- Local Sikh Leader Nails Hardeep Nijjar’s Truth: Big Embarrassment For Canadian PM Justin Trudeau India Today
- ‘Piece of sh*t… You f**ked up this entire country’: Canadian man calls out Justin Trudeau, refuses to shake hands |WATCH Firstpost
- Gravitas: Canada’s Justin Trudeau to lose his job over fight with India? WION
- ‘Piece of s***’: Angry citizen lashes out at Canada’s Justin Trudeau | Watch video | Mint Mint
- ‘You F****d The Country’: Canadian Man Humiliates Trudeau; Calls Him ‘Piece Of ‘S**t’ On Cam | Viral Hindustan Times
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Tag Archives: Sikh
Did FBI warn Sikh ‘activists’ in US of life threat? News outlet cites ‘Caucus committee member’, others – ThePrint
- Did FBI warn Sikh ‘activists’ in US of life threat? News outlet cites ‘Caucus committee member’, others ThePrint
- FBI warned US Khalistani elements of risk to lives after Nijjar killing: Report India Today
- The Observer view on Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing: Narendra Modi’s hubris is ill-judged The Guardian
- Opinion | How Western Media Exonerated Hardeep Singh Nijjar And Covered Up His Tracks News18
- Canadian Sikh community shaken and divided after killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar | ABC News ABC News (Australia)
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Canada’s Surveillance Of Indian Diplomats Led To Allegations Of Sikh Leader’s Killing, Reports Say – Forbes
- Canada’s Surveillance Of Indian Diplomats Led To Allegations Of Sikh Leader’s Killing, Reports Say Forbes
- Details emerge about secret intelligence linking Indian officials to Sikh leader killing CBC News
- India calls Canada a ‘safe haven for terrorists’ after suspending visas for Canadian nationals CNN
- Canada has double standards against terror outfits. India and West don’t have to follow it ThePrint
- India Vs Canada: Listen To What Terry Milewski Has To Say About Trudeau Getting Tough On India India Today
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Indira Gandhi’s assassination by Sikh bodyguards flaunted on a tableau with Khalistan flags at Sikh parade in Canada’s Brampton, poster says “revenge” – OpIndia
- Indira Gandhi’s assassination by Sikh bodyguards flaunted on a tableau with Khalistan flags at Sikh parade in Canada’s Brampton, poster says “revenge” OpIndia
- Jaishankar warns Trudeau over event depicting Indira Gandhi’s murder; ‘Not Good For Canada’ Hindustan Times
- ‘Not good for relationship’: Jaishankar slams Canada event celebrating Indira Gandhi’s assassination Times of India
- India slams Canada for parade float showing ex-PM Gandhi’s murder Al Jazeera English
- ‘Indira assassination float’ in Brampton parade: Congress asks Jaishankar to strongly raise issue with Canada The Tribune India
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Big Court Win For Sikh Recruits In US Marines
Aekash Singh, Jaskirat Singh, and Milaap Chahal had sought an exemption from a Marines grooming rule.
Washington:
A US court has ruled that Marine Corps cannot deny entry to Sikhs sporting a beard and wearing a turban, in a major victory for three recruits from the community who can now join the elite unit’s basic training without having to forfeit their religious beliefs.
The trio of recruits – Aekash Singh, Jaskirat Singh, and Milaap Singh Chahal – had sought an exemption from a Marines grooming rule requiring them to shave their beards, with the men arguing it was their expression of commitment to their religious faith.
The Marine Corps told three Sikh men that they could serve only if they shaved before going through basic training.
They appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in September after a lower-court judge denied their request for a preliminary injunction that would have allowed them to enter basic training with their articles of faith.
“They are now suffering and will continue to suffer grave, immediate, and ongoing injuries to the exercise of their faith,” the three-judge bench of the US Court of Appeals here ruled on Friday.
“A federal court has just ruled that Sikhs can maintain their religious beards while serving their country in the U.S. Marine Corps. Now, three Sikh recruits, who had previously been denied religious accommodations, can enter basic training,” lawyer Eric Baxter, who represented the three men, tweeted.
“This is a major ruling for religious freedom—for years, the Marine Corps has barred Sikh recruits with religious beards from entry into basic training. Today’s ruling strikes down that rule as a “violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA),” he said.
“No one should have to choose between serving God and country,” he added in a series of tweets.
The Marines’ ban on facial hair applies in basic training and “combat zones,” a designation the plaintiffs said in court covers over three dozen countries where hazard pay is given, the Washington Post newspaper reported.
The Marines claimed that beards will impact “troop uniformity” and appearance among recruits, ultimately threatening national security.
Writing for the Court, Judge Millett stated that the Sikh recruits “not only have a substantial likelihood of success on the merits—it is difficult to imagine them losing.” “She noted that the Marine Corps has never explained why the Corps cannot apply the same or similar [religious] accommodations that the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and Coast Guard provide,” Baxter said.
