SMART Responding to Bharati Mukherjee’s Comments a

[Guest learner singh]

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http://www.sikhmediawatch.org/press/pressd....asp?pressid=40

SMART Responding to Bharati Mukherjee’s Comments about Sikhs, Terrorism

5/5/2003

Contact: Preetmohan Singh (202-393-2700 / info@sikhmediawatch.org)

Sikhs Equated with Al Qaeda ‘Terrorist Cells’ in Recent Interview on PBS

Washington, DC – In response to this weekend’s episode of a PBS program linking Sikhs to Al Qaeda terrorist cells, the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART) has begun addressing misrepresentations resulting from an interview with prominent Indian American novelist, Bharati Mukherjee.

During this weekend’s broadcast of the program, “NOW with Bill Moyers,” Mukherjee stated that individuals responsible for the June, 1985 Air India bombing were “…people of Sikh religion, who used militant tactics, terrorist tactics, in order to establish in Punjab, the state of Punjab in India, religious theocratic state for the pure Sikhs, the re-baptized Sikhs.” Furthermore, she states, “Khalistanis…were able to, in temples, Gurdwaras, or later on with 9/11, I realized, in mosques, do fundraising at an enormous scale. Terrifying scale.”

SMART has contacted the producers of “NOW with Bill Moyers” to address these and other potentially damaging statements in a comprehensive and visible manner.

Therefore, at this time, we urge the community to follow this issue through our web site at www.sikhmmediawatch.org. If the program producers fail to meet our request, SMART will engage the communi

ty through an action alert in the near future. However, if you do write to the producers of NOW and/or Bharati Mukherjee, please send SMART a copy for our records.

The transcript of Ms. Mukherjee's interview, is available at: http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcri..._mukherjee.html

To view a partial list of SMART’s previous Media Watch efforts, click here: http://www.sikhmediawatch.org/mediawatch/media.asp

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About SMART:

SMART, founded in 1996, is the oldest national Sikh American advocacy group. Its mission is to protect the rights of Sikh Americans through legislative advocacy, public education, legal assistance and ensuring accurate portrayal of the Sikh religion.

Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART)

1331 H Street, NW, 11th Floor

Washington, DC 20005

Tel : 202-393-2700 / 877-91-SIKHS

Fax : 202-318-4433

Email : info@sikhmediawatch.org

Web : http://www.sikhmediawatch.org

[Deep Singh]

I think we should send a sanjah pattar (common letter) from sikhsangat.com to Bharati Mukherjee....perhaps with Waheguroo Network in it...and have the signatures of 100 + sikhs youth, SO THESE GUYS KNOW WHAT SIKHS YOUTH THINKS about this.....

what do you guys think???

Vicky Bhaji...and other Singhs?

[S1ngh]

I still can't believe the fact that she is a prof. from UC berkeley.. the Skool which is famous for peace seeker hippies.. but this lady is full of hatred against sikh community.

Writing sangat's views and collecting signature is a very good idea.. This lady already done enuf damage by just few mins of her interview with PBS.. Now What sangat can do? One write the letter to the dean of her department.. (Literature/english Dept.) saying that how one of his/her prof. offended large number of sikh population. OR WE can write the letter to the PBS station... telling them that whatever she siad is not accurate information and it lead hatred against peace loving sikh community.. Letter to Dean is the great idea, if you want to know my opinion..

Stay in Chardi Kala

[ms514]

Sat Sri Akal:

Three words:

SUE, SUE, SUE!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Son of Guru Gobind Singh Ji]

Sat Sri Akal:

Three words:

SUE, SUE, SUE!!!!!!!!!!!!

For some reason we never think about that eh!

[S1ngh]

PBS Producer Recognizes Error in Bharati Mukherjee’s Comments Encouraged by Response, SMART Pushes for Sikh Speaker

Washington, DC – The producers of a PBS program recently acknowledged the egregious error of novelist Bharati Mukherjee’s comments linking Sikhs to the 9/11 terrorists. Following demands by the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), a national Sikh civil rights organization, the web site of the “NOW with Bill Moyers” show displays a clarification regretting the false assertion made by Ms. Mukherjee.

During the May 2 broadcast of the PBS program, Ms. Mukherjee stated that terrorists were “…people of Sikh religion, who used militant tactics, terrorist tactics, in order to establish in Punjab, the state of Punjab in India, religious theocratic state for the pure Sikhs, the re-baptized Sikhs.” She also said, “Khalistanis…were able to, in temples, Gurdwaras, or later on with 9/11, I realized, in mosques, do fundraising at an enormous scale. Terrifying scale.”

In a letter to SMART, program host and producer Bill Moyers recognized the mistake, stating that an error “unfortunately created the impression that Bharati Mukherjee was implying members of the Sikh religion were involved in the terrorism of September 11th.”

The clarification posted on the show’s web site reads:

“Note: It has come to NOW's attention that an editing error in our interview with Ms. Mukherjee has resulted in some misunderstanding and confusion. A statement edited inaccurately in NOW's interview with Ms. Mukherjee implies that she believes that Sikhs were involved in fundraising activities in support of the terrorism activ

ities of 9/11. This statement is not only untrue, but it is not one that Ms. Mukherjee made or meant to suggest. NOW regrets this error and has corrected it in the transcript below.”

While SMART is encouraged by this statement, it continues to push for a Sikh speaker on the program to further clarify the public record. SMART’s follow-up letter to Mr. Moyers reads, in part, “Ms. Mukherjee has made several baseless assertions that portray the Sikh religion and its adherents in a false light. We hope our concerns and this debate will receive a free and open hearing on public television, and will not be relegated to the exchange of private letters.”

Read SMART’s follow-up letter to Bill Moyers at:

http://www.sikhmediawatch.org/mediawatch/m...asp?mediaid=10)

SMART will continue to keep the community informed about this issue.

To view SMART’s previous Community Advisory on this issue, click here: http://www.sikhmediawatch.org/press/pressd....asp?pressid=33

See SMART’s first letter to Bill Moyers at: http://www.sikhmediawatch.org/mediawatch/m...l.asp?mediaid=9

A Transcript of the interview is available at: http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcri..._mukherjee.html

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[GABROO KHALISTAN DAH]

sue is the rite thing 2 do, why can't smart or some toher sikh org sue the <admin-cut> for her panties

[Guest learner singh]

Get together and sue her for this foolishness and then let her apologies publically and then it should be published in all major news papers.

[me moorakh mugadh]

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

dont sue her, poke her a BIG SUEE IN her arm ,not else where shell be allrite and gabroojee will do this sewa for us :D kui gabroo bhai.lol

[GABROO KHALISTAN DAH]

lol khalsa

she has apologized already so i thin its cool