It is very difficult to be a religious minority in any country; especially when one religion is the clear majority and is in charge of the government. Oftentimes, the minority will have to take steps in order to get their voices heard. They may need to figure out ways to have their opinions represented in government. For some groups, this would involve political protests or demonstrations. Some groups would resort to violent riots. It is important to realize, that when people’s important opinions are not being heard, it leads to problems within a country. As Americans, we can easily relate to this. Our nation’s very foundation is based upon a revolution that started when people became tired of not having their voices heard in government. I have decided to take a look at three cases of a minority religion group that is trying to get their voice heard within their respective government. One example comes from England where a new association was formed for Sikh police. Another example discusses India’s important Muslim vote in their upcoming election. Lastly, is an example from Australia where a Sikh man won a discrimination battle in court. All three of these examples demonstrate peaceful ways that minority groups have taken steps towards having their voices heard in their respective governments.
A new organization was recently formed in the United Kingdom. It is called the British Sikh Police Association (BSPA). Its goal is to help “recruit, retain, and progress Sikh staff” in the police force. Sgt Kashmira Singh Mann, the chair of the group, said, “This is an important step towards improving the profile of Sikh officers within the police and giving them an officially recognized voice, but also of improving the police’s understanding of the communities it serves”. This step not only improves the Sikh representation within the British police force, but also helps to promote cohesion within British society. Perhaps, by giving the Sikh official recognition within the police force in Britain, the Sikh community will be less likely to be unruly and disobey the law. Sgt Singh Mann stated that it gives the Sikh officers better position “to strengthen the bridge that already exists between our employer and our community and promote understanding on both sides”.
I think that this is a great step for the Sikh community. It is a great way to promote peace within a community because it is true that people are less likely to act out against their own people because there is a feeling of respect that is more likely to be there. In my opinion it was a brilliant move by the British police force because it is a really practical way to lower crime rates and encourage cooperation and integration. It is literally killing two birds with one stone. The Sikhs are getting the respect and integration that they want and deserve while the British police have the possibility of getting lowered crime rates.
Another important story involving a religious minority trying to impact the government comes from India’s elections. Muslims, comprising of nearly 13% of India’s population, are clearly a minority. In fact, India’s entire social structure, although supposedly now eradicated, is entirely based off of the Hindu faith. And, because Muslims did not participate in the Hindu tradition at all, they were automatically placed in the lowest caste in the social hierarchy of India. Today, Muslims are still struggling to gain representation in the government of India.
This election might just be the place that this representation comes from. With the recent Muslim terrorist attacks that have come in India, the Congress party (the dominant Hindu party in India) has launched a “war on terrorism”. However, this “war on terrorism” has led to the “arrests and alleged extrajudicial killings of Muslim youths”, which have angered the Islamic community. Henceforth, this sense of injustice has led to the formation of multiple new Muslim political parties over the past couple of months. The goal of these new political parties is to create a sense of safety and security in all communities; especially Muslim communities. These political parties view the way that the Indian government is targeting the Muslim youth as not only a major injustice, but also as a security issue that must be addressed by the new government that takes office. There are approximately two dozen Muslim political parties that are participating in this upcoming election, which is up drastically since the last election. The Muslim people in India are strongly searching for their voice to be heard in the government, and what better way is there to do this than go gain physical representation in the government? “Interestingly, even the staunchest supporters of these parties do not believe they are going to win”. Instead, they are merely looking to “erode” the vote of the Congress party and to win a few seats so that they may have some form of representation.
However, the Congress party does not feel that they will lose too much support from the Muslim community, that usually votes in favor of the Congress party. They believe that because the other major political party is even more right wing than they are, the Muslims are forced to vote in their favor.
In all, I think that it is great for the Muslim community in India to stand up for their rights and to become politically active. It is extremely important for people to speak up when they want their voice to be heard and voting for an elected official is a great way to do this. It is peaceful, effective, and is a great example for future generations.
My last example comes from a Sikh man in Australia who won a discrimination battle in the Australian courts. Kanwal Preet Singh Pahwa, a local youth from Canberra, Australia, was refused entry to a nightclub because he was wearing a turban. He sued the nightclub for discrimination and was victorious. “The authorities of the Canberra night club have been directed to change their dress code to allow the entry of visitors who sport a headgear associated with their beliefs and culture”. Kanwal Preet was humiliated because of the incident and, rightfully, put his foot down in the court of law.
I think that it is great that this man not only stood up for his rights, but did so in a court of law. In this way, news agencies, like the one in Australia that this article came from, could share his victory around the world. It is great to see nations moving forward and religious minorities gain their rights.
All three of these articles were great examples of ways that minority religious groups have tried to influence the government.
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