Source: The San Antonio Express-News

Source: The New York Times

Source: BBC News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3483409.stm

On February 13, 2004 the BBC News reported, "The French Government says it will find a 'solution' for Sikhs who are angry at a proposed ban on turbans and other religious symbols in state schools. Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin made his remarks in India, where he has faced opposition over the issue. 'I am sure we are going to find a solution that will be satisfactory for the Sikh community in...

Source: ChannelNewsAsia.com

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/70501/1/.html

On February 11, 2004 ChannelNewsAsia.com reported, "The turban worn by male Sikh followers is one of the important symbols of their religion. And putting it on, does require certain skills. So one man has started special classes to teach these skills to the younger generation. Tying a six-metre piece of cloth on one's head definitely needs training and...

Source: The Hindustan Times

http://www.hindustantimes.com/2004/Feb/10/181_567629,00050001.htm

On February 10, 2004 The Hindustan Times reported that "Senator John Kerry, who had raised the hackles of the Sikhs with a remark that was seen to equate the community with terrorism, has issued an apology and set the record straight. The apology by Kerry, the Democratic front-runner in the US presidential race, came just when the issue was threatening to...

Source: The Straits Times

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/world/story/0,4386,234248,00.html

On February 9, 2004 The Straits Times ran an Agence France Presse article that reported, "Perth's ethnic communities say worsening racial violence in which three Chinese restaurants were firebombed last week has led to fearful parents in Asia stopping their children from travelling to the city...Mr [Suresh] Rajan, [chairman of the Ethnic Communities Council...

Source: The Oswego Daily News

Source: Sikh Coalition

Source: The Indian Express

http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=28060

On February 6, 2004 The Indian Express reported, "For the first time, in a product initiative aimed at any religious community, [Swiss knife-maker] Victorinox is planning to have a world launch of a range of Khalsa merchandise, including kirpans, on the eve of Baisakhi on April 13. Victorinox has also jumped onto the bandwagon of India’s ‘feel good’ campaigners with...

Source: Hindustan Times

http://www.hindustantimes.com/2004/Feb/06/181_562482,00050001.htm

On February 6, 2004 Hindustan Times reported, "Sikh organisations in the US have taken strong exception to reported remarks of current democratic frontrunner in the US presidential race Senator John Kerry, for what they called, "singling out adherents of Sikh religion as terrorists" and demanded an apology from him. The Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART...

Source: Hindustan Times

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_561918,00050003.htm

On February 5, 2004 the Hindustan Times reported, "A major controversy erupted after UNICEF's UK branch printed a diary ignoring Hindu and Sikh religious festivals while listing religious festivals from Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Buddhism. The diary which contains 25 days associated with Christianity, three days linked to Islam, two days for Judaism and one day for Buddhism...

Source: The Times of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/475954.cms

On February 5, 2004 The Times of India reported, "Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gurcharan Singh Tohra has made an appeal to United Nations (UN) secretary general Kofi A Annan to issue an advisory note to all countries, especially France, to treat Sikhs as religious and cultural minority and to give them all facilities guaranteed under the UN declarations...

Source: The Sikh Coalition

http://www.sikhcoalition.org/HondaEhlers.asp

On February 4, 2004 The Sikh Coalition reported that Congressmen Mike Honda (D-CA) and Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) sent a memo to members of Congress and urged them to sign onto a letter to the French Government. This letter expresses concern over the French ban of articles of faith in schools. The letter reads, in part: "On February 10, 2004, the French Parliament will vote on legislation to restrict religious...

Source: The Christian Science Monitor

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0202/p01s02-woeu.html

On February 2, 2004 The Christian Science Monitor reported, "[T]he Sikhs of France are...launching a last-ditch defense of their distinctive turbans in the face of a proposed French law banning conspicuous religious symbols that threatens to keep their boys out of school. In doing so, they are asking the French state to reconsider fundamental elements of what it means by national...