[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11646]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      SIKH, CATHOLIC LEADERS MEET

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 15, 2006

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, recently a group of Sikh leaders met in New 
York with Catholic leaders in an all-day event hosted by an Interfaith 
organization. Sikh leaders in attendance included Dr. Manohar Singh, 
Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia, and Dr. Anahat Kaur Sandhu. Monsignor Felix 
Machado, an official at the Vatican, also attended the meeting.
  It is good to see this kind of pluralistic cooperation and I thank 
Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, for 
bringing it to my attention.
  Contrast this to the situation in India, where Sikhs, Christian, 
Muslims, and other minorities are subject to brutal and ongoing 
repression from the government. Perhaps ``the world's largest 
democracy'' could learn a thing or two from the meeting in New York.
  We should stop our aid to India and we should demand self-
determination for all the people of South Asia so that they can live in 
peace, freedom, harmony, and prosperity, as they do here in America and 
other Western democracies.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to put the article from India-West into the 
Record.

                    [From India-West, June 2, 2006]

                Sikh, Catholic Leaders Meet In New York

                         (By a Staff Reporter)

       Representatives of the World Sikh Council-America Region 
     met with Catholic leaders in New York in an all-day event 
     hosted by the Religions for Peace-USA. the Sikh group has 
     said.
       Dr. Manohar Singh, the group's chairperson, and Dr. 
     Tarunjit Singh, chair of the group's Interfaith Committee, 
     led the Sikhs.
       The U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops' delegation was 
     headed by Rev. James Massa, executive director of its 
     Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs.
       Monsignor Felix Machado, undersecretary of the Pontifical 
     Council for Inter-religious Dialogue at the Vatican in Rome, 
     was a special guest and adviser.
       Two observers of ReIigions for Peace attended the May 20 
     meeting.
       ``The universal message of Sikhism respects pluralism and 
     we welcome our Catholic friends with open arms,'' Manohar 
     Singh said. ``This dialogue is an opportunity for our 
     communities to begin a conversation at the highest level on 
     how we may be able to work with each other in trust and 
     friendship to make this world a more peaceful and just place 
     for all.''
       Machado responded by saying the Catholic Church appreciates 
     this dialogue with the Sikh community. ``Sikhs respect us, 
     not suspect us,'' he said.
       Sikh and Catholic leaders expressed shared concerns over 
     the challenges faced by immigrant communities in the U.S., 
     the curtailment of religious freedom and human rights in 
     South Asia, and the challenges of secularism to both 
     religious communities.
       The participants said they would meet again this year with 
     a focus on ``Divinity, Humanity and Creation.'' They also 
     pledged to continue to meet at least once a year through a 
     working committee.
       After the meeting, the Catholic and Sikh participants 
     visited the Mata Sahib Kaur Gurdwara Sahib in Glen Cove, 
     N.Y., joined the evening service and partook of langar meal.

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