Anti-Sikh sentiment in Canada (also known as Sikhophobia) is the manifestation of hostility, prejudice, or discrimination against Canadian Sikhs as a religious and ethnic group. This form of racism has affected Sikhs since Canada's Sikh community was established in 1897. [1] [2]
Anti-Sikh sentiment in Canada has a historical and contemporary presence marked by several key events and ongoing issues. Early instances include the 1907 Bellingham Race Riot, where South East Asian and South Asian immigrants, mostly Sikhs, were violently targeted by white mobs in Washington (state), spilling over into Canadian anti-immigrant sentiments and the Pacific Northwest. [3] [4] [5]
The 1914 Komagata Maru incident incident further highlighted this sentiment when 376 Indian passengers, mostly Sikhs, were denied entry into Canada and forced to return to India, where many faced persecution. [6]
During the late 20th and early 21st century, Canadian Sikhs have experienced increased racism and hate crimes particularly with those whose who have a turban and beard. [7] This includes key events such as the 1990 Herman Bittner calendar controversy, the 1999 murder of a Sikh caretaker by Neo-Nazis, aftermath of the September 11 attacks, the ongoing vandalisms of Sikh Gurdwaras and the controversial Quebec Bill 21.
Most recently due to high levels of immigration from India to Canada, it has led to increased sentiment against Sikhs as well as other religious communities. [8] [9]
In 1907, British Columbia enacted legislation that disenfranchised Asian immigrants, including Sikhs, reflecting the widespread anti-Asian sentiment of the period. These laws were part of a broader strategy to limit the political, economic, and social integration of Asian communities within Canadian society. This was called the Asiatic Exclusion League (AEL) the aimed to prevent immigration of people of Asian origin.
After the Bellingham race riot on September 5, 1907, many Sikh mill workers took refuge in Vancouver, British Colombia. [10] As South Asian and Sikh refugees arrived in Vancouver, AEL organizers pressed forward with a plan to march through the streets, waving signs and flags that called for “A White Canada.” [11] [12]
In 1911, Dr Sunder Singh, a medical doctor addressed the Canadian Club in Toronto, Ontario alleging that Canada's discrimination against the Sikhs was an injustice to them and to the British Empire. Singh argued the case that Sikh men were not allowed to bring their wives and children to Canada, [13] only were able to travel through one direct steamer and were required to have four times the money than of the Japanese immigrants. [14] [15] In a 1911 newspaper release The Toronto World reported "They (Sikhs) are required to have $200 each as against $50 from the Mongolians. Ruthenians, Galicians, Doukhobors, Polacks and other foreign peoples are admitted without restriction." [16]
British Officer Andrew Fraser criticized the treatment of Sikhs in Canada as "scandalous" and suggested that recognizing their rights and providing fair and equal treatment as British subjects could help reduce unrest in India. [14] However, Senator James Douglas addressing a similar issue, condemned British Columbia's treatment of Sikhs, stating that it was "unchristian, un-British, and ungrateful," particularly given the Sikh contributions to the British Empire. [17]
The Komagata Maru incident of 1914 is a poignant example of racial discrimination and xenophobia in early 20th-century Canada. The Japanese steamship SS Komagata Maru, which departed from Hong Kong and arrived in Vancouver on May 23, 1914, was carrying 376 passengers, predominantly Sikh immigrants from the Punjab region of British India. [6] Despite their lawful status as British subjects, the passengers were barred from disembarking due to Canada's restrictive immigration policies aimed at preventing non-European immigrants from entering the country. [18] [19]
The Canadian government’s refusal to allow the ship’s passengers to land was a manifestation of the broader racial prejudices of the time. After two months of being held in harsh conditions aboard the ship, the Komagata Maru was forced to return to India. Upon arrival in Calcutta, the passengers were met with hostility from British colonial authorities, resulting in violent reprisals, imprisonment, and the deaths of several individuals. [20]
In 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologised for the for incident, but many in the local Sikh community refused to accept it and requested it should have been made at the House of Commons. [21] This then took place in 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government formally apologized for the incident, acknowledging the injustices faced by the passengers and marked an official recognition of this chapter in Canadian history. [22] [23] [24]
Throughout the early 20th century, Sikhs, along with other Asian immigrants, faced significant obstacles in the labour market. They were often confined to low-paying, menial jobs and encountered hostility and discrimination from white labour unions. Exclusionary policies and societal prejudices restricted their employment opportunities, limiting them to sectors like agriculture, lumber mills, and railway construction, where they endured harsh working conditions and exploitation. This systemic discrimination not only hindered their economic prospects but also reinforced broader societal biases, perpetuating a cycle of marginalization and inequality for Asian communities in North America. [25] [26]
During the early 20th century, some newspapers and political figures portrayed Sikhs and other Asian immigrants as challenges to Canadian society, economy and the demography. These portrayals may have contributed to the public opposition towards Sikhs and other South Asians. [27] However, some politicians, such as Senator James Douglas, expressed favourable views toward Sikh migrants in Canada.
