The United Nations approved Sikh plea against Franch ban on turbans



Amritsar, July 1, 2004
Atma Singh

The United Nations has admitted a Sikh petition seeking its intervention over a ban on turbans and other religious emblems in France.

A petitioner Sikh Nation Organisation president Manjit Singh Randhawa told reporters today that his organisation had filed the plea against the French government on March 17 for violation of human rights of personal liberty of schoolchildren by enacting the ''scarf ban law''.

The petition was screened and approved for consideration under 1503 Procedure by the UN Secretary General and the Chairman of UN Working Group on Communication.

  • In the first stage, after admitting the petition, a copy of the compliant was sent to the French government for comments and a summary of it submitted to the Commission on Human Rights and Working Group on Communications.

  • In the second stage, the petition will be examined along with a reply of the French government in August.

  • In the third stage, in February 2005, the Working Group on Situations (of Human Rights Violations) will hold its hearing where the French government would also be required to appear personally and in the fourth and final stage the United Nations' Commission on Human Rights will hold the final hearing to make appropriate recommendations, Mr Randhawa said.