Sikh Family Accuses Deputies of Abuse, Taunts

Vikram singh · #1 (**permalink**) 07-Dec-2008, 10:06 AM

The Harris County Sheriff's Office is investigating allegations that deputies harassed a family of Sikhs whose home was burglarized last week. Family members say the deputies handcuffed them, roughed them up and taunted them instead of taking a report on the break-in.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/hard-talk/23627-sikh-family-accuses-deputies-abuse-taunts.html
One deputy reportedly asked them if they'd "heard about the bombings in Bombay." Another allegedly said he had been to Kuwait and "knew about Muslims."
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23627
Since 9/11, misperceptions about Sikhs' religiously mandated turbans and beards have led to an increase in discrimination against Sikhs, according to the New York-based Sikh Coalition.
The family reported the incident to the Coalition, which called for the sheriff's office to fire the four deputies involved and issue a formal apology to the family.

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pk70 · #2 (**permalink**) 07-Dec-2008, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vikram singh

The Harris County Sheriff's Office is investigating allegations that deputies harassed a family of Sikhs whose home was burglarized last week. Family members say the deputies handcuffed them, roughed them up and taunted them instead of taking a report on the break-in.
One deputy reportedly asked them if they'd "heard about the bombings in Bombay." Another allegedly said he had been to Kuwait and "knew about Muslims."
Since 9/11, misperceptions about Sikhs' religiously mandated turbans and beards have led to an increase in discrimination against Sikhs, according to the New York-based Sikh Coalition.
The family reported the incident to the Coalition, which called for the sheriff's office to fire the four deputies involved and issue a formal apology to the family.
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During my a long stay in U.S, I experienced a lot of display of ignorance but also surprisingly dumb behavior by people!

KulwantK · #3 (**permalink**) 02-Jan-2009, 15:53 PM

I am not at all surprised. I lived in Harris County, Texas, for 10 years, and many, sad to say, of the law enforcement officers are not, shall we say, as well educated as we might wish for them to be. If any Sikhs residing in Houston, Texas, are reading this, what I suggest is that they call the Houston Police Department and see if that organization has a Citizens' Police Academy. If so, and they probably do, any and all Sikhs residing there should make plans to attend. Austin, Texas, does, as do various other cities in the United States. Usually these classes are free and go for about 6 weeks, once or twice a week. They are put on the various Police Departments and sometimes by the local County Sherrif's Department, as a way for law enforcement officers and citizens to reduce tensions.

Narayanjot Kaur · #4 (**permalink**) 02-Jan-2009, 22:05 PM

KulwantK ji

Very good, very good, very good advice

The State of Texas is not like other parts of the US. In fact there are 2 or 3 states in the US that are like that. At one level the threads of similar cultural values and themes thread there way through the State. But at another level there is a sense of being in a completely different world at times. In places like Austin the perspectives of people are broad and open. The same is true of Fort Worth or San Antonio. But step a few miles away and something completely different is happening, and even the Hispanic people feel the same pressure to be invisible. And the hispanic people have been part of Texas for more than 300 years, before Texas was Texas. So Sikhs are well-advised to be activists for their own good and well-being. This story is a tragedy of lost morality and should not go away. It needs to stand as a reminder that there is still a lot of work to do here.