Victory in Community (some good news)

[Guest guest]

Sikh Woman in Alaska Finally Issued Passport with Turban Intact

 

After initially being denied a passport because she was wearing a turban in her

photo, SMART recently assisted a Sikh woman in obtaining her passport with her

turban intact. The woman, who requested an expedited passport for extended

travel abroad, initially received a letter from the passport office in Seattle,

WA stating that her photograph did not conform to State Department guidelines

for head-coverings. Upon learning of the refusal, SMART contacted officials at

the State Department and the Sikh woman was issued a passport before her

scheduled trip.

 

This woman is an old friend and a member of the Anchorage Sangat, of which Ek

Ong Kar and Savitri are formerly from. Her name is Hari Atma Kaur and she had

contacted me about her problem. I then showed this to Sat Hanuman Singh who

immediately passed it onto SMART ( http://www.sikhmediawatch.org ).

This is a great example of how we can help each other.

 

SMART serves on an inter-agency working group which meets regularly with

officials from the State Department, FBI, Department of Homeland Security and

other federal agencies to address such issues. SMART is working with the State

Department to inform and possibly train its field office personnel about

passport guidelines which allow religiously-mandated head-coverings. If you or

someone else you know has experienced a similar problem, please contact SMART at

info or call 202-393-2700.