Consultations Homepage || Meeting Notes: 30 June 2003
Consultation with Sikh community members, Perth, 30 June 2003
The meeting was organised by Mr Jasmit Singh and attended by Dr Bill Jonas, Acting Race Discrimination Commissioner, Meredith Wilkie (notes) and Susanna Iuliano from HREOC. The meeting was attended by eight invited participants from Western Australia's Sikh community.
While Isma consultations have focused on the experiences of Arab and Muslim Australians, members of Western Australia's Sikh community asked to be included because they have also experienced an increase in discrimination and vilification since 11 September 2001. It is unclear whether this increase is part of a ripple effect of discrimination (where intolerance towards one religious group fosters intolerance towards others) or whether Sikhs have been targeted because they are wrongly assumed to be Muslims.
1. What are your experiences of discrimination and vilification?
The following table of recorded incidents was submitted to HREOC at the consultation (edited slightly to remove identifying details).
Item |
Date |
Description of event |
| 1. | Post Sept 11 | Incidents reported at the Sikh Gurdwara Bayswater when the exterior walls and doors of the Gurdwara were vandalised. |
| 2. | Post Sept 11 | Verbal abuse was hurled to an extent where physical violence became a possibility by a group of young adults standing in front of the Sikh Gurdwara at Bayswater. |
| 3. | Sept 01 | Severed head of a pig was place on the doorstep of the Sikh temple at Saddle Grove, Canning Vale. The matter was reported to police. |
| 4. | Oct 01 | A young person was shouted down at a popular public beach hotel by patrons at the hotel by being called Osama Bin Laden. The situation turned ugly and the person had to be escorted out by security. |
| 5. | Oct 01 | In High St, Fremantle: "A few young men standing outside a pub, across the street with beer cans in their hands called me 'Osama Bin Laden'. My colleague walking with me shouted back at them and they shouted back saying we were joking." |
| 6. | Jan 02 | During a cricket match at the WACA a group of people sitting in a box seat placed beer bottle tops in a person's turban from the back. |
| 7. | Mar 02 | At B.P Petrol pump in Fremantle the owner of a waiting car abused an individual. |
| 8. | Aug 02 | A person was abused while driving a car and looking for a street address. The abuse was hurled by people standing across the street. |
| 9. | Aug 02 | Severed head of a pig was place on the gatepost of the Sikh temple at Saddle Grove, Canning Vale. The matter was reported to police. |
| 10. | Aug 02 | The Sikh Temple was broken into and ransacked. |
| 11. | Sept 02 | The noticed board at the Temple was ransacked and the main power was switched off. Police attended the scene and offenders were interviewed and warned. |
| 12. | Sep 02 | "On behalf of my employer I attend various seminars, conferences, forums and award ceremonies organised by various government and private agencies. Last year I attended a Perth Action Award ceremony organised by Keep Australia Beautiful Council at Observation City Hotel. I usually park my car in a hotel parking area but this time I ended up parking my car in a public place and walked to the hotel. We had a very good night and we won the Action Award in its category and our whole team was very happy. "After midnight our team left the hotel. As I had to walk to my car which was parked away from the hotel I was called names - 'Osama' - abused by number of groups of young people on my way to the car. Then I was approached by a group who were ready to assault me. There was police patrolling the area which I pointed out to the group. This group backed off and I walked again to my car. By this time a team of police officers were out of my sight. "As I was walking toward my car a beer bottle landed on by back. When I turned back to see, a group of people was running toward me so I started running to my car. By the time I got into my car, a few more bottles smashed near me as they were throwing. Fortunately nothing hit me on that night and I arrived home safely but scared. "Providing our expertise and services to Australian community, abiding by all laws of the land, it is disheartening to see when some people behave like this. These things happen in our everyday life e.g. during traveling, during social events, dealing with general public particularly if you are working in a customer focused organisation." |
| 13. | Nov 02 | An exam invigilator at one of the institutes of higher learning targeted an individual and (1) threatened to get the exam mark reduced to zero and (2) made the comment that "you are studying law, but with the way you look I do not rate your chances of working in Australia highly". |
