Apology to Sikh tourists

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Sashikumar N <sashikumar.n () gmail com>
Date: July 27, 2005 10:46:17 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Apology to Sikh tourists
Reply-To: Sashikumar N <sashikumar.n () gmail com>


 Apology to Sikh tourists

NEW YORK: NewYork's Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, has apologised to a
group of British tourists after armed police swarmed on to an open-top
sightseeing bus, handcuffed them and forced them to kneel on Broadway.
The five Sikh tourists from Birmingham were ordered off the bus on
Sunday with their hands bound behind their backs after a tour company
employee called police to report that they seemed suspicious. The
police cordoned off the block for 90 minutes, ordered all 60
passengers off the bus, and searched their belongings and then their
bodies. The five men were then identified by the employee and cuffed.
Mr. Bloomberg advised New Yorkers to use common sense when reporting
anything suspect and to avoid profiling people. ``It turned out that
these people did not present any threat whatsoever,'' he said.

- Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005
http://www.hindu.com/2005/07/28/stories/2005072801901400.htm

note: A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism, a religious faith originating
in the Punjab, India
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhs
Hundreds of thousands of Sikh-Americans live in the United States and
enjoy respect and religious tolerance. At the same time, many
Americans are relatively unaware of the Sikh population in the United
States and often mistake Sikhs for practitioners of Islam.
Following the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack, the Sikh community
received nearly 300 reported incidents of threats, vandalism, and
violence, including two murders. The attackers mistook the Sikhs for
followers of Islam.


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