Press conference: Sikhs speak about discrimination in everyday life and by the state
Sikhs are committed to solidarity, dialogue and peace worldwide. Yet, they experience repeated discrimination. Photo: Unsplash
Sikhs speak at the press conference of the Foundation against Racism
On 23.3.2023, a press conference of the Foundation against Racism and the Augsburg Round Table of Religions with the participation of representatives of various religious communities took place at the Alevi Cultural Center and Cem House Augsburg. In addition to an introduction by Dr. Jürgen Micksch, Foundation for the International Weeks against Racism, speakers included Ihsan Dilber from the Alevi communities in Hesse, Zemfira Dlovani from the Central Council of Yezidis in Germany, Murat Gümüs from the Coordinating Council of Muslims in Germany, Dean Helmut Haug from the Catholic Church in Augsburg, Tsunma Jinpa, from the German Buddhist Union, Dr. Gundula Negele of the Bahá'í community of Augsburg, and Amardeep Singh of the Sikhi Council.
Amardeep Singh described positive experiences of Sikhs in Germany as well as everyday situations where Sikhs experience insults (such as terrorist, Taliban, radical etc.) and discrimination when looking for housing and jobs. He reported on discriminatory experiences by Sikhs who wear a turban and keep their hair and beard uncut and want to join government service including teaching, police, armed forces or courts. Although Sikhs want to serve the state with utmost loyalty, they are not allowed to enter carrers in the civil services. In other countries such as Great Britain, Canada or the USA this is possible. German naming legislation is also a challenge for Sikhs, as traditionally Sikh women (Kaur) and men (Singh) each share a common surname. The Sikhi Council is in contact with the Federal Government Commissioner for Freedom of Religion and Belief and members of the parliament who are working on a reform of the German naming law.
