French Sikh Forced to Remove Turban
Paris- On January 22, a 50 year old Sikh man was forced to enter a government building in Paris bare-headed after security guards refused to let him wear his Turban inside the building.
Jagmohan Singh from Bobigny, a suburb of Paris, had gone to the Creama Perfecture in La Chapelle to extend his temporary residence permit with his family today when security officers refused to return his Turban, after they had forced him to remove it.
“This has never happenend to me before. I have been to this perfecture every three months since I arrived in France a year ago,†said Mr. Singh. “I was first asked to remove my turban, which I did reluctantly, accepting that they needed to do a search for security reasons,†he said.
Mr Singh was then asked to enter the building without his turban.
“The security officer held on to my turban and refused to let me have it back,â€
After the incident, Mr Singh contacted United Sikhs to tell them of his experience. United Sikhs, a global human development organization who launched a world-wide petition drive in the wake of French President Jacques Chirac's call for a ban on religious symbols in schools and public workplaces.
Mr Singh who was accompanied by his wife and two young children said his treatment was “shocking and humiliatingâ€.
“It was a horrendous experience. I felt dishonoured and naked and had to walk inside the building with the Turban in my hands. I put it on when the security officers were no longer within view.†he said.
“The security officers also made my wife and children bare their heads during the security checks but took no notice when they proceeded inside the building with their heads covered,†Mr Singh said.
Mr Singh’s 17 year old son was wearing a headcovering calld a “patka†and his wife wore a scarf.
Mr Singh who who has not lodged a complaint, said that the security officers were saying “it is the law.â€
“I don’t speak much French as I have only been here for a year. But I have never been made to feel like a spectacle by anyone in France before. I think all this publicity about the proposed law is causing overzealous officers to act even before the law is passed,†he said.
Mejindarpal Kaur, Director for United Sikhs, told Voices News Network (VNN) that she received a call from Paris yesterday from Jagmohan Singh who recounted his experience on the telephone.
Mr Gurdial Singh, who has lived in France for 24 years said this is the first time he has heard of a Sikh being asked to remove his Turban in France .
“ This incident is regrettable. This proposed law is for public schools but before it is passed, it has started to divide the people and cause resentment,†Gurdial Singh told Mejindarpal Kaur in a telephone interview.
Mr Gurdial Singh is amongst the members of the French Sikh community who have launched a campaign to appeal to the government to allow Sikhs to wear Turbans.
“This law is going to divide us . It will not forge assimilation as this incident shows.†He added.
Sikhs in France will be holding a march in Paris on 31st January to rally public support for their appeal.
The French Sikh community felt reassured when they read press reports yesterday that French Education Minister Luc Ferry said that he will find a solution for the Sikhs to wear the Turban.
The French government proposes to table the bill in parliament next month and implement it by the start of the next school year in September.
kilde: sikhnet
HOw far can these ppl go??!!!