Rep. Schakowsky and American Sikh Caucus Calls on FBI to Track Hate Crimes Targeting Sikhs

Washington, DC (May 22, 2013) — Rep. Jan Schakowsky and the American Sikh Caucus ask FBI to track hate crimes targeting Sikhs:

Yesterday, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky joined 22 other Members of the American Sikh Congressional Caucus in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice calling for the inclusion of an anti-Sikh hate crime category on the Hate Crime Incident Report (Form I-699). The letter, which was the first official action since the caucus formed last month, follows a prolonged string of attacks against the Sikh community, including the shooting at a Gurdwara last August that claimed six innocent lives, and the brutal beating of an elderly Sikh man in Fresno, California earlier this month with a steel pipe.

"I believe that keeping track of anti-Sikh hate crime statistics is an essential first step in protecting this vibrant community," said Rep. Schakowsky. "Hate crimes against any group within our society are unacceptable, and these statistics will provide law enforcement with the tools needed to prevent future actions against Sikh Americans."

Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, many in the Sikh community have seen an increase in hate crimes and bias-based bullying because of their religion. According to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, rates of bullying against Sikh children "range from roughly half to over three-quarters."

Including an anti-Sikh category is an important step in confronting violent hate crimes and increasing public awareness about these crimes. This will help law enforcement officers in every locality to do all they can to prevent violence against the Sikh community.

The American Sikh Congressional Caucus was formed by Representatives Chu and Valadao to provide a voice for the Sikh community in America. Thirty-three Members of Congress have joined the caucus to focus on the following issues:

• Military discrimination preventing American Sikhs from enlisting due to restrictive appearance regulations that ban turbans.

• Violence against American Sikhs that has increased in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001.

• Bullying being experienced by as many as three in every four Sikh boys.

• Racial profiling due to well-intentioned but misguided law enforcement policies.

• Employment discrimination.

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