Sikhs respond to Representative Saxby Chambliss Bigoted Comments

Press Release: December 22, 2001

As Sikhs and as Americans, we are deeply distressed about the comments that Representative Saxby Chambliss made November 19th to a group of law enforcement officers in Valdosta, Georgia. He alluded to “turning the Sheriff loose to arrest every Muslim that crosses the state line.” We in America look to our elected officials for responsible leadership and guidance. We trust them to work with commitment and dedication to achieve a strong and unified America, not to make comments that divide it. The remarks of Representative Chambliss were inflammatory and inappropriate and a breach of the trust placed in him by his fellow Americans.

We are an ethnically diverse nation. America’s strength is its tolerance and diversity, which should be celebrated and not used to divide our country. When Americans start fighting Americans, we play into the terrorists’ hands and they will have won. Comments like Representative Saxby Chambliss help those who attacked our nation to achieve their goals and do nothing to prevent or stop further terrorism. We Americans look to Representative Saxby Chambliss and his fellow members of Congress to provide the leadership to secure our safety as well as to uphold the principles upon which this country was founded. Representative Saxby Chambliss, in his influential role as the Chair of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security, must be more diligent and scrupulous than his peers. When our legislators and public officials make discriminatory and derogatory comments about their fellow Americans, it places our national well-being in a most precarious position, mitigating any progress that the Congress and President Bush and his Cabinet have made in helping Americans to feel safe and united. Representative Saxby Chambliss has undermined the very Homeland Security he is tasked with upholding. We openly question whether Representative Chambliss’ comments are consistent with his continued leadership of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security.

Even today violence continues to be perpetuated against Americans of Muslim and Sikh faiths. There have been hundreds of hate crimes committed against Sikh Americans who wear turbans. Throughout their history Sikhs have defended religious freedom for all faiths. This past weekend in Georgia, a Sikh medical student was assaulted in what authorities are recognizing as a hate crime. In Mesa, Arizona, Balbir Singh Sodhi was shot to death just days after Sept. 11th. Police are calling that incident the first case of violent hate crime backlash from the attack on our nation.

Representative Saxby Chambliss is well respected and has tremendous influence in his district and in his state. Any comments directed against his fellow Americans that are motivated by prejudice toward race, religion, ethnicity or appearances are biased. Ultimately, they will harm our country, undermine the government and destroy his public image. The overwhelming majority of the elected leadership of our great country have made significant efforts to ensure the safety of Muslims, Arabs and Sikhs in this country. We expect Representative Saxby Chambliss, as one of our country’s leaders, to diligently support those efforts and to lead by that example.

Sincerely,
The Sikh Community

List of Sikh Organizations :
Sikhnet
Sikh American Association
Sikh Coalition
Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE)
Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Taskforce (SMART)
The Sikh Communications Council