Between 1910 to 1920, a fall in almost half the number of the 2,000 Indians in Canada, many of whom were Sikhs, was a result of the racism they faced, intention to reunify with family members who migrated to America and for economic opportunities. [28] [29]
During the mid-20th century, Sikhs in Canada faced pervasive racism and discrimination, reflecting the broader challenges of immigrant communities in a society that was often unwelcoming to visible minorities. [30] [31] Common insults such as 'raghead' have been used for turbaned wearing Sikhs. [32] Despite their contributions to the country, Sikhs were frequently marginalized, encountering significant barriers to employment, housing, and social acceptance. [33]
In the late 1970s, some leaders of Toronto's Sikh community warned there would be racial riots unless there people get more police protection due to increasing number of incidents outside a Sikh Temple. However, Chairman of Toronto's Study Group on Human Relations and Former Member of Parliament, Walter Pitman said that "racist attacks were declining". [34]
In 1971, Khalsa Diwan Society Vancouver Gurdwara in Downtown Vancouver was defaced with obscenities. A fight erupted afterwards amongst the Sikh congregation and the perpetrators leading to injuries. [30]
Two Sikh men, Gordon Kooner and his friend who wears a turban, were in a gas station when Thomas Henry Burris made racial insults towards his friend. Kooner intervened which resulted in him being physically assaulted. Following the event, Burris was later sent to prison for two years. [35]
After the aftermath of Air India Flight 182, hostility towards Sikhs in Canada increased significantly, driven by a surge in suspicion and prejudice against the community. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Sikhs across the country experienced heightened discrimination and racism. Many faced harassment in public spaces. The media’s portrayal of Sikhs often unfairly linked the community with violence and extremism, which further deepened public mistrust. Despite the Sikh community's widespread condemnation of the attack, they faced a challenging period marked by fear, prejudice, and social marginalization in Canada. [36] [ better source needed ]
In 1999, five white supremacists in British Columbia were sentenced for the killing of 65-year-old Sikh caretaker Nirmal Singh Gill. Lee Nikkel, 18, and Robert Kluch, 26, received 15-year sentences plus 18 months already served, for initiating and carrying out the attack. Radoslaw Synderek, 24, Daniel Miloszewski, 22, and Nathan LeBlanc, 27, were each sentenced to 12 years. Judge William Stewart condemned the crime as repugnant and racially motivated, hoping the sentences would deter violent hate crimes. The Sikh community and friends of Gill viewed the sentencing as justice served. [37] [38]
In 2005, in a junior soccer tournament in Vancouver, Gurindar Durah, a Sikh player, was barred from the soccer match for wearing his patka, a religious turban. This decision led to Durah's ejection and his team, Northwest United, walking out in protest. Durah's coach, Mario Moretti supported his decision, stating that the tournament ended for them once the referee made that ruling. [39]
On March 24, two Sikh men were attacked outside an Edmonton, Alberta liquor store after a rally by the members Bernard “Bernie” Miller and Kyle McKee of the white supremacist group Blood & Honour. One of the men was subjected to racial slurs inside the store and was then confronted and assaulted as he exited. During the attack, one assailant struck the victim in the head with a full bottle of alcohol and the broken glass was used to stab him. [40]
On January 2015, Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara in South Edmonton was vandalized with racist graffiti, including the phrase "Leave Canada." The gurdwara's management is addressing the incident, emphasizing education and community outreach as ways to combat ignorance. Community members were urged to remain vigilant and to report suspicious activity around gurdwaras to the authorities. [41] [42]
In November 2015, Sikh MP Harjit Sajjan, who was newly appointed as Minister of National Defence, faced racist abuse on social media. The incident occurred on the Canadian Forces' Facebook page, particularly on the French-language version, where derogatory comments were made by a few military personnel, including a Warrant Officer from CFB Valcartier. [43]
