Landmark Ruling Nets First Sikh Officer with Turban, Beard in Harris County

Source: IndoAmerican News

 

 

It was a matter of pride for the 50 or so members of the local Sikh community who had gathered in the Officer’s Dining Hall of the Harris County Sherriff’s Administrative Offices on 701 N. San Jacinto St, next to Buffalo Bayou in downtown Houston.  They came to celebrate not only one of their own becoming a police officer, but to witness history in making as one more visage of mainstream rule crumbled to the power of the diversity that is the cornerstone of this region’s appeal.

Americans Know Nothing about Sikhism: Study

Source: Houston Mirror

Although more than half a million Sikhs live in the US, a majority of Americans are unaware of what Sikhism is and some admit wariness when seeing their Sikh neighbors, according to new study. Conducted by Washington-based Hart Research Associates, the study released here Tuesday, shows that there is enormous potential to increase awareness and enhance positive sentiments toward Sikhism within the broader American public.

 

Texas Sikh Women Wins Kirpan Lawsuit

Source: Sikh 24

 

 

A former Internal Revenue Service worker in Houston has settled a federal lawsuit that alleged she was fired for insisting she be allowed to wear a three-inch Kirpan [a kirpan is a ceremonial knife worn by followers of the Sikh faith - editor].

 

Can Christians Celebrate Diwali?

By Ken Chitwood

Source: Deseret News

The lights are hung, the candles lit, the feast prepared, the New Year is almost here, families gather and the children wait to hear the dramatic re-telling of stories from the ancient past. No, it is not Christmas, nor is it Hanukkah or Kwanzaa; steeped in mythical tales, religious devotion, and socio-cultural importance, it is the Hindu festival of Diwali, celebrated in India and throughout its diaspora spread across the world.

Sikh Religious Rights Versus the IRS

Source: Houston Chronicle

 

A Houston woman who carries a ceremonial dagger as a part of her religious garb has been fighting for her right to carry the dull blade into a downtown Houston federal building for nearly nine years and it appears now that the law may be on her side. The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Sikh woman's religious rights may have been violated by the IRS, leaving the door open for Kawaljeet Kaur Tagore and her counsel to continue pursuing litigation. 

Proof of Religion

By Saadia Faruqi

Source: Tikkun Daily

 

Danish philosopher and theologian Søren Kierkegaard famously said, “Once you label me you negate me.” But despite this, it seems that as human beings, we love labels. We spend much of our lives labeling not just others but ourselves as well. Skin color, race, education level, professional qualifications… you name it, we’ve got it and using it with gusto. Some labels – like doctor, author, white person – we apply on ourselves with pride, while others – black, dropout, druggie – are pasted on our psyches by others without our consent.

Is Religious Freedom Really Just a Dream?

By Saadia Faruqi

Source: Houston Chronicle Spirited Chat

When our founding fathers, driven by religious persecution to a new continent, drafted the constitution, it was obvious they had in mind the religious and civil freedoms of every generation that lived after them. And for a while, as long as the country was unified in religious practice, tolerance was not that difficult to achieve. But with every new wave of immigrants entering the United States, the variety of religious thought and tradition has expanded.