NEW YORK—A petition created on the US White House website called “Demand The Release of Supreme Religious Leader of Sikhism, Jathedar Jagtar Singh Hawara, Head of Sri Akal Takht” crossed 100,000 signatures. At this threshold, the White House has to commit to a response.
The response came today in a form letter written by the “We the People” petition website team. It seems the issue was not taken to the President or the State Department. Sikhs worldwide have signed the petition over concerns of torture in police custody for their supreme religious leader.
Ever since being appointed the supreme leader of the Sikhs globally, Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara (Jathedar, Sri Akal Takht Sahib), is being kept isolated from meeting his supporters, along with family members. The Indian Government has even barred him from attending his court sessions, requiring him to attend to such hearings through video conferencing.
In addition, due to a prolonged history of torture, Jathedar Hawara faces severe issues with his health. Despite there being a compelling need to provide him medical assistance, he is not being allowed treatment.
The White House team said that “The President has made clear that our nation’s deep respect for religious liberty and pluralism must not stop at our shores.”
A quote from US President Barrack Obama was provided from when he met with Indian PM Narendra Modi, a known genocide mastermind who was once banned from entering some western countries –
“In both our countries, in India and in America, our diversity is our strength. And we have to guard against any efforts to divide ourselves along sectarian lines or any other lines. And if we do that well, if America shows itself as an example of its diversity and yet the capacity to live together and work together in common effort, in common purpose; if India, as massive as it is, with so much diversity, so many differences is able to continually affirm its democracy, that is an example for every other country on Earth” said Obama.
The White house team continued “The United States remains committed to coordinating with governments around the world to promote religious freedom for all citizens.”
As to why they cannot move forward with this petition, the White House deferred to the criminally corrupt India Police, known for acts of brutal murder and terrorism, “we cannot comment here on the specific foreign criminal justice matter raised in your petition.”
At this point, it is important to note that supporters of the petition can submit their feedback to “We the People” petition website by going to the petition link, or by clicking here. It is important to relay that a lot of effort is put into raising issues pertaining to the Sikhs with the US Government, however, similar to the situation in India, Sikhs have not received any attention to their matters.
We need to have a strong American lobby to defend our interest and safeguard our community.
We Need KHALISTAN
Deeply depressing that the United States – once the shining beacon of moral values in the democratic world – has fallen into the self interested trap that all Empires eventually succumb to. In America this probably started when they made that fateful compromise of Operation Paperclip at the end of the Second World War when instead of mercilessly prosecuting all Nazis they decided to pick and choose offering amnesty and safe harbour to those Nazi scientists who could add value to their military. Werner Von Braun the prime example, a Nazi rocket scientist who created the V1 and V2 rockets that killed hundreds of innocent British civilians was given US patronage and effectively forgiven of his sins in order to further the American rocket programme which was deemed necessary to cope with the existential communist threat. I feel desperately sorry for the entire world as the US as a country and force for good was the last best hope for morality in the world to be the political policy for all others to emulate. Now they will talk of high values but remain silent when other countries (Yes, India I am looking at you) compromise those values and shrug it off as Realpolitik. This is why religious values must be adhered to and defended (such as the principle of Miri Piri) and not ‘amended to keep up with modern day moraes’ as the likes of Badal’s nephew would have it or indeed the SGPC who wish to repudiate the position of the Panj Pyare. I hope and pray the US has the strength to rediscover its idealistic promise as the world needs a superpower for good.