SKILLMAN, N.J. (September 28, 2016) - Jill Ruitenberg, President & CEO of Ruitenberg Lind Design Group of Cranbury, recently hosted a fundraiser for the National Sikh American Discrimination and Hate Crimes Survey at her Skillman home. The survey is coordinated by Dr. Jaideep Singh, the noted historian and co-founder of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF).
"Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks 15 years ago, the lives of Sikhs have not been the same," Ruitenberg said. "When people see a person wearing a turban they often feel afraid and think about terrorism. The fact is that none of the 9/11 terrorists were wearing any type of head covering. They were from the Middle East. People who are Sikh wear turbans and they are mostly from South Asia (India). Their turbans are worn to represent their commitment to equality and justice for all. How awful is it that the first victim of a revenge killing after the 9/11 attacks was a loving, hard-working Sikh American man wearing a turban? His name was Balbir Singh Sodhi."
Dr. Jaideep Singh, who is in the last stages of the survey project, said many members of his community don't realize the avenues available to them to report verbal or physical attacks. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) did not begin tracking hate crimes against Sikhs until 2015 and is expected to release its first report later this year.
In 2012, Fortis Healthcare CEO Bhavdeep Singh, a long-time friend of her husband, Paul, introduced Ruitenberg to Sikhism. "When I first began to learn about the Sikh culture, I was surprised by the amount of bullying, discrimination, profiling and violent hate crimes against Sikhs," she said. "I was bullied daily in school so I have an idea of how they feel. Over the years, I advocated for Sikh awareness, and, in 2015, Bhavdeep invited me to join his family at the Glen Rock Gurdwara where I fell in love with the religion. I attend the Sikh Sabha of New Jersey in Lawrenceville almost every Sunday and have found family and community there. I hope to officially adopt the Sikh religion in India in February."
Sikhism is the fifth largest religion with more than 25 million followers worldwide. Sikhs came to the U.S. about 125 years ago and there are about 700,000 Sikh Americans. Sikhism is a distinct religion completely separate from Hinduism and Islam. Sikhs believe in one God, equality of men and women, freedom of religion and community service.
Singh's survey is a scholarly snapshot of 500 Sikhs in the Seattle, Wash. area that will be published upon completion. The goal of the project is to:
- Collect data: Reliable documentation of everyday discrimination will allow Sikhs to access government resources;
- Preserve Sikh history for future generations to record Sikh successes, failures, and challenges;
- Prevent bias and hate violence: With data to highlight the widespread nature of the problem for politicians, educators, and law enforcement, Sikhs can direct resources to the root of the problem; and
- Develop a culture of reporting all discrimination and hate violence to avoid incidents of escalation.
Those interested in supporting the survey should email Singh at jaideep@saldef.org.
Gurv Shergill, President of the Sikh Officers Association (SOA), also participated in the recent event. Shergill is a police officer in Queens, N.Y. who has been advocating for Sikh police officers nationally to be allowed to wear a turban and beard. About 99 percent of people who wear turbans are Sikhs. Ruitenberg, who has a B.S. Degree in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, is SOA's New Jersey Community Trustee and a lifetime member of the Sikh American Chamber of Commerce (SACC).
About Ruitenberg Lind Design Group (RLDG)
RLDG specializes in the planning, design, fabrication, and installation of professional environments for supermarkets, specialty retailers, restaurants, hotels, schools and health care facilities. Ruitenberg supports many community charitable organizations, including Eden Autism, Douglass Organization for Occupational and Related Educational Services (DOORS) and the Sikhs of New York. For more information, please visit www.beststoredesign.com or call (732) 474-1000.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Pictured (from left) are Gurv Shergill, President of the Sikh Officers Association; Jill Ruitenberg, President & CEO of Ruitenberg Lind Design Group; and Dr. Jaideep Singh, co-founder of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, during a fundraiser for the National Sikh American Discrimination and Hate Crimes Survey.