A Sikh and an interfaith group are asking a North Carolina mission, which turned away a Sikh donor wearing a turban, to change its no-hats policy to accommodate religious headgear.

Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance in Washington, sent a letter this week to Jeff Holm, chairman of the board of the Union Mission in Roanoke Rapids, to express his “deep concern” related to the treatment of Gurnam Singh Khera when he attempted to make a donation.

In his letter, Gaddy said: “We strongly urge you to change your policies to allow all people to support your worthy organization and helping individuals in great need.”

On Nov. 18, Reverend Ron Weeks, executive director of the mission, refused to let Gurnam Singh enter the building because he would not remove his religiously mandated turban. He and his wife, Gwendolyn, had gone there to donate $200 and to apply for their children to volunteer there during the holidays, Gurnam Singh said.

The mission’s receptionist first stopped him, saying: “This is the United States, you have to take that turban off,” Gurnam Singh said. Then Weeks came and stood near the front door. The mission has a no-hats policy, he said. No exceptions. He refused Gurnam Sigh’s donation for the mission, which feeds and houses the needy, and showed him the door.

“He was very rude for a reverend,” Gwendolyn said. “And the receptionist would not talk to him (her husband), or even look at him.”

Weeks, who had given several interviews to other print and broadcast news media, refused to comment.

Just down the road from Union Mission, Rick Rogers, the reverend at the Roanoke Baptist Church, said he has known Weeks for a long time and thought highly of him. But did not understand the significance of the no-hats policy.

“If someone had shown up here with a turban, I don’t think there would have been a problem,” Rogers said. His church does not have a no-hats policy.

The Sikh community seemed particularly irked by Weeks’ actions, enough to send a volume of email to him, said Rajdeep Singh Jolly, legal director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a Washington-based advocacy group.

SALDEF is crafting a letter with other faith-based organizations, asking Weeks to change his policy and also to apologize to the Sikh community for his “religious discrimination,” he said.

Gurnam Singh has since approached the social services department, which recommended that he donate his money to foster kids, he said. He and his wife will provide all the food for 34 foster kids and their families during their annual holiday party later this month. And Gwendolyn will volunteer to take two senior citizens for holiday shopping.


Note: Image: courtesy wral.com

By Anju Kaur
Sikh News Network staff journalist
anjukaur@sikhnn.com