Sikhs speak out at Senate Hate Crime Hearing

Dr. Prabhjot Singh – a Sikh American who has experienced hate violence firsthand – testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the urgent need to address hate crimes in the United States On May 2, 2017. Working with the Sikh Coalition, Dr. Singh urged government officials to make hate crime prevention a top priority.

The testimony submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee by Dr. Singh and the separate Sikh Coalition written testimony called for better hate crime data, accountability for elected officials who promote hatred of minorities, and proactive engagement between government officials and the communities they serve to prevent hate crimes.

“While it is clear that Sikh Americans are not alone in experiencing a rise in hate crimes, the experience of our community is important to understand how dangerous this current era of inflammatory rhetoric promises to be if action is not taken,” said Dr. Singh during his testimony.

The testimony submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee by Dr. Singh and the Sikh Coalition called for better hate crime data, accountability for elected officials who promote hatred of minorities, and proactive engagement between government officials and the communities they serve to prevent hate crimes.

Since March 2017, a Sikh man was shot and injured outside his driveway in Kent, Washington, and another was assaulted while driving a taxi in New York City. In response to increased threats, the Sikh Coalition has started to engage over 200 gurdwaras nationwide with new resources designed to increase security. If you believe you have been discriminated against or subject to bias, and would like to request legal assistance from the Sikh Coalition, please fill out our legal intake form. Also, our Report Hate form (www.ReportHate.org) is available for Sikhs to report incidents, even if they are not legally actionable or a crime (e.g., someone uses a racial slur on the street).

“This is literally a life and death issue for millions of Americans,” said Sikh Coalition Interim Managing Director of Programs, Rajdeep Singh Jolly. “If our government cares about keeping all Americans safe, they should start acting like their own loved ones are at risk.”