Serve Humanity Fearlessly

August 15, 2024

New York City

On August 05, 2024, a 23-year-old Sikh taxi driver was arrested by the Port Authority Police for carrying a Kirpan, a holy religious article, at the John F. Kennedy International Airport. The arrest is bringing to the fore heated issues of rising religious intolerance and discrimination in recent times.

The arrest is now being challenged by UNITED SIKHS by working with the Community Relations Service Division of the US Department of Justice and other community partners in the area to uphold religious liberty and freedoms. On request from UNITED SIKHS advocacy team, the USDOJ members came out to address the concerns of the community.

In a recently held dialogue, key figures including Harpreet Singh Mokha, National Program Manager, and Matthew Lattimer, Conciliation Specialist, with the US Department of Justice Community Relations Service, met with Sikh community leaders Mohinder Singh, Japneet Singh, and Harpreet Singh Toor and advocates from UNITED SIKHS – Inderjeet Singh, Eknoor Kaur and Hardyal Singh, to discuss this and other cases of discrimination against Sikh taxi drivers. Others present included representatives from the New York Taxi Workers Alliance and NYPD liaisons. Members of the USDOJ acknowledged the community's concerns and pledged to take further steps as the case proceeds.

UNITED SIKHS is calling for all charges against the Sikh taxi driver to be dismissed, citing legal precedence from the 1987 case of People vs. Singh, laying the grounds where Sikhs can legally carry a Kirpan. They also are pressing for religious-based training of law enforcement agencies to avoid such incidents of discrimination in the future.

Chardhi Kala!