UNITED SIKHS ENDORSES RIGHT TO WORSHIP ACT, DEFENDS FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND SPEECH

Face2News/Chandigarh / Washington, D.C.

UNITED SIKHS supports the bipartisan Right to Worship Act (H.R. 10052), introduced by Congressman Tom Suozzi (D‑NY) and Congressman Brad Knott (R‑NC). The legislation establishes a 100‑foot buffer zone around houses of worship during services, ensuring worshippers can enter and participate free from harassment or intimidation.

Speaking at the Capitol Hill press conference, Gurvinder Singh, UNITED SIKHS International Humanitarian Aid Director, emphasized the Act’s dual protections. This is vital as many Sikhs escaped persecution post the 1984 Sikh Genocide in India and being able to dissent, protest and disagree are fundamental protections which attracted so many to seek America’s shores.

UNITED SIKHS International Humanitarian Aid Director, Gurvinder Singh has this to say: “Protecting the freedom to worship should not come at the expense of the freedom to speak, protest, and express disagreement. But a strong civil rights framework must protect both, and that is exactly what the Right to Worship Act does, because it balances both those fundamental aspects in our First Amendment.”

Gurvinder Singh also recalled the tragic 2012 Oak Creek Gurdwara attack, underscoring the urgent need for defined protections saying: “Sikh Americans should be able to enter gurdwaras without hindrance, as should my brothers and sisters entering churches, synagogues, and mosques. At the same time, those who choose to protest peacefully must also be protected. This Act ensures both freedoms are respected equally.” His remarks highlighted the fine line between criticism and intimidation, and the importance of legislation that draws clear boundaries to protect communities from violence and harassment.

UNITED SIKHS joins a broad interfaith coalition of more than 30 national organizations in supporting the bill. For Sikh gurdwaras, synagogues, mosques, churches, and temples across the nation, the Act provides meaningful safeguards at a time when incidents of religiously motivated hostility continue to rise.

This united effort reflects a shared commitment to protecting worshippers while affirming the principles of the First Amendment. By defending both the right to worship and the right to protest peacefully, the Right to Worship Act strengthens America’s civil rights framework and ensures that freedom of faith and freedom of speech remain inseparable pillars of democracy.