~Sign the Petition~
http://www.sikhcoalition.org/petition_florida.asp

Background on the campaign: http://www.sikhcoalition.org/petition_florida_details.asp

March 31, 2006

Governor Jeb Bush
The Capitol
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399

Re: Petition
Dear Governor Bush:

We are writing to you because we are concerned that a Sikh prisoner
may soon have to submit to procedures in the Florida state prison
system that will result in the forcible cutting of his hair and
removal of his turban, the gravest violations of Sikh faith and
praxis. The prisoner, Satnam Singh, is scheduled to be transferred
from the Federal Bureau of Prisons system to a Florida state prison
after April 9, 2006.

Since time is of the essence, we request your immediate attention to
this matter so that Mr. Singh's religious faith is not violated and
the prison system's conduct does not violate Mr. Singh's most
significant religious beliefs. Any cutting of Mr. Singh's hair or
removal of his turban will likely cause great anguish within the 25
million members of the Sikh community worldwide and 500,000 Sikhs in
the United States.

As you may be aware, maintaining unshorn hair (including facial hair)
and wearing a turban are central tenets of the Sikh faith. Sikhs wear
an external uniform to unify and bind themselves to the beliefs of
their religion and to remind themselves of their commitment to Sikh
teachings at all times. Unlike some faiths where only the clergy are
in uniform, all Sikhs are required to wear external articles of faith,
such as uncut hair (kesh) and a turban (dastār) to cover their hair.
These articles of faith have deep spiritual significance.

Maintaining uncut hair and wearing a turban are an especially
important part of the Sikh way of life. The Sikh Code of Conduct,
called the Rahit Maryādā, outlines the requirements for practicing the
Sikh way of life. All Sikhs must follow the guidelines set forth in
this document. The Rahit Maryādā explicitly instructs that if you are
a Sikh, you must "have, on your person, all the time…the keshas
(unshorn hair)." It also states that "[f]or a Sikh, there is no
restriction or requirement as to dress except that he must wear… [a]
turban." This document prohibits the removal of hair from the body as
one of four major taboos; the other taboos on this list include
adultery. The fact that cutting one's hair is a moral transgression
just as serious as committing adultery speaks to the immense
significance of uncut hair in Sikhism.

Historically, uncut hair has been the most central feature of the Sikh
identity. For example, in the 18th century, when Sikhs in South Asia
were persecuted and forced to convert from their religion; the method
of forcing conversions was cutting off a Sikh's hair. As a result, the
forcible cutting of the hair is perceived as the most humiliating and
hurtful physical injury that can be inflicted upon a Sikh. Everyday
during prayers, Sikhs remember those martyrs of faith who sacrificed
their lives rather than giving up their uncut hair and turbans. Mr.
Singh's need to keep his hair unshorn must be understood in this
context.

We are distressed to learn that Florida state prison regulations,
unlike the regulations of other states, requires prisoners to cut
their hair, and allows prison officials to forcibly cut their hair if
they refuse to do so. Chapter 33-602.101(4) of the Florida
Administrative Code states that "[m]ale inmates shall have their hair
cut short to medium uniform length at all times…." The section also
states that "[a]ll inmates shall be clean shaven, provided, however
that an exemption from this requirement shall be granted on the basis
of a medial diagnosis…." If an inmate refuses to adhere to these
grooming standards, even for faith-based reasons, the officer in
charge "shall direct staff to shave the inmate or cut the inmate's
hair" according the Chapter 602.101(5).

At present the New York State prison system allows prisoners to
maintain long hair, wear religiously-mandated beards, and wear
religious head garb. In a letter dated May 25, 2005 from the New York
State Department of Corrections to a Sikh organization, a New York
State prison makes clear that prisoners in New York State may keep
their hair unshorn and wear turbans. If the safety of prisons in New
York can be maintained while allowing Sikhs to practice their faith,
we are at a loss to understand how the safety of prisons in Florida
would be compromised by the same practices. We would imagine that the
safety interests in both states' prison settings are the same or
similar.

In addition, in California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
recently held that the state prison system could not force a Native
American inmate to cut his hair without violating the federal
Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). In
Warsoldier v. Woodford, Case No.: 04-55879, DC No. CV-04-02233-RSWL
(July 2005), the court held that California's Department of
Corrections had "utterly failed to demonstrate that the disputed
grooming policy" was "the least restrictive means necessary to ensure
prison safety and security." As a result of the Warsoldier decision
and other similar cases, the California Department of Corrections has
issued proposed regulations that would allow prisoners to maintain
their hair long for religious reasons.

We would like to request that you ensure that Satnam Singh does not
suffer the utter humiliation of having his hair forcibly cut. It would
be grave blow to religious faith and practice in the United States.
Having one's hair forcibly cut is worse than death for a Sikh. We ask
that you direct the Department of Corrections to review this matter
immediately and revise its policy so Mr. Singh's hair is not cut.

We thank you for your immediate consideration of this matter.

Sincerely,

The Sikh Coalition, undersigned co-sponsors and concerned citizens worldwide

Cc:
James McDonough, Secretary Department of Corrections
Dr. Laura Bedard, Deputy Secretary of Corrections

~Sign the Petition~
http://www.sikhcoalition.org/petition_florida.asp