The Canadian Forces quickly deleted the comments and launched an investigation, reiterating that racism and discrimination have no place in the military. The incident gained significant media attention, both in Canada and India, highlighting the challenges of racism within the armed forces. [44]
In April 2016, Supninder Singh Khehra, a Sikh man from Toronto, was attacked in Quebec City, Quebec by Gabriel Royer-Tremblay in a racially motivated assault. The attack, which was recorded on video, involved Khehra being punched, kicked, and having his turban knocked off. The incident sparked national outrage, including condemnation from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Royer-Tremblay was sentenced to ten months in jail for the assault and related offences. [45] [46]
On December 23, 2016, a Sikh gurdwara in Calgary, Canada, was vandalized in an incident that shocked the local Sikh community. The outer walls and doors of the Gurdwara were defaced with racist graffiti, including a swastika, a smiling face, and profane messages, spray-painted by unknown perpetrators. This act of vandalism, which took place in the early hours of the morning, was widely condemned by community leaders and organizations. [47]
During a public event in Brampton, Ontario, a heckler hurled racist comments at Canadian Sikh politician Jagmeet Singh, accusing him of supporting Sharia law and being a Muslim. Despite her outburst, the heckler later claimed she was not racist. The incident sparked widespread condemnation and highlighted ongoing issues of racism and ignorance. [48]
On October 2, 2019, New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh was confronted by a man in Montreal, Quebec who told him to “Cut your turban off.” Singh put one hand on the man’s shoulder and responded: “I think Canadians look like all sorts of people. That’s the beauty of Canada.” [49]
On November 21, 2018, members of the Gurdwara Guru Amardas Darbar Sikh Society in Kelowna, British Colombia discovered racist graffiti scrawled on the wall of their Gurdwara. [50] [51]
Amanpreet Singh Hundal, B.C. vice-president of the World Sikh Organization, expressed surprise and disappointment that such an event could occur in 2018. Despite the shock, community leaders viewed the incident as an opportunity to promote education and strengthen connections with the broader Kelowna community. The racist vandalism was widely condemned, serving as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges of ignorance and fear that minority communities continue to face. [52]
In January 2018, a Sikh man named Jaswinder Singh Dhaliwal was asked to remove his turban, while visiting a Royal Canadian Legion branch in Tignish, Prince Edward Island. The incident, which included racist remarks and threats from other patrons, was a result of a misunderstanding of the legion's headgear policy, which exempts religious garments. Legion president, Stephen Gallant later issued an apology. [53]
In December 2021, in Brampton, Ontario, the Brampton Khalsa Montessori School was targeted with hateful graffiti against Sikhs, defacing the front of a ground-floor business beneath the school with offensive messages. [54]
On June 29, 2022, in a video on the YouTube channel 'Beat of the North,' Ron Banerjee, director of the Canadian Hindu Advocacy, was recorded expressing hateful remarks, stating he supports the killings of Muslims and Sikhs in India because "they deserve to die," while discussing unfavourable opinions about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. [55]
On March 20 2023, a Sikh international student was swarmed and beaten by a group of people who ripped off his turban and dragged him across the sidewalk by his hair in Kelowna, British Colombia. [56]
As reported by The Peterborough Examiner in July 2024, Peterborough Police are classifying an incident as a hate crime after a Sikh man was allegedly assaulted and has his turban knocked off by four youths. Another man who intervened was also assaulted by the youngsters. In the scuffle, police said "another person knocked the turban from the man’s head and stepped on it." The man who was wearing the turban was treated by paramedics at the scene. [57] [58]
