Sikhs have faced racism all around the world. As Quebec Soccer Foundation’s execs are apologizing for their polemic and controversial decisions, Angeline Kim Sollitt, 44 and Michael John Arbouin, 40 were sentenced for 9 months in prison for maliciously attacking taxi driver, Jagroop Singh.
On June 15, The Quebec Soccer Foundation (QSF) announced that it’s “deeply sorry” and has reversed its ban on wearing turbans or any religious headwear on the pitch. At a recent news conference, QSF executive-director Brigitte Frot told CBC, "We have had trouble communicating our intentions to the public, especially in recent days. "If we offended or shocked people — particularly in the English community — we want you to know that it wasn’t intentional and we want to make a sincere apology for that."
According to Zee News, Sollitt began abusing Mr. Singh when he picked her and four others up from the Dina Beach Yatch Club in Tippery Waters, Darwin in October last year. Using abusive slurs, she began to insult and said to him, "You are in Australia, mate, this is not your country. If you want to live in Australia, take this off.” Although Singh kept calm and continued driving, the moment he pulled over on Tiger Brennen Drive to let him out of the cab but the abuse and attack continued. Sollitt screamed, “grab his turban, rip it off." Sollitt then attempted to remove it and managed pull the religious headgear leaving him in a shock. When he tried to call for help, Arbouin bullied him, “, "You see what happens with your turban? Now I'm going to rip your hair off".
Mr. Singh commented on the incident, "The turban is a symbol of faith. I only care that these people insulted my religion".
During the sentence hearing, Justice Stephen Southwood called these incidents “unprovoked” and “malicious.” He said, “The turban is the crowning glory of the Sikhs. For Sikhs, the head and the turban are sacred – they must not be touched or insulted in any way. “The concept of Sikhism includes universal acceptance of all humanity, belief in one God and the equality of all persons irrespective of their caste, colour, gender, nationality and religion.”
Sikh Children Protesting For Turban
Since the bombing of the U.S. World Trade Center 2001, racism has been rampant against the Sikh community in Australia. They have faced harassment and racial abuse especially due to mistaken identity issues but have handled it as calmly as possible. Sikhs have faced racism all around the world. Since 9/11, attacks against them have also increased all around North America. Last year, two attacks took place in February and August in Sterling Heights, Michigan and Oak Creek, Michigan. In the first incident, a gurudwara (Sikh temple) was found vandalized with a graffiti that included a gun and hateful references to 9/11. In the latter incident, a gunman is shot dead by police after opening fire during the prayer session that took the lives of six men and women.
Feature Image & Source: Jagran
Sources: Huffingtonpost, Zee news, SikhInterfaithvic.org, CBC and Dayandnightnews
9/11, Anokhi Blogs, Anokhi Media, Australia, Belief, Court Hearing, Gurudwara Gunfire, North America, Racism, Respect, Sikhism, Soccer Ban, South Asian, Turban
COMMENTS
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
-
'Canada's Got Talent' Judge Lilly Singh Wants Us To Get Ready To Be Amazed
-
Don't Miss Out On The 10th Annual Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival
-
Oscars 2023 Highlights: How Our South Asian Stars Took Over Tinseltown
-
Hot March 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond
-
Ali Hassan Shares Comedic Life Lessons In His Memoir “Is There Bacon In Heaven?”
-
Nisha Pahuja Follows A Father's Search For Justice In Her Latest Doc "To Kill A Tiger"
-
From South India to LA, R&B Star Malavika Is Set Sizzle In 2023!
-
CBC's "Bollywed" Spotlights Chandan Fashion's Iconic Family Bridal Business
-
Hot February 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond
-
Is Mindy Kaling A Self-Hating South Asian?
-
The Harry & Meghan Drama: What Would Happen If They Were Desi?
-
Star Rakhee Morzaria Dishes On Season 2 Of CBC Sitcom “Run The Burbs”
-
Hot January 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond
-
Nandita Das Delivers A Riveting Gig-Economy Drama In ‘Zwigato’
-
Hot December 2022 Films From Bollywood And Beyond
-
"Four Samosas" Director Ravi Kapoor And Star Venk Potula Dish On This Heist Comedy
-
South Asian-Authored Books That Make The Best Gifts
-
Highlights From The Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival (VISAFF)
-
Hamza Haq Dishes On His Out-Of-This-World TIFF Drama “Viking”
-
Hot November 2022 Films From Bollywood And Beyond
-
Al Mukadam Is Magnificent In The Romantic-Thriller "Nightalk"
-
Why Humayun Saeed In "The Crown" Is A Stand-Out Moment For Pakistani Representation
-
From Kamala Harris To Manish Malhotra: Celeb Diwali Parties Are Such a Vibe This Year!
-
Documentarian Vinay Shukla Tells The Sobering Story Of Modern-Day Journalism in "While We Watched"
-
Hot October 2022 Films From Bollywood And Beyond
-
Director Shubham Yogi Discusses His Uplifting Cricket Dramedy "Kacchey Limbu" Starring Radhika Madan
-
TIFF 2022 Review: "Viking" A Profound Film That Shines Among The Stars
-
Masala Coffee: The Coolest Fusion Band You Need To Know
-
TIFF 2022: Our Preview Of The Top South Asian Films And Stars At This Year's Fest
-
Check Out These September 2022 Films From Bollywood & Beyond
-
Our Fave Moments From The International Film Festival Of South Asia (IFFSA)
-
Actor, Producer, Writer Dana Abraham Shares Why He Couldn't Pass Up "Neon Lights"
-
5 Best Beach Reads By South Asian Authors
-
Check Out These August 2022 Films From Bollywood & Beyond
-
America’s Music Man: This World Record Holder Learned To Play 107 Instruments All By Himself
-
Check Out These July 2022 Movies From Bollywood And Beyond
-
Praneet Akilla From Latest CBC Drama “Sky Med” Talks About Why This Medical Drama Is Next Level
-
This Prism Prize Nominee "Closer" Is Probably The Most Powerful Anti-Shadism Message You'll Ever See
-
"Mr. Malcolm's List" Shows Us A Different Side Of Freida Pinto
-
How Puja Mohindra Created Her Own Opportunity To Get The Hit Netflix Drama 'The Lincoln Lawyer'
-
"The Rise" Music Release Celebrate 25 years of South Asian Hip Hop
-
'Ms. Marvel' Is Breaking Down Stereotypes & Here's What You Need To Know
-
Check Out These June 2022 Movies From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
Check Out Why Karan Johar's 50th Birthday Bash Turned Into An Iconic 90s Bollywood Reunion
-
We Tell You Why You Need To Check Out The Dallas/Fort Worth South Asian Film Festival (DFWSAFF)
-
Check Out These May 2022 Movies From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
7 South Asians Who Are Leading The Hottest Shows Out Now
-
Top 5 Desi Rappers You Need To Know About
-
Marie Mahabal Is The One To Watch In Shaw Festival's 'Cyrano de Bergerac'
-
The Perfect Breakup Text & More In Our Chat With Author Sonya Singh
-
Check Out Our List Of Fave Spring Books By Desi Authors
-
Check Out These April 2022 Movies From Bollywood And Beyond!