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"I'm just pleased that it is all over and I'm looking forward to returning to work to see how GMP accommodates me,” Singh said. |
CAIRO – A British tribunal has ordered the police to pay £10,000 in damages to a Sikh policeman for discrimination over orders to remove his turban, the Mirror reported Saturday, October 3.
"It's a landmark decision for Sikhs in the police,” said solicitor Jag Brar.
Police Constable Gurmeal Singh was ordered by Greater Manchester Police to remove his turban during a riot training last year.
But the Sikh policeman refused to swap his religious headwear with a helmet, suing the police for racial and religious discrimination.
The tribunal awarded the Sikh policeman £6,500 for harassment and £3,500 for indirect discrimination. He was also awarded £1,914.15 for loss of earnings.
Sikh officers in Britain are exempt from a legal obligation to wear crash helmets because of their religion's requirement to wear a turban.
Sikhs are typically obliged to wear five symbols at all times, including turbans and no hair cut (for adult males) and iron bracelet; Kara (for women).
According to Sikhism, such symbols are worn for identification and representation of the ideals of Sikhism.
Britain is home to the largest community of Sikhs outside India with about 750,000 devotees.
Accommodating
The Sikh policeman said that he hopes the British police would accommodate the Sikh religious rituals.
"I'm just pleased that it is all over and I'm looking forward to returning to work to see how GMP accommodates me,” he said.
"I joined with the intention of exploring all roles within GMP and wanted to take the decision to explore all roles."
There are 2,000 Sikhs serving in the British police.
The ruling drew welcome as the first step for the British police to accommodate with religious minorities.
"This is a case of great significance for the GMP and there are lessons to be learnt in terms of how we value diversity in practice," said Charles Crichlow, of the Black and Asian Police Association.
The lawsuit is not the first such case in Britain.
Last year, a British Sikh girl won a legal battle against her school with the court ruling that her bracelet is a religious symbol that can not be banned.
An earlier battle was fought in 2005 by the UK United Sikh organization and the London-based Assembly for the Protection of Hijab seeking a European Parliament resolution against banning religious symbols.
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