Outraged by the derogatory remarks
New Jersey 101.5 FM
109 Walters Ave.
Ewing, NJ 08638
Dear Board of Directors:
The Sikh community is deeply concerned and outraged by the derogatory remarks aired on NJ 101.5
about New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal. As a global human rights advocacy organization
associated with the United Nations Dept. of Public Information, we are reaching out to offer employee
training services available through our Sikh Awareness Project, which provides education on the Sikh
faith, reasons behind the distinct appearance of Sikhs, and key issues affecting the community, including
hate crimes, bullying and discrimination.
At a time when documented hate crimes against minority communities continue to be on the rise in the
United States and across other nations around the world, UNITED SIKHS strive to be leaders in the fight
against incidents of hate, bias, discrimination and intolerance. Through our 11 global chapters, our
organization has a long, well-documented history of advocating for human rights, religious freedom and
free speech on behalf of minority communities of all faiths, including within New Jersey and the greater
tri-state area.
As highlighted in our enclosed Anti-Sikhism Hate & Bullying in America Report, Sikhs have faced
increased incidents of discrimination and restrictions on their ability to practice their faith freely
following the Sept. 11 attacks. Data collected from our annual Global Civil Rights Survey show that Sikhs
experience some form of hate crime, bias incident, racial profiling and loss of freedom to wear articles of
faith in most countries. Locally, one such incident of public intolerance took place in May at a local
supermarket while Attorney General Grewal was shopping for groceries with his 8-year-old
daughter, reported in the NJ Jewish News.
From our first-hand experience, we are well aware that the type of inflammatory language used by
Dennis Malloy and Judi Franco influences racists and bigots to carry out attacks against a religious
community across all age groups. The immediate and long-lasting affects may vary from schoolyard
bullying – which Sikh children experience at more than double the national rate – to threats of violence,
racist slurs and physical harm, including attempts to forcibly remove turbans. Through our partnership
with the Dept. of Justice, Homeland Security and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, we
created the Sikh Awareness Project to help increase public awareness of Sikh history in America and
promote a better understanding of religious beliefs among schools, government agencies and corporate
offices.
In line with this goal, last week we partnered with the NYC Dept. of Education, Human Rights
Commissioner Gurdev Kang and Community Affairs Commissioner Marco Carrion to announce the
release of lesson plans we created on Sikh Civil Rights and Sikh History, which are now taught to
elementary students in social studies curriculum across all five boroughs within the largest public school
system in the country. We remain committed to reaching out to organizations and companies, like
yours, who may benefit from the tools provided by our Sikh Awareness Project. As such, we would like
to request a meeting to discuss when we might be able to provide training at your earliest convenience.
While the initial suspension and public apology were positive first steps, we strongly urge you to
consider ongoing workplace training to help establish a long-term resolution to the evident lack of
cultural sensitivity and unacceptable comments made by your radio hosts. We look forward to your
response.
Sincerely,
Rajesh Singh
Operations Manager, UNITED SIKHS
Recognize the Human Race as One
ABOUT UNITED SIKHS
UNITED SIKHS is a United Nations-associated global charity that advocates for civil and human rights, registered in 11 chapters.
Our International Civil & Human Rights Advocacy helps advance the economic, social and spiritual empowerment of minorities
and other marginalized groups and individuals in need, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, social status, age
or ability. We achieve this by protecting and enforcing the civil and human rights of minorities and marginalized groups in the
Americas, Europe and Asia. Visit us at www.UNITEDSIKHS.org.New Jersey 101.5 FM