A representative body of Sikh institutions of America founded under the patronage of Siri Akal Takhat Sahib

1. Meeting with White House Representatives:

WSC-AR attended a consultation meeting on April 7 with representatives of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships in Washington, DC. The meeting was organized by Religions for Peace - USA and attended by Rev. Joshua DuBois (Executive Director) as well as Ms. Mara Vanderslice (Deputy Director) of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Rev. DuBois emphasized the importance of advancing partnerships between US religious communities and the US government, and shared mechanisms through which multi-religious cooperation, diplomacy, and peace-building can be enhanced by the US government. The meeting was attended by over 20 member organizations of RFP-USA and was held at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, DC. A copy of the recent final report of the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships can be accessed here.
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2. Advancing Humane Treatment of Detainees by US:

On May 25 WSC-AR joined about 50 national religious leaders in appealing to the members of the US Senate and House of Representatives to support legislation that requires all federal agencies to notify the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) of all U.S.-held detainees and to allow the ICRC access to them. This requirement was included in President Obama's executive order on interrogations; however, legislation is required to codify this requirement so that it remains permanent U.S. policy. Mr. Manmohan Singh, WSC-AR's Secretary General, was a signatory to the letter along with representatives of United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, National Council of the Churches, Islamic Society of North America, and Union for Reform Judaism, among other member organizations of the National Religious Coalition Against Torture (NRCAT). WSC-AR has been a founding member of NRCAT. It participated in the founding conference of NRCAT held in January 2006 at Princeton Theological Seminary. Dr. Tarunjit Singh, Chair of WSC-AR Interfaith Committee, was elected recently on behalf of WSC-AR to the governing board of NRCAT. More information about NRCAT can be accessed here.
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3. 2010 US Sikh Religious Affiliation Congregation Survey:

WSC-AR will undertake a Sikh religious affiliation population survey of Sikh Gurdwaras in 2010 to ascertain the county-by-county Sikh population in the US. The survey is being implemented in coordination with Religious Congregations & Membership Study (RCMS). RCMS 2010 will be a county-by-county enumeration of religious bodies in the US. It is an update of the 1952, 1971, 1980, 1990, and 2000 studies originally done by the National Council of Churches and the Glenmary Research Center. Since 1990, the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) has sponsored the RCMS. In 2010 WSC-AR will survey each Sikh Gurdwara in the US for the number of Sikhs attending the Gurdwara. The RCMS study is done to coincide with the US census. The US Census currently underway is prohibited by law from asking a question on religious affiliation on a mandatory basis and hence the US Census Bureau is not the source for information on religion. RCMS is the source for such information. In addition, national polls rarely give any religious data below the national level. This study will give a picture of county-level religious affiliation nationwide. The longevity of the study helps to identify trends and track religious change. The Sikh religious affiliation congregation results will be published by RCMS in 2011 along with those of other congregations. More information on RCMS 2010 can be accessed here. Back to index

4. Meet the New Chairperson of WSC-AR:

WSC-AR's Regional Committee (governing board) appointed Dr. Satpal Singh as its new Chairperson for 2010. The WSC-AR Regional Committee consisting of 16 governing board members is elected by the member organizations of WSC-AR. Dr. Singh has spoken widely on Sikh philosophy and the Sikh way of life at multiple forums including invited lectures, camps for Sikh children, leadership retreats, and Sikh symposia. He has been a member of various organizations including the Amherst Community Diversity Council, which advised the Amherst (New York) supervisor on matters of diversity, religion and peace. In particular, he has raised voice against violence targeting women. Professor Satpal Singh is currently on the faculty of University at Buffalo School of Medicine, where he teaches and conducts research in Pharmacology. He can be reached at chair@worldsikhcouncil.org. Back to index

5. WSC-AR Continues to be Concerned at Developments in Punjab (India):

WSC-AR condemns the Indian government for its suppression of freedom of expression and protest by Sikhs in Punjab to commemorate the 26th anniversary of the Indian Army's pre-planned attack on Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) and more than 40 other Sikh shrines throughout Punjab, India in the first week of June 1984.
On June 5, 1984, the Indian Army (with 15,000 troops supported by tanks, artillery and helicopters, and with 35,000 paramilitary forces in reserve) attacked the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) and more than 40 other Sikh shrines throughout Punjab, India. The full-scale military invasion of Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) was launched on the anniversary of the Martyrdom of Siri Guru Arjan Sahib, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs. Thousands of Sikhs - men, women and children - who had congregated for prayers were brutally gunned down, under complete news blackout. The Akaal Takhat, the Sikh seat of sovereignty, was destroyed in the attack and the Sikh Reference Library and Museum were looted and burned to ashes.

"The army went into Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple Complex) not to eliminate a political figure or a political movement but to suppress the culture of a people, to attack their heart, to strike a blow at their spirit and self-confidence" wrote Dr. Joyce Pettigrew in her 1995 book titled The Sikhs of Punjab.

The 1984 attack on the Golden Temple and other Sikh places of worship was the beginning of a formal assault on Sikhs and their places of worship by the Indian Government. In the last two and a half decades, more than a quarter million Sikhs are reported to have been killed in Punjab and rest of India.

WSC-AR is committed to honoring the Sikhs who sacrificed their lives in defending the sanctity of the over forty Sikh places of worship attacked 26 years ago by the Indian Army, recommits itself to upholding justice and equality, and regaining the sovereignty of the Sikh nation.

ENSAAF, a US nonprofit organization, is working to end impunity and achieve justice for mass state crimes in India, with a focus on Punjab by documenting abuses, bringing perpetrators to justice, and organizing survivors. More information on ENSAAF can be accessed here.

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6. What Religious Communities Can do to Eliminate Violence Against Children?:

UNICEF and Religions for Peace recently released a report titled From Commitment to Action: What Religious Communities can do to Eliminate Violence against Children. This joint guide, produced with input from religious leaders and child protection specialists, aims to help religious communities harness their spiritual, moral and social strengths to prevent, respond to and eliminate violence against children. Children are - too often - not protected. Violence affects millions of children every day. Often, even in places that should provide safety and nurturance - homes and schools - children experience fear and abuse. This is deeply wrong. Religions for Peace and UNICEF are committed to a stronger alliance to combat this violence. The guide aims to channel the collective energies of religious communities to advance a shared vision of a future free of violence against children. The guide has been developed as a tool to support religious communities' work to promote child rights and to prevent and respond to rights violations, in particular violence against children. The guide can be accessed here. Back to index