In the 1980s, B'nai Brith Canada launched a compliant with the Canadian Human Rights Commission in an attempt to removed label pins, in which was perceive as racist. This included a turbaned Sikh, an Oriental in a Chinese Coolie hat and semi-clothed black man holding a spear all staring at a white male with the inscription below "Who is the minority in Canada ?". [59]
In the 1990s, both authorities in Winnipeg and Calgary, considered criminal charges against Herman Bittner who created and distributed an anti-Sikh calendar that portrayed a turbaned Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer alongside the derogatory question, "Is this Canadian, or does this make you Sikh?" The calendar, produced by Herman Bittner of Langdon, stirred significant controversy and concerns about inciting hatred. The calendar's distribution and the offensive portrayal prompted meetings between justice officials and Sikh representatives, who emphasized the need for legal action to address and curb such actions. [60] [61] [62]
In April 2014, Brampton residents expressed anger over a flyer distributed by Immigration Watch Canada targeting the Sikh community. The flyer, named “The Changing Face of Brampton,” featured contrasting images of white people and Sikhs, alongside a message suggesting that declining percentages of "mainstream Canadians" in Brampton was due to immigration. [63]
A similar incident occurred in September 2016, where the University of Alberta removed racist posters from its campus. The posters, which featured an image of a Sikh man in a yellow turban alongside a derogatory message, were discovered in multiple locations, including the main library. The university promptly addressed the situation and took down all twelve posters that were found. [64]
In 2005, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) censored Montreal's CKAC station for airing "abusive" remarks by psychiatrist Pierre Mailloux, who referred to Sikhs as a "the Sikhs are a gang, a gang of bozos". [65] The CBSC, responding to complaints about the "insulting racism" of Mailloux's comments, ordered the station to issue a full apology. The panel noted that while Mailloux was entitled to his views on general immigration issues, his specific targeting of the Sikh community crossed the line and was unacceptable.
The Broadbent Institute who run the PressProgress have claimed in 2024 that the Canadian Far-Right have been responsible in the targeting of Sikh and other South Asians Canadians through incitement of xenophobia. PressProgress and the Canadian Anti-Hate Network have argued that the Canadian Far-Right have particularly blamed Indo-Canadian Sikh men. [66]
In the late 1980s, Baltej Dhillon faced opposition when he applied to become an RCMP officer and requested to wear a turban as part of his uniform,. This was against the RCMP's dress code at the time. Despite public pressure, internal politics and even death threats aimed at Dhillon, the government changed the policy in 1990, allowing Dhillon and other Sikh officers to wear turbans. [67] [68]
In 2012, Gurmukh Singh a driver for Aaroport Limousine Services alleged they cut him off for refusing to trim or tie back his religiously-prescribed facial hair. This was settled in 2013, with agreement that Sikh drivers were no longer prohibited from maintaining untied beards under employment from Aaroport. [69]
In 2019, Bill 21 in Quebec prevented Sikh workers, particularly those wearing of religious articles such as turbans and kirpans in the workplace. [70] This law has prompted legal challenges and debates regarding religious freedom and secularism in Quebec.
It was announced during Sikh Heritage Month in 2024 by MP Kamal Khera of the Department of Canadian Heritage, that the Canadian Government will be putting forwards their first ever Anti-Racism Strategy and Canada’s first Action Plan on Hate. [71]
The World Sikh Organization (WSO) is a non-profit organisation and was founded in 1984 in Canada in response to the anti-Sikh violence in India, particularly the events surrounding Operation Blue Star and the 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms. [72] Established by Sikh leaders, it was created to protect and promote the interests of Sikhs globally. [73] [74]
Over the years, the WSO has played a significant role in advocating for Sikh rights, religious freedoms, and combating anti-Sikh hate in Canada.
