At the request of the Sikh Coalition, key Congressional Committee Chairs with oversight power over the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released a joint letter this week expressing deep concern with its new turban screening policy. The letter, addressed to TSA Administrator Kip Hawley and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, calls for screening procedures that preserve both religious freedom and security.
This is the second letter to the TSA from Congressional leadership in a week. Last week Congressman Tom Lantos (Democrat from California), also at the urging of the Sikh Coalition, wrote to the TSA expressing concern with the policy.
This week's letter initiated by Congressman Mike Honda (Democrat from California), was signed by Congressman John Conyers, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee; Congressman Tom Lantos, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Chair of the House Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection; and Congressman Bobby Scott, Civil Rights Taskforce Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
"We shouldn't encroach upon freedom in order to protect freedom," said Honda. "Turbans are an intimate part of Sikh religious identity. We would not order a western woman to bare her chest in public, so in the same manner we need to balance civil liberties with security concerns."
The Sikh Coalition has been working tirelessly with members of Congress to ensure they are up to date on the Sikh community's concerns about the new policy. "We are all Americans, and want to protect the United States. But at the same time we need to balance security with a measure of respect for those articles of faith that we consider sacred and intimate," said Neha Singh, advocacy director at the Coalition, America's largest Sikh civil rights organization.
The joint letter urges the TSA to work directly with the Sikh American community to resolve its concerns. It also expresses concern that the new TSA policy will inevitably lead to religious profiling.
Honda also pledged to speak directly with the TSA to express the Sikh communities concerns. "One of the biggest failures in the war on terror has been to win hearts and minds," Honda said. "But at the same time I know the men and women of TSA are professionals who believe in their mission, and because of this I am confident we can reach an outcome that is both respectful and responsible. I am looking forward to my conversations with them."
The Sikh Coalition commended Honda and his colleagues for their leadership on this issue of deep concern to the Sikh community. The Coalition also thanked Pritpal Singh, convener of the American Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee, for work with Honda's office to initiate the letter.
Last week, Lantos in a letter addressed to TSA Administrator Kip Hawley asked for answers about the need for security procedures that encourage TSA screeners to pull aside and search airline passengers wearing turbans
"I have the greatest respect for your mission to secure our nation's transportation systems," Lantos wrote. "But unfortunately, it seems that this policy change as prompted TSA employees to engage in rampant religious discrimination and profiling. I hope you agree that such practices are not only illegal and inconsistent with American values, but also ultimately detrimental to national security." Lantos, a Holocaust survivor himself, understands how government discrimination can have violent consequences.
The Sikh Coalition has been working with Lantos' staff to ensure that he is up to date on the Sikh community's concerns about the new policy. "We wholeheartedly thank Chairman Lantos and for his leadership on this issue," said Amardeep Singh, Executive Director of the Sikh Coalition. "His letter is excellent. It directs tough questions to the TSA that should be answered immediately. With his strong support, we are confident we can ensure both our country's safety and respect for civil rights."
Lantos' letter also urges Hawley to specifically investigate egregious incidents involving Sikh travelers at San Francisco International Airport, which falls within his congressional district. The Sikh Coalition had earlier told Lantos about the horrible circumstances under which a Sikh man was made to remove his turban and untie his hair in public view.
"I have dedicated my life's work to human rights, so I was especially troubled by the reports I heard from the Sikh Coalition about the TSA's turban screening policy," Lantos said. "I thought it was important to write this letter to ensure that our country remains open and welcoming to all faiths."
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