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We are not protected: U.K. Sikhs

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: Britain's Sikh community has complained that the Government has not done enough to protect it from race-related hate crimes in the wake of 9/11 and 7/7 terror attacks.

In a statement, the Sikh Federation said the threat to the Sikh identity and the community's religious institutions had not been ``adequately acknowledged and tackled.''

``In recent years, the visible Sikh identity has been increasingly challenged and threatened in the U.K. and other parts of the EU,'' said the statement issued to mark the start of the National Sikh Convention in Wolverhampton on Sunday.

Highlighting the ``discrimination'' facing the Sikhs in Britain and other parts of Europe, it said: ``The U.K. Government has not done enough to represent the rights of Sikhs to practise their faith, whether it is in the context of France, Belgium or EU regulations imposed on the U.K. against its wishes. Also, increased security concerns since 9/11 have unfairly affected Sikhs in many walks of life, from security cleared airport workers to members of the public trying to obtain public services in government buildings.''

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We are not protected: U.K. Sikhs

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