In the 1990's, WSO was involved in the case of Baltej Singh Dhillon in his fight to wear a turban as a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. [75] [76]
In 2006, WSO acted as legal interveners in the case of Multani v Commission scolaire Marguerite‑Bourgeoys to allow Sikh students to wear Kirpans in public schools. The Supreme Court of Canada made a decision that was unanimous and held that there was no evidence that the kirpan posed a safety risk. [77]
In 2019, during the ongoing debate over Bill 21 in Quebec, the WSO were involved in a legal case World Sikh Organization of Canada v. Attorney General of Québec. It had been concluded that Québec’s Court of Appeal upheld the legislation. [78] [79] [80] Many of the challenges and events following Bill 21 are still being legally addressed by the WSO. [81]
In 1983, the All Canada Sikh Convention (ACSC) in Ottawa, Ontario took place which had focus on "racial discrimination" against the Sikh community. The ACSC alleged they had documented over 100 incidents over the three previous years. [82]
South Asian Canadians are Canadians who were either born in or can trace their ancestry to South Asia or the Indian subcontinent, which includes the nations of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. The term also includes immigrants from South Asian communities in East and South Africa, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Fiji, Mauritius, and the rest of the world.
The Komagata Maru incident involved the Japanese steamship Komagata Maru, on which a group of people from British India attempted to immigrate to Canada in April 1914, but most were denied entry and forced to return to Budge Budge, near Calcutta. There, the Indian Imperial Police attempted to arrest the group leaders. A riot ensued, and they were fired upon by the police, resulting in some deaths.
Hinduism is the third-largest religion in Canada, with approximately 2.3% of the nation's total population identifying as Hindu in the 2021 census. As of 2021, there are over 828,000 Canadians of the Hindu faith.
Baba Gurdit Singh was the central figure in the Komagata Maru incident of 1914, one of several incidents in the history of early 20th century involving exclusion laws in both Canada and the United States designed to keep out immigrants of only Asian origin.
American Sikhs form the country's sixth-largest religious group. While the U.S. Census does not ask about religion, 70,697 Americans declared Sikh as their ethnicity in the 2020 census. The U.S. Census Bureau cites the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey's estimate of the adult Sikh American population at 78,000. The Pew Research Center estimated the Sikh American adult population to be 140,000 and the total population at 200,000 in 2012 while the World Religion Database at Boston University estimated the American Sikh population to be at 280,000 in 2012. Sikh organizations like the Sikh Coalition and American Sikh Congressional Caucus estimate the Sikh American population to be as high as 1,000,000, but do not provide any sources for these figures; 500,000 nevertheless remains the most cited Sikh American population size. With 1% of Asian Americans being Sikh, and 90.7% of Sikh Americans being Asian American, the American Sikh population can be estimated at around 200,000–300,000 in 2021. The largest Sikh populations in the U.S. are found in California (52%), New York (11%), and Washington (6%).
Sikhism is the fourth-largest religious group in Canada, with nearly 800,000 adherents, or 2.1% of Canada's population, as of 2021. The largest Sikh populations in Canada are found in Ontario, followed by British Columbia and Alberta. As of the 2021 Census, more than half of Canada's Sikhs can be found in one of four cities: Brampton (163,260), Surrey (154,415), Calgary (49,465), and Edmonton (41,385).
Asian Canadians are Canadians who were either born in or can trace their ancestry to the continent of Asia. Canadians with Asian ancestry comprise both the largest and fastest growing group in Canada, after European Canadians, forming approximately 20.2 percent of the Canadian population as of 2021, making up the majority of Canada’s visible minority population. Most Asian Canadians are concentrated in the urban areas of Southern Ontario, Southwestern British Columbia, Central Alberta, and other large Canadian cities.
The Khalsa Diwan Society Vancouver is a Sikh gurdwara organization in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna was a Sikh revolutionary, the founding president of the Ghadar Party, and a leading member of the party involved in the Ghadar Conspiracy of 1915. Tried at the Lahore Conspiracy trial, Sohan Singh served sixteen years of a life sentence for his part in the conspiracy before he was released in 1930. He later worked closely with the Indian labour movement, devoting considerable time to the Kisan Sabha.