The US Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard all accommodate the religious requirements of Sikhism.
In the Sikh religion, it is mandatory for the male adherents to not trim their hair and beard along with keeping kanga (wooden comb), kirpan (small sword), kara (steel bracelet), and a white cotton undergarment (kachera).
“Sikhs have a long tradition of serving in militaries around the globe, motivated by their religious teaching to defend the defenseless. We are grateful that these Sikh recruits can continue that tradition—the ruling was made right in time for them to enter boot camp,” Baxter tweeted.
“They believe, as part of their religious duty, in defending the rights of others,” Baxter told National Public Radio (NPR).
“This was also a win for our national security. At a time of historic recruiting shortfalls, the Marines now have access to a new community of Americans who have a history of bravely serving in the military,” he tweeted.
The Marine Corps allows medically required beards and diverse hairstyles for women, and has relaxed its rules around tattoos.
In 2021, NPR reported that the Marines planned to address its lack of diversity and retention problems. Approximately 75% of Marines leave at the end of their four-year term, the highest turnover rate among the military services, according to the article.
The ruling means that the three men are allowed to go ahead with training, while the Marine Corps considers a possible appeal.
“They should really just recognize it’s time to make this change and let all Americans serve without having to abandon their religious – their core religious belief,” Baxter said.
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Man acquitted in Air India terror attack shot dead in Canada
A man who was acquitted in the 1985 Air India terror bombing that killed 329 people was shot dead outside of Vancouver, Canada Thursday morning, a report said.
Ripudaman Singh Malik was killed while sitting in his car outside a business center in Surrey, according to The Toronto Star.
Malik, 75, and Ajaib Singh Bagri were exonerated of mass murder and conspiracy charges in 2005 after being blamed for the plane explosion near Ireland that killed 280 Canadians and a bombing at a Tokyo airport that killed two baggage handlers, the paper said.
They were arrested in 2000 for the massacre and accused of targeting India’s national airline in retaliation for the government’s deadly raid on a sacred Sikh spiritual site. Malik and Bagri were set free after key prosecution witnesses were deemed unreliable, the outlet said.
It was reportedly unclear if Malik’s “targeted” murder was related the atrocities he had been tied to.
A suspect’s car was found nearby in flames shortly after the 9:30 a.m. shooting, according to the outlet.
“The investigation is in the early stages and police are still looking for the suspect and a second vehicle that may have been used as a getaway vehicle,” the Royal Canadian Mounted Police reportedly said.
A car wash worker who heard the ambush ran outside and found Malik injured, according to The Canadian Press.
“There was three gunshots. One hit on the neck, that’s it. And I just took him out. He was alive,” the man said.
“It’s shocking,” longtime friend Asaf Gill told the paper. “He was acquitted for some reasons. Who is somebody else to take the law into their hands?”
Malik, a multi-millionaire businessman, emigrated to Canada from India in 1972 and became an influential member of British Columbia’s Sikh separatist movement, according to The National Post.
After working as a cab driver, Malik founded a credit union and private school for community members, and was remembered for his teachings of faith, his son said on Facebook.
“The media will always refer to him as someone charged with the Air India bombing. He was wrongly charged, Jaspreet Singh Malik wrote. “The media and RCMP never seemed to accept the Court’s decision and I pray today’s tragedy is not related.”
Another suspect, Inderjit Singh Reyat, was reportedly convicted and spent 30 years in prison for helping to build the bombs in the terror attack. Alleged ringleader Talwinder Singh Parmar was killed by police in 1992.
Out now, Sidhu Moosewala’s most-awaited song SYL is all about Punjab rivers and Sikh prisoners : The Tribune India
Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, June 23
Sidhu Moosewala’s first song posthumously, SYL has been released on his YouTube channel. The song is written, sung and composed by the late singer himself. It is produced by MXRCI and the video and artworks are done by Navkaran Brar.
The song revolves around various issues reeling Punjab. Among them, it highlights, Satluj Yamana Link canal issue, Sikh prisoner and the recent agitation against the farm laws.
There are black and white visuals that show Punjab rivers, some shots from the yesteryears of Punjab where people can be seen revolting against various laws, a mention of 1984 genocide. The makers have also included short clips of Shidhu Moosewala.
Watch the song here:
It was on the fateful night of May 28 that Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead in Mansa. After his death, it was announced that all his unfinished work should be handed over to his father Balkaur Singh.
On June 8, in an emotional message during the bhog ceremony of Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh, his father Balkaur Singh said, “My son will remain connected to you through his songs. I will take inspiration from him.”
Islamic State claims attack on Sikh temple in Kabul that killed two
KABUL, June 18 (Reuters) – An attack claimed by Islamic State on a Sikh temple in the Afghan capital Kabul on Saturday killed at least two people and injured seven, officials said, another deadly incident in a spate of violence targeting minorities and places of worship.
