Ottawa – (October 7, 2019) The World Sikh Organization of Canada held its biennial convention on Saturday October 5, 2019 in Ottawa.  WSO delegates from across Canada gathered to discuss current challenges facing Canadian Sikhs and to select Tejinder Singh Sidhu as the next President of the organization. 

Calgary (September 30, 2019):  The World Sikh Organization of Canada welcomes the passing of a Resolution against Quebec’s Bill 21 by Calgary City Council.  The Resolution states, “BE IT RESOLVED that Calgary City Council Oppose Quebec’s Bill 21 and continue to support building a welcoming city where everyone has access to opportunity and prosperity.”

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Montréal (le 15 août 2019) : L’Organisation mondiale des Sikhs du Canada et sa vice-présidente pour le Québec, Mme Amrit Kaur, ont annoncé aujourd’hui qu’ils se joignent à la contestation judiciaire de la Loi sur la laïcité de l’État. En déposant leur acte d’intervention, l’Organisation mondiale des Sikhs du Canada et Mme Kaur demandent à intervenir à titre de parties à l’instance qui avait été introduite par l’Association canadienne des libertés civiles, le Conseil national des musulmans canadiens et Mme Ichrak Nourel Hak.

Ottawa (August 5, 2019):  The World Sikh Organization of Canada is deeply concerned by the Government of India’s revocation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. Article 370 gave the State of Jammu & Kashmir the right to its own constitution and decision-making processes for all matters except defence, communications and foreign affairs.  Article 370 dates back to 1949 when Kashmir agreed to become part of the Indian Union on the condition that it would retain a degree of autonomy.

Ottawa (June 19, 2019):  The World Sikh Organization of Canada is shocked by the silence of Canadian federal leaders over the passing of Bill 21- An Act respecting the laicity of the State by the Coalition Avenir Quebec government banning the wearing of religious symbols.  Bill 21 restricts the wearing of ‘religious symbols’ by public servants in positions of authority such as police officers, judges, prosecutors and also school teachers and principals, among others.  The Government of Quebec has also invoked the notwithstanding clause, allowing it to override freedom of religion protections enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms. 

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Montreal (June 17, 2019):  The World Sikh Organization of Canada is deeply saddened by the passing of Bill 21- An Act respecting the laicity of the State by the Coalition Avenir Quebec government banning the wearing of religious symbols.  The Bill was passed in a rare late-night vote on Sunday after the Government of Quebec invoked closure to prematurely end debate.  The Government of Quebec has also invoked the notwithstanding clause, allowing it to override freedom of religion protections enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms. 

Ottawa (June 3, 2019):  The World Sikh Organization of Canada welcomes the release of the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.  The Report released today, entitled “Reclaiming Power and Place”, makes over 200 recommendations and calls the systemic violence against Indigenous Peoples a genocide and states that “Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people are particularly targeted”.  

Ottawa (May 21, 2019) WSO requests that the Pakistan Government preserve the 104 acres of fields surrounding Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara where Guru Nanak lived and farmed for 19 years.  Since the announcement of the Kartarpur Corridor in November 2018, there has been substantial construction resulting in the stripping of land around the Kartarpur Gurdwara in the name of religious tourism. As of May 1, 2019, a construction work update shows the destruction of all fields and orchards and new construction for a water tank and residential buildings. Plans also include commercial buildings such as hotels and parking lots on the land where Guru Nanak’s fields existed.

Montreal (May 16, 2019):  The World Sikh Organization of Canada has submitted its legal brief on Quebec’s Bill 21, "An Act respecting the laicity of the State", to the Quebec National Assembly’s Committee of Institutions.  The Bill would ban the wearing of “religious symbols” for government employees in positions of authority such as judges, police officers, jail guards, teachers, principals and others. 

Earlier this week, WSO’s Vice President for Quebec, Amrit Kaur also testified before the Coalition Inclusion Québec’s ‘People’s Hearings’ for community groups who were excluded by the Quebec Government from hearings on Bill 21.

Ottawa (May 3, 2019):  World Sikh Organization of Canada President, Mukhbir Singh testified yesterday before the House of Commons Justice Committee on the issue of online hate.   The WSO called on the government to play its role in countering the proliferation of online hate.

Following a sharp rise in police-reported hate crimes between 2016 and 2017 many organizations, including the World Sikh Organization of Canada had called on the Government of Canada to create a strategy to counter online hatred. 

In his testimony on Thursday, Mukhbir Singh acknowledged that “unfortunately, instances of hatred and violence are not new for the Sikh community… minority status combined with an outward identity which is intended to stand out has often made Sikhs a target by those motivated by hate and intolerance.”