William Charles Hopkinson was an Indian police officer and later an immigration inspector in the Canadian Immigration Branch in Vancouver, British Columbia, who is noted for his role in infiltration and intelligence on the Ghadarite movement in North America in the early 1900s.
Indo-Canadians or Indian Canadians, are Canadians who have ancestry from India. The term East Indian is sometimes used to avoid confusion with the Indigenous peoples of Canada. Categorically, Indo-Canadians comprise a subgroup of South Asian Canadians which is a further subgroup of Asian Canadians. According to Statistics Canada, Indians are one of the fastest growing communities in Canada and one of the largest non-European ethnic groups.
The continuous journey regulation was a restriction placed by the Canadian government that (ostensibly) prevented those who, "in the opinion of the Minister of the Interior", did not "come from the country of their birth or citizenship by a continuous journey and or through tickets purchased before leaving the country of their birth or nationality" from being accepted as immigrants to Canada. However, in effect, the regulation would only affect the immigration of persons from India.
Racism in Canada traces both historical and contemporary racist community attitudes, as well as governmental negligence and political non-compliance with United Nations human rights standards and incidents in Canada. Contemporary Canada is the product of indigenous First Nations combined with multiple waves of immigration, predominantly from Europe and in modern times, from Asia.
Joseph Edward Bird was a Canadian legal figure. Bird was the primary lawyer, hired by the Khalsa Diwan Society to represent the passengers on board the Komagata Maru in Vancouver, 1914. Bird fought actively against the threat of his clients' eventual deportation, and he made great effort to challenge Canada's highly restrictive immigration laws. Bird was an advocate for equality, and sought to reform the race-based exclusion laws in Canada. Bird attempted to prove that the passengers of the Komagata Maru should have been able to settle in Canada as British subjects, though he was ultimately unsuccessful; public and political sentiments and policies at the time were overtly racist, and the BC Court of Appeal ordered the Komagata Maru to return to India.
Sikhism in Greater Vancouver is one of the main religions across the region, especially among the Indo-Canadian population. The Sikh community in Vancouver is the oldest, largest and most influential across Canada, having begun in the late 19th century.
Immigration Watch Canada (IWC) is a Vancouver-based anti-immigration non-profit organization and website founded by Dan B. Murray, a former teacher. IWC lobbies for limiting immigration to 25,000 annually.
Punjabi Canadians number approximately 950,000 and account for roughly 2.6% of Canada's population, as per the 2021 Canadian census. Their heritage originates wholly or partly from the Punjab region of India and Pakistan.
Continuous Journey is a 2004 documentary film directed by Indian-Canadian film-maker Ali Kazimi. The film chronicles the events that took place during the 1914 voyage of the Komagata Maru.
Mewa Singh Lopoke was a Sikh activist in Canada who was a member of the Vancouver branch of the Ghadar Party, which called for the overthrow of British rule in India. On October 21, 1914, Mewa Singh murdered a Canadian immigration inspector, W. C. Hopkinson, a political act of violence for which he was executed by the Canadian government. In the eyes of Sikh Canadians, Mewa Singh's assassination of Hopkinson was a display of martyrdom, one which they commemorate annually.
This has been reported by the Bellingham Herald newspaper which incidentally had also reported the 1907 riots. At that time the early Sikh immigrants were termed Hindus and the banner headline of the daily on September 5, 1907, cried out, Hindus hounded from city, with the subhead saying, Mob drives foreigners from lodging houses and mills.
if something were not done soon the agitation started in Bellingham would spread all over the Sound country and massacres of the Eastern aliens was likely to result. Fowler was one of the speakers in Vancouver and some blamed him and League organizers from the U.S. for setting off the riot in Canada.