On an affiliated Telegram channel, the local branch of Islamic State said the attack was in response to insults leveled at the Prophet Mohammed, an apparent reference to remarks by an Indian government spokeswoman that have been condemned by many Muslim-majority countries. read more
Grey smoke billowed over the area in images aired by domestic broadcaster Tolo. A Taliban interior spokesman said attackers had laden a car with explosives but it had detonated before reaching its target.
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A temple official, Gornam Singh, said there were around 30 people inside the building at the time.
A spokesman for Kabul’s commander said one Sikh worshipper had been killed in the attack and one Taliban fighter was killed as his forces took control of the area.
Since taking power in August, the Taliban say they have increased security in Afghanistan and removed the country from militant threats, although international officials and analysts say the risk of a resurgence in militancy remains.
Islamic State has claimed some attacks in recent months.
A Taliban fighter walks into a house damaged by the explosions, after an explosive-laden vehicle detonated amidst an attack on a Sikh temple in Kabul, Afghanistan, June 18, 2022. REUTERS/Ali Khara
The group said a suicide attacker stormed the temple on Saturday morning armed with a machine gun and hand grenades after killing its guard.
Other militants fought for more than three hours with Taliban fighters who tried to intervene to protect the temple, targeting them with four explosive devices and a car bomb, the militant group said.
The blast on Saturday was widely condemned as one of a series of attacks targeting minorities, with a statement from neighbouring Pakistan saying its government was “seriously concerned at the recent spate of terrorist attacks on places of worship in Afghanistan.”
The U.N.’s mission to Afghanistan said in a statement that minorities in the country needed to be protected and India’s President Narendra Modi said on Twitter he was “shocked” by attack.
Sikhs are a tiny religious minority in largely Muslim Afghanistan, comprising about 300 families before the country fell to the Taliban. Many have since left, according to members of the community and media.
Like other religious minorities, Sikhs have been a continual target of violence in Afghanistan. An attack at another temple in Kabul in 2020 that killed 25 was also claimed by Islamic State.
Saturday’s explosion followed a blast at a mosque in the northern city of Kunduz the previous day that killed one person and injured two, according to authorities.
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Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar; Additional reporting by Enas Alashray in Cairo; Writing by Charlotte Greenfield and Mahmoud Mourad; Editing by William Mallard, Clarence Fernandez, Clelia Oziel and Daniel Wallis
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After attacks, J&K to migrant staff: get to work or face action
The Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir Saturday directed Deputy Commissioners of all 10 districts in Kashmir to ensure that migrant employees need not leave the Valley and that “whosoever will be absent shall be dealt as per Service Rules”.
While a couple of Deputy Commissioners, who did not wish to be named, said they will wait for a government order before acting, the employees who had left the Valley feeling unsafe after a Sikh school principal and Kashmiri Hindu teacher were killed last week by terrorists, said the administration was being “insensitive”.
Those who have returned to Jammu are still cautious about getting back to work in the Valley, with some deciding to stay back for now. Siddharth Raina (name changed), who had returned to Srinagar in 2015 with a job in the J&K Education Department under the Prime Minister’s package and returned to Jammu last week, said most of them are teachers and are conducting online classes for students.
“Employees came to Jammu fearing threat to their lives. Instead of allaying their fears, assuring security, and making necessary arrangements, the administration threatens them with action as per Service Rules,” said an employee who had returned to the Valley in 2015 after he got a job under the Prime Minister’s package.
“The orders may have been issued with good intent. But many of the employees are staying in their own rented accommodation in places in South Kashmir. It’s not clear how they will be provided security,” another minority member who got employment under the PM package said on the condition of anonymity.
This was one among many issues discussed with all DCs and SPs of the Valley’s districts in a meeting on Saturday called by Pandurang Pole, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, to review security arrangements and identify government accommodation for “protected persons”.
He told those present in the meeting that the accommodation to the “protected persons” through the Divisional Commissioner’s office provided in 14 Srinagar hotels “be deemed to have been dehired” from October 5.
Further, directions to provide the “protected persons”, the PSOs and guards, accommodation in the concerned district, “be adhered to in letter and spirit”. Pole did not respond to calls and messages.
“The chair (Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir) directed that all the Deputy Commissioners and SSPs (Senior Superintendent of Police) shall ensure one to one meeting with the representative/ leaders of all the political parties within 2-3 days for the redressal of their apprehensions regarding security, accommodation etc. and consider their genuine demands,” the minutes of the meeting released on Tuesday said.
The Divisional Commissioner also directed that non-migrant minority populations — labourers, skilled labourers etc — in the districts be identified and adequate security measures be put in place for them along with regular interactions. He also said migrant employees should preferably be posted in safe and secure zones instead of far flung and vulnerable areas for the time being, according to the minutes.