US civil liberties groups back Sikh rights
January 28th, 2011 - 2:19 pm ICT by IANSBy Arun Kumar
Washington, Jan 28 (IANS) A Sikh advocacy group joined by several other civil rights organizations have urged California’s Indian-American Attorney General Kamala Harris not to oppose a bearded Sikh who wants to serve as a prison guard.Trilochan Singh Oberoi was denied a job as a Corrections Officer in Folsom because of a claim by Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) that he couldn’t be properly fitted for a gas mask unless he shaved.
Harris filed a 22-page motion in Sacramento Superior Court this week saying that religious beliefs are not enough to trump the corrections department ban on prison guards wearing beards.
Oberoi, whose beard is a significant symbol of his Sikh faith, sued the CDCR, claiming his civil rights were violated, according to Sikh Coalition, a community advocacy group.
On Nov 10, 2008, after a two-day trial, the State Personnel Board’s Appeal Division determined that he suffered unlawful workplace discrimination and asked that his job application be considered “forthwith,” it said.
However, more than two years after a final adjudication in Oberoi’s favour, he still does not have a job with CDCR, the Coalition said.
Instead, the Attorney General’s office is seeking dismissal of Oberoi’s case, even though beard exemptions are made for medical reasons, and even though bearded Sikhs now serve with distinction in the United States Army, it said.
In a joint letter to Governor Jerry Brown the coalition and 33 other civil liberties groups said: “We find the California Attorney General’s adversarial posture in this case to be demeaning to religious minorities and utterly inconsistent with your own obligation to defend civil rights for all Californians.”
“Just because someone belongs to a religious minority that is misunderstood by, or frankly just completely unknown to the general public, does not make that person’s conscience any less precious or his dignity any less deserving than the religions that we all know,” said Eric Rassbach of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.
(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
- California to let Sikh prisoners keep beards - Jun 11, 2011
- Indian-American Sikh wins $295,000 for job denial - Oct 28, 2011
- Sikh group seeks UN intervention to save Bhullar - Jun 18, 2011
- Sikhs in turbans can now serve Washington police - May 17, 2012
- FBI urged to check hate crimes against Sikh-Americans - Apr 20, 2012
- US allows Sikh security officers to wear turban and beard - Oct 21, 2009
- Sikhs twitter Obama to visit Amritsar - Oct 22, 2010
- US Army accepts a second Sikh with turban and beard intact (Lead) - Dec 12, 2009
- Religion-based protection for workers in New York - Sep 03, 2011
- 'Sikhs should expect screening of turbans at US airports' - Jan 14, 2011
- US Muslim body seeks probe on attack on Sikh - Dec 06, 2011
- Indian American politicians rake in cash - Aug 12, 2011
- Sikhs, Muslims seek end to racial profiling - Jun 18, 2010
- Kamala Harris to be California attorney general - Nov 25, 2010
- US army accepts first Sikh recruit - Oct 24, 2009
Tags: american attorney, appeal division, arun kumar, california attorney general, civil liberties groups, civil rights organizations, community advocacy group, department of corrections and rehabilitation cdcr, gas mask, kamala harris, oberoi, page motion, prison guard, religious minorities, religious minority, sacramento superior court, sikh faith, state personnel board, united states army, workplace discrimination