This hate speech reflected a broader phenomenon, as the retired professor Paul Englesberg shows in his contribution to the book. The mob had listened that Saturday night to A. E. Fowler, an activist from Seattle who gave an "impassioned speech," in which he invoked a riot against Sikh workers in Bellingham, Washington, just days earlier. Beyond the West Coast, white supremacism existed throughout the British Empire — personified by the presence of a New Zealand clergyman at the league's meeting
Both the US and Canada have seen a sharp increase of hate crimes waged against the Sikh population who have been 'mistakenly' targeted in racist attacks directed at Muslims – for example the first person to be killed in a 'revenge attack' following 9/11 was Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh turbaned man in Arizona
As sentiment in Canada against high levels of immigration continues to rise, shades of xenophobia targeting the largest cohort of newcomers, those from India and particularly Sikhs, have become evident.
He described the situation as an eye-opener for Sikhs in Sudbury. However, he said, the case wasn't an isolated incident, but rather part of a growing wave of hateful incidents directed against the South Asian community.
They are required to have $200 each as against $50 from the Mongolians. Ruthenians, Galicians, Doukhobors, Polacks and other foreign peoples are admitted without restriction. Worst of all the Sikhs already in Canada were not allowed by the late government to have their wives and children. This is being remedied by the present administration."
Senator Douglas said he had been in India many years and had personal experience of the Sikhs. The actions of British Columbia toward the Sikhs was unchristian, un-British, and ungrateful. The Sikhs were splendid men who had fought for the British flag. To inflict upon these men the cruelty of depriving them of the association of their wives was a thing unworthy of any part of the British Empire.
Anti-Sikh Racism reached its peak in 1914 when Sikhs arriving by ship were denied entry to the Vancouver Harbour: their ship, the Komagata Maru
Many in attendance immediately rejected the apology, saying it needed to be done on the floor of the House of Commons. The Prof. Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation, which organized Harper's appearance, had made it very clear only a formal apology would be acceptable, Thind says.
The exclusion of Orientals from labor unions and their relegation to menial, low-paying jobs was a consequence of widespread prejudice and discriminatory policies. These measures were intended to maintain racial purity and protect white workers from competition
Sikhs, like other South Asians, were systematically excluded from many areas of employment and were often forced into the most menial and dangerous jobs. They faced hostility from white workers and labor unions, who saw them as a threat to their economic security
Through contacts with the Immigration Branch, Chambers kept close tabs on developments within Canada's 2,000 strong East Indian community (a number halved in less than a decade due to racism as well as the desire of these people to re-unite with family members who had emigrated to America, where, they also felt, better economic opportunities awaited.
More than half of the Sikhs have already left Canada.
Sandhu recalls being told once, across a table, that with his turban and beard he looked like Iran's late Ayatollah Khomeini.
Over the last forty-one years, the Sikhs in Ontario have faced hardships in practicing their faith at their workplace. In 1975, a Sikh gentleman was refused employment because he was wearing a turban. The matter was referred to Ontario Human Rights Commission and the inquiry was headed by Professor Peter A. Cumming.
Gordon Kooner, a 33-year-old Sikh, with a friend wearing a beard and turban, was in a gas station when Thomas Henry Burris, a 25-year-old white man, made some racial insults. Kooner asked Burris to stop taunting his friend. Instead, a companion of Burris pinned back Kooner's arms while Burris punched him in the face. The beating continued until Kooner's nose was broken and his lip cut. Burris was sent to prison for two years less a day.
Northwest United was competing in a tournament in this Vancouver suburb when a referee told 17-year-old Gurindar Durah he could not wear his patka, which young, religiously observant Sikhs are required to wear
It was later that evening that two Sikh men originally from India were attacked outside of an east Edmonton liquor store. One of the victims, inside the store, had racial slurs directed at him. As he left the store he was confronted and assaulted. Then, during that assault, we allege one of the other accused came up and hit him in the back of the head with a full bottle of alcohol.
John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights organized a gathering at the Sri Guru Singh Sabha gurdwara at 4504 Mill Woods Road South, which was hit by graffiti on Friday with racist slurs and words spray painted saying "leave Canada."
