with a rider, Schwarzenegger said: “It is the policy and practice of the Commission to periodically
review and update existing course curricula. If the Commission determines that training on the kirpan is warranted, it can create a programme without this measure.”
In a statement, Sikh Coalition, which spearheaded the campaign for the bill, said it is shocked by the veto despite the unanimous support for the bill.
“The governor’s response is very disappointing. It shows his lack of support for promoting religious understanding,” Coalition leader Neha Singh said.
“It is an utter shame that he does not understand the value of educating our law enforcement agencies on the diverse communities they are policing,” he said.
The Sikh organization urged the community to write to the governor to convey their dismay to him.
(Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at gurmukh.s@ians.in)
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- Canadian Sikhs angry as Quebec assembly bans kirpan - Feb 10, 2011
- Kirpan bill introduced in California assembly - Feb 28, 2009
- Kirpan ban slammed by Canadian opposition, media - Jan 21, 2011
- Sikhs with kirpans denied entry to Quebec assembly - Jan 20, 2011
- Sikh community speaks out against Quebec kirpan ban - Feb 10, 2011
- Kirpan carrying Sikhs barred from entering Quebec legislature - Jan 19, 2011
- Sikhs allowed to wear kirpan at Olympic venues - Oct 16, 2009
- November to be Sikh Awareness Month in California - Sep 05, 2010
- Liberal Party leader says Sikhs have right to carry kirpan in Canada - Jan 21, 2011
- Away from Punjab - the south Indian Sikhs (Feature) - Oct 17, 2011
- Religion-based protection for workers in New York - Sep 03, 2011
- Sikh MP's fury over Canadian political party's parliamentary ban on kirpans demand - Jan 20, 2011
Tags: arnold schwarzenegger, assembly member, california governor arnold, california governor arnold schwarzenegger, coalition leader, course curricula, dismay, diverse communities, governor arnold schwarzenegger, governor signs, gurmukh, kirpans, law enforcement agencies, member warren, neha, sikh community, sikhs, state assembly, unanimous support, utter shame
October 14th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
http://sikhsangat.org/2009/10/california-governor-said-no-to-sikh-kirpan-bill/#comment-570
California Governor says NO to Sikh Kirpan Bill
In continuation of my submission to California State Assembly, I have to only add that to my mind, my Sikh religion is another name of ‘Sri Guru Granth Sahib’.
The teachings of ‘Sri Guru Granth Sahib’ have no contradictions with any internationally recoganised and accepted law, norms and values.
To glorify the teachings and for living sprightly, some of us need dress code etc but not violating to the spirit of ‘Sri Guru Granth Sahib’.
California Governor Schwarzenegger may not be aware of the real spirit of ‘Sri Guru Granth Sahib’.
Sikh religion does not allow any kind of preaching to get converted people from other religions to Sikhism by adopting any hidden agenda or tactics like in the name of imparting spiritual education or other means by letting down others in any manner.
In fact, the open teachings of ‘Sri Guru Granth Sahib’ and by living sprightly are only our methods of preaching and the imparting education to our own people and others, without intending others conversion to Sikhism.
After all, the religions are concerned with God or gods, not always with individuals. Finally, Will of God shall prevail nothing else. Morally, for the sake of such things of ignorance, I am afraid to say, “Sikho!! get ready again for fight against injustice” then to repent…… Sorry for posting wrong comments on this post…..
I submit along with my earlier sumission as under:
“ In Re; Assemblyman introduces bill for police training on Sikh faith
To
California State Assembly
Submission regarding Assemblyman introduces bill for police training on Sikh faith keeping in view the safety and security
Sir,
Please publish and also forward the submission to all the appropriate authorities concerned: Thanks
Submission by Balbir Singh Sooch, Advocate, Ludhiana, for consideration in the larger interest of Sikh Community- The possible language of the legislation for consensus may be as under:
The legislation was necessary so that the Sikh community should not live in fear of arrest by law enforcement for carrying the kirpan-blade, which is an integral part of dress and or otherwise for the Sikh practitioners religiously.
And, the legislation would require police officers to receive instruction about the Sikh faith to prevent instances of ignorance-based harassment, or at the very least provide a legal basis for holding police officers accountable to culturally appropriate standards of enforcement for the diverse communities in which they work, when the Sikhs as ‘practitioners’ of their faith truly’ carry blade i.e. Kirpan as part of five articles of ‘specific size’.
The Sikhs as ‘practitioners’ mean who practise in the sense; ‘Truly’ means who believe strictly in carrying it as part of five articles of ‘specific size’ allowed; In case, the internationally recognized ‘Sikh coalition’ or Sikh Committee (s) as may be specified in the legislation certifies so, keeping in mind the safety and security, to such Sikh practitioners as beneficiaries under the legislation, then, there should not be any hitch in reviewing it (bill) and the gaining political traction in the upcoming legislative session, so far, I understand from the news. http://www.sikhvicharmanch.com“
October 4th, 2010 at 2:24 am
The use of a bodybuilding picture detracts from the credibility of your argument.
Law enforcement training on customs of different religious groups would be a good thing. Focusing it strictly on Sikhism is a little to limiting.