Sikh student detained over kirpan central to his faith
A Sikh student attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte was handcuffed for carrying a kirpan, a Sikh article of faith.
The curved dagger is one of five symbolic articles central to the expression of faith for baptized Sikhs and is often blunt and sewn into the sheath.
More: Sikh beliefs and practices
“It’s about protecting the weak and oppressed,” said Harsimran Kaur, senior counsel for the Sikh Coalition, a Sikh-American advocacy group. “It’s literal and metaphorical; you stand up and speak out about injustice when you see it.”
A 44-second video of the incident was posted on Twitter, where it has since been viewed more than 3.7 million times.
I wasn’t going to post this, but I don’t think I will receive any support from @unccharlotte . I was told someone called 911 and reported me, and I got cuffed for “resisting” because I refused to let the officer take my kirpan out of the miyaan. @CLTNinerNews pic.twitter.com/Vk9b0Tspvm
— امآن وڑائچ (@thatsamaan) September 23, 2022
“It’s really unfortunate that we’re here in 2022 and still having these issues,” said Kiran Kaur Gill, executive director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), a Faith Counts partner.
In a statement released a few days after the incident, UNCC officials confirmed the facts of the incident and apologized.
“We are committed to ensuring it doesn’t happen again.”
Read the letter in full.
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