Washington, DC (March 22, 2013): As per information available with Sikh Siyasat News (SSN) one hundred and nine members of the U.S. House of Representatives issued a new letter today calling on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to begin tracking hate crimes against Sikhs, Hindus, and Arab-Americans, the way it does for other communities. The FBI is scheduled to make a decision about this issue in June.
According to Sikh Coalition community surveys in New York and California, Sikhs may be hundreds of times more likely than their fellow Americans to experience hate crimes because of their religion. We believe that accurately tracking these crimes will strengthen diagnostic and deterrence efforts and help law enforcement officials proactively address these challenges.
The Sikh Coalition initiated this project over two years ago and is grateful to its supporters for signing petition letters and making phone calls to Congressional offices to advance this important campaign. We are also grateful to New York Congressman Joseph Crowley and his colleagues in the U.S. Congress for their leadership in the cause of accurately documenting and ending hate crimes against our communities.
Read Letter calling for Sikh hate crimes tracking, signed by 109 members of US Congress: