The World Sikh Organization (WSO) is a non-profit international umbrella organization with a mandate to promote and protect the interests of the Sikh Diaspora, as well as to promote and advocate for the protection of human rights for all individuals, irrespective of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, and social and economic status. read more

Sikhism A Faith of Tolerance and Respect for All (May 09, 2008)

An apparent decision by the Akal Academy in Punjab to force non-Sikh students to wear turbans, an essential part of the Sikh identity, does not help to promote tolerance and respect for all religions, a cornerstone of Sikh principles …. See the full press release

India Attempts to Silence Canadian Sikhs (April 26, 2008)

The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) expresses concern at unacceptable attempts by the Indian Government to silence "freedom of speech", a fundamental right of Canadian-Sikhs.... See the full press release

India’s Abysmal Human Rights Record Under Scrutiny (April 08, 2008)

WSO supports the efforts of Human Rights Watch in asking United Nations Human Rights Council to impress upon India to improve its 'abysmal' human rights record. See the full press release or see the Human Rights Watch full story at http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2008/04/07/india18442.htm and http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1159181

The Canadian Sikh community is apprehensive about India’s nefarious designs against them. WSO expects Government of Canada and its intelligence forces to be vigilant of the clandestine activities of the Government of India. See the full press release

The requirement to wear helmets while riding a motorcycle puts undue restrictions on Sikhs who wear a turban as an article of their faith. The Ontario courts’ recent judgment in the case of Baljinder Singh Badesha, in refusing to make an exception for Sikhs that wear turbans, runs counter to the religious freedoms enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights. See the full press release

Sometimes it takes a special person to tell people in power to give their heads a shake. Marie Mundra is such a person. A 65 year old retiree, Marie took the time to provide valuable research and insight into the issue of whether turban wearing Sikhs should be exempt from mandatory helmet laws. In her open letter to the Canadian Prime Minister, Members of Parliament, News Editors and others, Marie provides compelling evidence of the incredible sacrifices made by Sikhs during both world wars. As she quite rightly points out, ironically ‘no-one insisted that they wear helmets’ when Sikhs fought in both world wars alongside their non-Sikh brethren. Thank you Marie, for setting an example for all of us, and reminding us of the responsibilities that we all have as concerned citizens to defend the rights of others. Read the Marie Mundra Her Educational Endeavours email

The WSO had been calling for a public inquiry into the Air India tragedy since 1987. While we are happy that the inquiry finally did take place, even if it was almost 20 years late, we were very disappointed to observe the lack of due process during the Inquiry. The WSO has now filed its final submission to the Commission, and cited numerous instances in which the Commission refused to hear relevant and important testimony. See the full press release or read the Closing Submission by the WSO to the Air India Inquiry.

The Sikh community of Canada joins the nation of Pakistan and all friends of democracy in mourning the tragic death of Mrs. Benazir Bhutto. read more ..

The Air India Commission report, titled “The Families Remember”, is a fitting tribute to the devastating loss that these families suffered in the wake of the Air India tragedy.  The report profiles many of the victims and their families and shines a necessary light on the real human side of this event.  The WSO appears as Intervenors in the Air India Inquiry and has been calling for such a public inquiry since 1987.  As such, we certainly welcome this first report by the Commission focusing on the victims, and we are hopeful that at the very least, the families of the victims will feel some sense of closure as a result of this Inquiry. read more ..

Pakistan’s implementation of a Sikh marriage registration law, which it refers to as the Anand Karaj Act, is a welcome affirmation of that country’s recognition and acceptance of Sikh identity in Pakistan. This is a dramatic move, and will hopefully serve to highlight the less than sympathetic treatment of Sikhs in Pakistan’s neighbor, India.  In India, where a majority of the world’s Sikh population lives, Sikhs have been struggling for over half a century for the simple affirmation of their distinct identity, yet the Indian constitution continues to refuse this simple act.  In India, Sikhs are still forced to register their marriages under the Hindu marriage act, unlike Muslims and Christians, whom the Indian constitution formally recognizes as distinct.  Read the WSO press release on this subject. read more ..

The denial of visas to Ragi jathas to visit Canada is causing frustration for Sikhs across Canada. Ragi Jathas, groups who sing Sikh spiritual compositions, are an integral part of the religious services that take place in Gurdwaras across the world.  Normally, Jathas travel from one Gurdwara to another, as they are usually invited by a particular Gurdwara to come and provide their services for a limited period of time.  The WSO has received many complaints from Gurdwaras in Canada that during the past six months many Ragi Jathas have been denied visas without any reasonable explanation. Even more ludicrous is that Canadian immigration officials in India have been reported to have been asking these Sikh religious singers if they are affiliated with Al-Qaeda, thus exhibiting extreme ignorance and/or training on the part of Immigration Canada. The WSO has asked the Canadian Government to issue appropriate directives to stop this unnecessary harassment of religious preachers read more ..

While the political realities have changed considerably since 1861, the century and a half old British Legislation is still in force governing police operations in Punjab. This fact has been pointed out by no lesser body than the Supreme Court. Instead of improving the legislation to safeguard human rights, it appears that the Punjab Government has given greater powers to the state police while they stand accused of gross misuse of public trust and rights of the general public. The WSO has written to the Punjab Chief Minister read more ..

In October 31st 1984 in the wake of the assassination of India’s Prime Minister by her own bodyguards, the Government of India orchestrated a massive program against Sikhs across India, an atrocity so vast in scope that it can only be likened to an ethnic cleansing. Thousands of Sikhs in Delhi and other cities in India were butchered mercilessly, men, women, and children alike. Even the Indian Government’s own admission places the death toll at 3,000, though other independent inquiries have cited far higher figures.  Eye witness accounts have documented how police and members of the Government escorted ravaging mobs to Sikh homes and shrines and providing them with transportation, maps, and kerosene, and how State controlled media was used to manipulate the mobs into a frenzy of killing.  Despite the scale of the massacres and incontrovertible eye witness testimonies and several independent inquiries clearly indicating many of those that were responsible, it is nothing short of tragic that those that were guilty have been given blanket immunity from prosecution.  India may be the world’s largest “democracy”, but it still has a long way to go on the scale of social justice and minority protections. As other organized genocides against minorities in India in the intervening years have demonstrated, until India begins to own up to these atrocities and prosecute those responsible, there is little to guarantee that such atrocities will not be repeated again and again. read more ..

The WSO recently made applications on several counts to the Air India Inquiry Commissioner to broaden the WSO’s role and call witnesses to counter the testimony to one of the Inquiry’s previous witnesses, and provide possible evidence that the Government of India and or its agents may have been linked to Air India tragedy. We are pleased that the Commissioner; former Supreme Court Justice John Major, has agreed to broaden WSO's intervenor status, based on its “demonstrated expertise.  However, we are concerned that the benefit of hearing two key witnesses has been lost for ever. read more ..

CKNW Radio show host fuels xenophobia

Bruce Allen’s diatribe on CKNW Radio against immigrants, and especially against Sikhs who wear turbans and Muslim women who wear burqas project the kind of xenophobic attitudes that would, if given free reign, take Canada back a hundred years. Mr Allen, referring to immigrants who refuse to “integrate” to some fictitious standard set by himself, says “If you don’t like the rules, hit it. We don’t need you here. You have another place to go – it’s called home. See ya.” Mr Allen’s subsequent cosmetic and meager apology does little to assuage the pain that his comments will inflict. The WSO lauds the steps taken by MP Raymond Chan to ask the CRTC to look into Mr Allen’s discriminatory remarks. read more ..

TORONTO, Sept. 26 /CNW/ - Reports that Gian Singh Sandhu of the World Sikh Organization met and advised Lal Singh are categorically false and unconditionally denied by Gian Singh Sandhu read more ..

In the debate over public funding for faith based schools, the issue of equal treatment to all faiths must remain at the fore. The WSO believes that the Governments have a major role to play in this field and must provide a fair and equitable education system in each jurisdiction. Existing education funding programs in the Province of Ontario, Canada support public funding of Catholic schools to ensure that Catholic parents have the right to choose what kind of education their children will have. It is time that parents of other faiths are also given this right. read more ..

Passport Canada has stated that it will issue an apology for denying passports to three Sikh children that were wearing patkas. Earlier, Passport Canada had sent letters to the family of the children saying that the pictures of the children did not meet specifications because the wearing of a "head covering is unacceptable." The WSO had sent a letter to the Minister of External Affairs on behalf of the family requesting that the misunderstanding by Passport Canada be corrected. read more ..

Decade Long Immigration Ban on Singh/Kaur (Jul 2007)

It came to light in July 2007 that there had been a ban on the use of the last names Singh and Kaur preventing people with those lasts names from immigrating to Canada. A spokeperson for Canadian Citizenship and Immigration confirmed that the ban had been in place for a decade. Intervention by the WSO and public opinion forced the Canadian Government to change this discriminatory policy within 48 hours of the time it was first made public by the media. read more ..

Reaction to "Breaking the Silence" in Tehelka.com (Jul 2007)

The Tehelka story repeats a proposition first publicly suggested by authors Zuhair Kashmeri and Brian McAndrew, two Canadian journalists, in their book entitled "Soft Target".. read more ..

Opening Statement of the WSO at the Air India Inquiry (Feb 2007)

"... For the past 22 years, the families of the victims of this tragedy have had no closure to their grief, Mr. Commissioner. This has included the Sikh community, given the large number of Sikhs aboard the plane when it crashed. But, by the same token, the Sikh community has also sat under widespread public suspicion in a process of elimination that to many Sikhs has begun from the premise that all Sikhs are guilty until proven otherwise. In an effort to bring closure to the families of the victims, the WSO has time and again called on the Canadian Government to establish a commission of inquiry into the Air India bombing..." read more