INDIANAPOLIS (BALBIR SINGH)
SikhsMEDIA on Tuesday released trailer for their first short film SINGH, directed by 18-year-old Jenna Ruiz. The short film is based on a true incident from 2007. Indian-born American Sikh Gurinder Singh Khalsa was denied from boarding a flight because he refused to remove his turban after successfully passing through each security measure at the airport. In this short film, Gurinder is made to choose between his religious beliefs and his flight to see his mother in her last days.The year following the incident in 2007, Gurinder Singh "Khalsa" worked tirelessly to get petitions signed, presented the issue to Congress, and fought for a change in regulations to require reasonable accommodation of religion and articles of faith throughout the national security system and society.
"I took this stand for all those who believe in religious liberty and freedom of faith," Gurinder Singh, who originally hails from Ambala (Haryana, India) said. "Incidents like this one happens for the greater good, where misunderstandings occur between people of different backgrounds and faith, strengthen our society."
The year following the incident in 2007, Gurinder Singh "Khalsa" worked tirelessly to get petitions signed, presented the issue to Congress, and fought for a change in regulations to require reasonable accommodation of religion and articles of faith throughout the national security system and society.
"I took this stand for all those who believe in religious liberty and freedom of faith," Gurinder Singh, who originally hails from Ambala (Haryana, India) said. "Incidents like this one happens for the greater good, where misunderstandings occur between people of different backgrounds and faith, strengthen our society."
These efforts were recently acknowledged by the Indiana Minority Business Magazine who conferred the 2019 Rosa Parks Trailblazer Award for his actions in 2007 that resulted in the TSA Headgear Policy being changed to accommodate those with turbans and reinforce our American right to freedom of religion.
SINGH was written and directed by a young and talented local filmmaker, Jenna Ruiz, who was insured by this true incident. This is her directorial debut. "It is an honor to be able to showcase a moment in history that led to change in our TSA Policy regarding the removal of headgear. However, it's more than that; it's one man's real-life story that will shed light on the true vulnerability and fear that comes with being racially profiled – this film will allow viewers to experience firsthand what it is like to be made to choose between religious beliefs and everyday life," said Jenna Ruiz. SINGH was filmed at the Indianapolis International Airport and is slated to be released March 2019.