VaaheGuru Ji Ka Khalsa, VaaheGuru Ji Ke Fateh!

UNITED SIKHS is working with Congressman Mike Honda on a letter that his office is sending to the French Government. This letter expresses the United States’ concern over the proposed French ban on articles of faith in public schools.

Today, Congressman Honda’s office is circulating the letter to other members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The deadline for the Congressmen to sign this letter is 12:00 P.M. eastern standard time this Monday.

Khalsa Ji, please immediately contact your representative in the U.S. House of Representatives and encourage them to sign this letter to the French Government.

As of today, 42 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed Congressman Honda’s letter. The names are listed below. CHECK TO SEE IF YOUR MEMBER OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAS SIGNED THE LETTER. IF NOT, CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSMAN ASAP!

To determine your representative’s name and contact information, please go to <http://www.house.gov/> and type in your zip code. The name of your representative will appear on the following webpage. Click on the name to find out their contact information.

Khalsa Ji, when you call your representative, please follow these steps:

1. Kindly introduce yourself.

2. Let them know that you live in the representative’s district.

3. Kindly Say: "I am calling in regards to a letter that Congressman Honda’s Office has been circulating for all members of the House to sign."

4. Let them know that the letter is regarding the proposed French ban on articles of faith in public schools.

5. Kindly request that you want your representative to sign this letter.

6. Due to the ricin scare, please state that the letter was e-mailed to your representative’s office from Congressman Honda’s office.

If possible, request to speak to a legislative assistant or foreign affairs staff person who can handle this matter. Please repeat steps 1-6 and proceed to the following steps:

7. State the letter is written requesting the French Government not to enact a ban on articles of faith in public school.

8. State that if the French ban is enacted it will result in Sikhs not being able to wear their turbans to schools. State that the turban is required by the Sikh faith.

9. State in addition, that the ban will not allow Muslims to wear their hijabs, Christians to wear crosses and Jews to wear yarmulkes.

10. Please say: "The French assembly is presently considering the proposed ban. Now is the time to act."

11. Kindly request your representative to sign the letter.

To find out information more information about what UNITED SIKHS is doing to fight the proposed French ban on articles of faith, please visit:
http://www.unitedsikhs.org/us-eu/petitions/RightToTurban.htm

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives that have already signed Congressman Honda’s letter are the following:

1)Abercrombie, Neil

2)Ackerman, Gary

3)Bell, Chris

4)Becerra, Xavier

5)Berkley, Shelley

6)Bishop, Tim

7)Burton, Dan

8)Cardoza, Denis

9)Case, Ed

10)Christensen, Donna

11)Crowley, Joseph

12)Evans, Lane

13)Filner, Bob

14)Gonzalez, Charles

15)Hoefel, Joe

16)Inslee, Jay

17)Israel, Steve

18)Jackson-Lee, Sheila

19)Lee, Barbara

20)Lewis, John

21)Kennedy, Patrick

22)Kilpatrick, Carolyn

23)Kucinich, Dennis

24)Lucas, Ken

25)Marshall, Jim

26)Meeks, Gregory

27)Nadler, Jerrold

28)Payne, Donald

29)Ramstad, Jim

30)Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana

31)Sanchez, Linda

32)Schakowsky, Jan

33)Schiff, Adam

34)Shays, Chris

35)Shinkus, John

36)Scott, David

37)Scott, Robert C.

38)Sherman, Brad

39)Stark, Pete

40)Udall, Tom

41)Wilson, Joe

42)Woolsey, Lynn