In a press release issued in Amritsar on Friday, SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar described the racist comments as unfortunate and demanded action against the offending officer in accordance with the rules governing the Canadian armed forces.
NDHQ public affairs staff were dealing with the fallout Thursday from the racist comments about new Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan posted on the Canadian Forces Facebook page by a member of the military.
Prime minister Justin Trudeau denounced the attack and said such hateful acts have no place in Canada.
We're also glad that Judge Rousseau recognized that the attack was motivated by racism, despite the Quebec police having denied it was so. Sikhs in Quebec have faced serious challenges in the past and efforts need to be made so that Sikhs and the turban are better understood.
A gurdwara was vandalized with obscene graffiti spray-painted on its outer walls by unknown miscreants in Canada's Calgary city.
Oh, I think Canadians look like all sorts of people, Singh replied. That's the beauty of Canada.
Racist graffiti was found on the wall of Kelowna's Sikh temple on Davie Road Monday morning.
A leader in Kelowna's Sikh community says emotions are still raw after racist graffiti was found on the wall of the local gurdwara. However, Amanpreet Singh Hundal, B.C. vice-president of the World Sikh Organization of Canada, says people are looking for positives after the crime, and for ways to better connect with the broader Kelowna community.
A video of the incident shows a woman threatening to rip off the head covering in response to being filmed and a patron at the bar making an obscene gesture while saying the garment must be removed because "it's the law."
A man told police he was spat on, had his turban knocked off his head and stepped on, and was hit in the head with a soda can in an incident Peterborough Police are classifying as a hate crime.
In the midst of social media posts targeting specifically turbaned Sikh men, a hate crime was reported to police in Peterborough, Ontario on July 26 after a man alleged he was spat on and "had his turban knocked off and stepped on.
Herman Bittner, an Alberta man who made a calendar to protest the decision, said: Am I really a racist, or am I standing up and trying to save something that you know can be lost forever?
Late Saturday evening, Premier Kathleen Wynne issued a statement about what she calls a hateful flyer.
The University of Alberta moved quickly this week to remove racist posters that showed up on campus featuring the image of a Sikh man in a marigold-yellow turban and the words, If you're so obsessed with your third-world culture, go the f—- back to where you came from !
A Canadian radio station has been censured for broadcasting "abusive" remarks about the Sikh community. Psychiatrist Pierre Mailloux, host of the Doc Mailloux phone-in show on Montreal's CKAC-AM station, had referred to Sikhs as a gang of bozos
Anti-hate experts and researchers say Canada's far-right is shifting its focus to spreading conspiracy theories and sowing hate towards South Asian and Sikh communities in Canada. In recent weeks, many far-right Canadian influencers have ramped up attacks against Canadians of South Asian origin – particularly Sikhs
As he looks back on his career as a Mountie, Dhillon chooses to focus on the service he provided for the communities where he worked — not the death threats he received in the mail from across the country.
The WSO is a non-profit international umbrella organization founded in 1984 as an international organization, with a mandate to promote and protect the interests of the Sikh Diaspora, as well as to promote and advocate the protection of human rights for all individuals, irrespective of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, and social and economic status. The WSO of Canada was registered with the Government of Canada as a non-profit organization, under the name World Sikh Organization of Canada
Schroeder, Pidgeon & Co., Vancouver, British Columbia, for the intervenor, World Sikh Organization.
Palbinder K. Shergill, for the intervener the World Sikh Organization of Canada.
In World Sikh Organization of Canada v. Attorney General of Québec, Québec's Court of Appeal upheld the legislation, carefully avoiding any commentary on its politics.
The federal Conservatives are trying to reassure the World Sikh Organization of Canada that the party remains opposed to Quebec's secularism law after its MPs voted in support of a provision the province used to create it
Beginning in November 2022, the Quebec Court of Appeal heard positions from several parties, including the National Council of Canadian Muslims, the World Sikh Organization of Canada, the English Montreal School Board and the Quebec Community Groups Network, an organization that represents 44 anglophone groups spread out across Quebec.