| 14. | Jan 03 | A young person was vilified at Cottesloe Beach by a group of white young men who fled when they noticed that the young person was not alone. |
| 15. | Jan 03 | There were two incidents of attacks on homes when the garbage bin waiting for collection the following morning was emptied on the front doorstep despite barriers having been set up to eliminate the possibility of a prank. |
| 16. | Apr 03 | Following a 6 hour job interview the applicant was rejected with the comment that they could not pursue the application of the person because they "did not fit the culture of the organisation". The employer is a major company in Australia and worldwide. |
| 17. | Apr 03 | In the middle of the night during the 'Sri Akhand Path' a loud bang with lots of noise and smoke was heard outside the Sikh Temple. There was no damage to any property, but it created a scary and tense situation. |
| 18. | June 03 | Some youths were noticed in the vicinity of temple and wanted to know if we were 'Muslims'. The matter was reported to police. |
| 19. | Jun 03 | Whilst walking along the river at Canning bridge derogatory remarks by a young boy accompanied by his mother and sister were made to two people. This was in the affluent part of Perth. |
Discrimination in the workforce
"In the employment context, you can't tell whether it's discriminatory and you can't prove it."
The difficulties associated with having overseas qualifications recognised in Australia were raised. "The control over entry to the professions and even to university training involves a subjective element of discrimination."
The difficulty of persuading employers to permit wearing of the turban and adapt health and safety requirements re protective headgear - in the mining industry and in the airforce, for example - was raised. "It is so difficult to initiate an adaptive response on the run - especially for just one individual or even the company when it is confronted with the situation. Employers need guidelines and government should be proactive in this respect."
Vandalism
Several members of the community have experienced vandalism at their homes.
"There is vandalism everywhere. Does our community bear the brunt of it? Is it racism? When it happens consistently, it's clearly racism. It makes people feel very alienated."
Air travel
Ethnic profiling has caught Sikhs in the Customs net at Australian airports. By way of contrast, US Customs were educated about how to recognise Sikhs and about the kirpan, (the small ceremonial sword Sikhs are required to carry for religious reasons) so that they are not caught up by profiling.
Impacts on youth
It was noted that young people are more likely to be out in public, especially late at night. Therefore they are more likely to experience racist abuse.
2. What is being done to fight anti-Sikh prejudice and discrimination?
The Sikh community hosted six school visits at the Sikh temple during 2002 and are on track to complete at least 15 in 2003. They would like to be able to print material to provide handouts to support these instructional visits.
[Note: On 22 August 2003, the Sikh Association of WA was awarded an $18,000 Living in Harmony Community Grant. The grant will facilitate school visits by a Sikh Youth Group to explain the Sikh religion and culture to students, teachers and community members.]
3. What more could be done to fight anti-Sikh prejudice and discrimination?
"If Australia is to run a migration program, then the institutions of the state have to be prepared to accept, accommodate and service them."
It was felt that there should be more information and education about other cultures provided in schools and also more about the value of diversity.
"It is important to distinguish the frame of mind of a migrant who chooses to relocate to Australia from that of an extremist or terrorist. The choice to come here involves valuing something about Australian egalitarianism. The government should have and should express confidence in its own screening procedures applying to all people who have come here."
It was argued that a broad strategy is needed, encompassing many avenues such as:
- Education.
- Community discussions.
- Formation of a body to whom the complaints can be made (as WA's Equal Opportunity Commission cannot deal with racial and religious vilification complaints at present).
- Reporting of hate and vilification crimes in Parliament.
- Discussions with employer groups (EEO policies are insufficient; legislation is needed to ensure employers accommodate the wearing of beards and turbans. Reference was made to a recent US Supreme Court judgement on the value and need for affirmative action).
- Community interest broadcasts by media at prime time.
