Sikh wins turban case against France in UN

[Judi Lynn]

Sikh wins turban case against France in UN
Jan 13, 2012 | PTI| Washington

The UN's rights body has concluded that France had violated the religious freedom of a 76-year-old Sikh man when he was asked to remove his turban for his ID photograph, a US-based Sikh group has said.

United Sikh, a Sikh rights body, had filed a communication on behalf of Ranjit Singh to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in December 2008.

Singh, despite his ill-health, has had no access to the public health-care system or to social benefits since 2005 because his residence card was refused due to his refusal to remove his turban.

In a statement, United Sikh said that the UNHRC observed that "even if the obligation to remove the turban for the identity photograph might be described as a one-time requirement, it would potentially interfere with the author's (Ranjit Singh's) freedom of religion on a continuing basis because he would always appear without his religious head covering in the identity photograph and could therefore be compelled to remove his turban during identity checks."

More:
http://www.asianage.com/international/sikh-wins-turban-case-against-france-un-282

[Little Tich]

1. Five Ks – From the Wikipedia article on Sikhs

Five Ks
Source: Wikipedia (edit for clarity)

(snip)
The Five Ks, or panj kakaar/kakke, are five articles of faith that all baptized Sikhs (also called Khalsa Sikhs) are typically obliged to wear at all times, as commanded by the tenth Sikh Guru, who so ordered on the day of Baisakhi Amrit Sanskar in 1699. The symbols are worn for identification and representation of the ideals of Sikhism, such as honesty, equality, fidelity, militarism, meditating on God, and never bowing to tyranny.

The five symbols are:

Kesh (uncut hair, usually tied and wrapped in the Sikh Turban, Dastar.)
Kanga (wooden comb, usually worn under the Dastar.)
Katchera (specially made cotton underwear as a reminder of the commitment to purity.)
Kara (iron bracelet, which is a symbol of eternity.)
Kirpan (curved sword, comes in different sizes, for example in the UK Sikhs would wear a small sharp dagger whereas in the Punjab Sikhs would wear the traditional curved sword, from one to three feet in length.)
(snip)

Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh

[socialindependocrat]

2. Registry of MV stupid rules

Look, if the guy wears his turban all the time don't you think that he is more identifiable if he has his turban on in hs picture?

In Delaware, they are requiring that you take off your glasses for your license picture. This seems dumb to me since I wear my glasses all the time. Again, picture matches reality.

When I was in Boston, I got my license renewed and when I signed the MV agent told me I had to spell out each letter in my name. I said, this is my signature and he reiterated in a stern voice, write-out-your-name. So I did.

For the next four years I had to explain to the bank teller why my signatures didn't match.

"If you want to make up more restrictive rules - go back to Europe!"
"We came to the U.S. to get away from you people!"