NEWS
Turban Case Debated on MSNBC Talk Show
March 10, 2003
USA
Former Congressman Joe Scarborough (R-FL) is the host of a late night talk show on MSNBC. The conservative show feeds on controversial issues by inviting guests that are a hundred-eighty-degrees apart and letting them go at it. This is exactly what happened when Scarborough invited Amardeep Sigh of The Sikh Coalition to debate the Amric Singh case with the founder and leader of the Guardian Angels, Curtis Sliva, also a radio talk show host in New York.
The topic was - is Amric Singh seeking special treatment from the New York Police Department to let him wear his turban and beard which is against NYPD rules? The Sikh Coalition filed a suit against Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and the NYPD in Manhattan’s Federal Court, charging that the department’s turban prohibition constitutes unlawful employment discrimination.
The
loud and conservative Sliva howled that Amric Singh should follow the
rules of the NYPD just like all the other officers and remove his turban
and shave his beard. But Amardeep fired right back saying that "There
is nothing about a turban and beard that prevents you from becoming [and
performing the duties of] a police officer." He pointed out the fact
that Sikhs are serving as police officers in London, Vancouver and Los
Angeles; and Washington D.C. is inviting Sikhs to the force. So why not
New York?
Neither Sliva nor Scarborough seemed to understand that the turban and beard issue is a freedom of religion issue. Sliva continued to stress that everyone should follow the same rules. Then Amardeep pointed out that African Americans once had to follow segregation rules. When rules violate civil rights, they must be challenged.
Unable to counter Amardeep's argument, Sliva went on to talk about the kahra and kirpan, but he got some of his facts wrong. Sliva said that Sikhs wear a "metal arm-band," referring to the kahra, which would interfere with performing their duties. But the kahra is more of a steel bracelet and has no impact on the job. Sliva lost another arguement.
About the kirpan, Sliva said that Sikhs wear a "dagger" which is not permitted. To that, Amardeep pointed that a kirpan is worn as a symbol of defending righteousness and that only some Sikhs who are "baptized" wear it.
The
debated ended up on how Sikhs have served along side Americans and Allied
Forces in the armed forces. Sliva refused to believe it. He said that
in all the videos he had seen on American troops, he has never seen Sikh
Americans with turbans. It was an underhanded way of portraying Sikhs
as being less patriotic. But again he was wrong. Sikhs have served in
the armed
forces with turban and beard.
Scarborough and Sliva were loosing their arguements. The debate was cut short.