(Dallas, TX) March 25, 2009 - A Sikh father was able to secure an apology and corrective action after being told that his son would have to remove his turban if he wanted to have his passport photograph taken.
The incident occurred at a post office in Frisco, Texas last week. The boy's father Darshan Singh partnered with the Sikh Coalition to successfully address the matter.
What Happened
On March 17 Darshan Singh waited for more than 90 minutes with his wife, three year old son and six year old son to have a passport photograph taken at the post office in Frisco, Texas. When his family reached the front of the line, a post office clerk said Darshan Singh's son, Gurjot, would have to take off his turban.
Darshan Singh explained that Gurjot's turban is required to remain on his head by his Sikh religion. He also showed the clerk his own passport photograph and drivers license to demonstrate that a Sikh could maintain their turban for a passport photograph.
The clerk continued to insist that Gurjot remove his turban for his passport photo. Darshan Singh and his family left the post office without a passport photograph for his son.
Photo Right: Darshan Singh and his son Gurjot
(photo courtesy Dallas Morning News)
The Requirement of Providing a Letter Stating Your Headdress is Religious
Darshan Singh contacted the Coalition via electronic mail about his experience at the Frisco post office that night. The Coalition's Executive Director and Legal Director informed Darshan Singh that according to the U.S. State Department anyone who wants to wear religious headdress in a U.S. passport photograph must provide a letter stating that their headdress is religious in nature.
The next day Darshan Singh visited the post office in Plano, Texas. He took along a template letter provided to him by the Coalition stating that his son's turban is religious in nature. Post office employees in Plano gladly accepted his son's passport application.
Darshan Singh Works to Address Root Causes
Rather than ending the matter once his son's passport application was accepted, Darshan Singh went back to the Frisco post office the next day to explain that his son was not required to remove his turban for a passport photograph.
The manager of the Frisco post office nevertheless still told Darshan Singh that his post office would not accept a passport application in which anyone was wearing a turban. He also said that the Plano office should not have accepted Gurjot's application.
Darshan Singh remained persistent. He reached out to the Dallas Morning News who contacted State Department officials. By last Friday, Darshan Singh received a call from a State Department official apologizing. The official also said that over 300 post offices in the region would receive a memorandum making clear that religious headdress can be worn in passport photographs as long as a letter stating the turban is religious in nature accompanies a passport application.
Yesterday Gurjot Singh also received an electronic mail from a State Department official that said:
"The acceptance agent was not following proper procedures when he refused to accept the application for your son. Your son has the right to wear his turban for religious purposes. You only had to provide a statement stating as such. I have spoken with... the Frisco Post Office and advised.... of proper procedures."
The Coalition commends Darshan Singh for his initiative in addressing the root cause of this matter!
Please remember that you do have the right to wear your Dastaar in your United States passport photograph. However you must provide a letter stating that your Dastaar is religious in nature.
As always, the Sikh Coalition urges all Sikhs to practice their faith fearlessly. If someone tell you to remove your articles of faith, please report the incident.