[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 21, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E17]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                FRENCH BAN ON TURBANS IN SCHOOLS OPPOSED

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 21, 2004

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, the government of France has recently enacted 
a new policy prohibiting Sikh boys from wearing their turbans in 
school. They also prohibited Muslim girls from wearing the traditional 
head scarves in school.
  This policy is a threat to religious expression in France. It limits 
the ability of religious minorities to express their religion in the 
way that they are supposed to express their religion.
  Sikhs fought actively in both World Wars to help keep the French 
people free. They fought in their turbans in Africa and the Middle East 
in World War I and they fought in the liberation of France in World War 
II. Yet the French authorities see fit to deny them their full 
religious expression.
  Recently, Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of 
Khalistan, wrote an excellent letter to French President Jacques Chirac 
about this unreasonable policy. I am inserting it into the Record with 
the consent of the House and I urge my colleagues to read it.


                                         Council of Khalistan,

                                 Washington, DC, January 19, 2004.
     Hon. Jacques Chirac,
     President of France,
     Champs Elysees, Paris, France
       Dear President Chirac: I am writing to you today on behalf 
     of the Sikh community of France and the 25 million strong 
     Sikh Nation around the world.
       Recently, France has made laws prohibiting Muslim 
     schoolgirls from wearing head scarves and Sikh boys from 
     wearing their turbans.
       The turban is a Sikh religious symbol. Sikhs are not 
     allowed to remove their turbans. They are a major symbol of 
     our religion. The Sikh Gurus commanded us to wear the turban 
     at all times over unshorn hair, which is a gift from God. The 
     Sikh religion is a sovereign, independent, monotheistic 
     religion like Christianity. The Sikh religion requires every 
     Sikh to wear five symbols. Unshorn hair is one of them.
       As you know, Sikh soldiers wearing their turbans fought to 
     defend France and defend its freedom during World War II. 
     They also helped France and Britain to win World War I by 
     fighting in Africa and the Middle East. We were proud to do 
     so. Sikhs are commanded to fight against injustice wherever 
     it appears. We believe in the freedom and equality of all 
     people.
       France is a secular, democratic republic. That implies a 
     country that protects freedom of religious expression for all 
     people. To force Sikhs to remove the turban is to destroy 
     Sikhs' freedom of religious expression. That is neither 
     secular, democratic, nor republican. It is simply the kind of 
     system that Sikhs came to France and other countries to 
     escape.
       President Chirac, I encourage you to reconsider this ill-
     advised ban. Sikhs must be free to express our religion as 
     fully as any other Frenchman.
       Thank you for your time and attention.
           Sincerely,
                                          Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh.
     President, Council of Khalistan.

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