Tag Archives: turban

Sikh riders seek religious freedom

Sikhs are seeking an exemption from wearing motorcycle helmets on up to 500cc bikes on local 50/60km/h streets through a submission to the Religious Discrimination Bill.

It comes five years after a Coffs Harbour Sikh group unsuccessfully sought a similar exemption.

Amar Singh, 38, of Turbans 4 Australia is preparing the submission to Parliament in consultation with community and religious groups.

He says it is not just about motorcycle helmets but also hard hats for workers and bicycle helmets for school children and senior citizens.

“Not allowing kids to wear a turban on their bicycle puts fear into their minds that they are not acceptable in Australian society,” he says.

“And many seniors who were used to riding pushbikes in India can’t even go to the local shops or temple.”

Amar says he has not been able to ride the 1970 Jawa his wife bought him for his 38th birthday last year because he cannot remove his turban to fit a helmet.

Sikh Amar Singh turban religious freedom
Amar on his Jawa (Photo: Wolter Peeters, The Sydney Morning Herald.)

Turban exemptions

Sikhs are being granted helmet exemptions to wear their turban instead of a helmet in several countries around the world on religious grounds.

The UK introduced the exemption in 1976 and it has now spread to include New Zealand (up to 50km/h), India, Pakistan (Peshawar only) and most recently the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and British Columbia.

The exemption move hit a hiccup in July when Germany knocked back a plea by a Sikh rider to wear a turban instead of a helmet on religious grounds.

Applications for turbans to be worn instead of helmets have also been knocked back in France while Denmark is cracking down on helmet exemptions for health or religious reasons. 

Religious Discrimination Bill

Australia’s Religious Discrimination Bill protects “religious activity” such as the wearing of a turban, but does not override state laws, including road rules.

Victoria is the only state to grant a helmet exemption on religious grounds, but that is for cyclists only.

Amar says he will also apply to each state for the exemptions.

“The turban exemption is already approved for cyclists in Victoria; all the states have to talk to each other,” he says.

In 2014, the Central Coast of NSW Sikhs campaigned to Coffs Coast Council for the right to not wear helmets on city streets signposted up to 60km/h.

However, the matter had to be decided by the NSW Centre for Road Safety (CRS). Neither council nor the CRS could find any record of contact from the group.

NSW Roads and Maritime Services says they have not granted any exemptions for religious reasons.

The CRS has conducted standard bicycle helmet tests on the Sikh turban and found it did not  offer impact protection.Turban sikhs motorcycle helmets plea

Aussie Sikhs

Sikhs have been in Australia since the 1880s.

There are now about 126,000 Sikhs here, according to the 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics census. It is the fifth largest religion after Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism.

Victoria has seen the sharpest increase in the number of Sikhs with 52,762. The state with the second highest Sikh population is NSW with 31,737 Sikhs, Queensland 17,433, Western Australia 11,897, South Australia 8808, ACT 2142 and Northern Territory and Tasmania have under 700 Sikhs each. Sikh Motorcycle Club rides for charity

Turban symbol

Amar says it takes about half an hour to wrap a turban which he describes as his “spiritual crown”.

He also points out that Sikh soldiers fighting with Allied forces at Gallipoli did not wear helmets.

The Sikh Council of Australia’s website gives this explanation for wearing the turban.

Unshorn hair (‘Kesh’) are also an essential part of the Sikh Code of Conduct. This makes Turban an essential part of a Sikh’s attire. Like the ‘Kirpan’ issue, this is another issue where the Government and its departments as well as the wider Australian community need to be informed about the importance of the Turban for a Sikh. More importantly, in order to tackle the hate crimes and discrimination based on the ‘looks’ the Australian community is being educated about the distinction between a Sikh and other members of the community who may also wear a Turban or cover their head or perhaps may look the same due to other items of clothing (for example the salwar and kameez for the women). Hopefully the Government will introduce measures which will allow the wider Australian community to be more aware and tolerant and not discriminate against someone wearing a Turban and not assume that they might be a terrorist.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Sikh rider turban plea knocked on head

Germany has knocked back a plea by a Sikh rider to wear a turban instead of a helmet on religious grounds.

However, the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig says wearing a helmet does not infringe on Sikhs’ freedom of worship.    

It follows the appeal plea by a Sikh man who also argued that the helmet would not fit over his turban.

Applications for turbans to be worn instead of helmets have also been knocked back in France.

Denmark is cracking down on helmet exemptions that require a doctor’s note or a legitimate non-medical reason such as religious grounds. 

ExemptionsTurban sikhs motorcycle helmets plea

Sikhs are exempt from wearing motorcycle helmets in Indian, Pakistan (in Peshawar only), the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and British Columbia, and the UK introduced the exemption in 1976.

In New Zealand, Sikhs can ride with a turban instead of a helmet at speeds under 60km/h.

Australian Sikhs are also seeking the same exemptions.

Aussie Sikhs plea

Sikh Motorcycle Club rides for charity sikhs turban plea
Aussie Sikhs

The Sikh Motorcycle Club of Australia told us in 2017 that motorcycle and bicycle helmet rules are discriminatory.

They were calling for an exemption for all cyclists and for motorcyclists and scooterists riding at low speeds only.

Founding member Daljeet Singh told us that while initiated male and female Sikhs must cover their hair with a turban, Sikh Motorcycle Club members wear a bandana-style scarf underneath their helmets.

The Central Coast of NSW Sikhs say they have campaigned to Coffs Coast Council for the right to not wear helmets on city streets signposted up to 60km/h.

However, the matter would have to be decided by the NSW Centre for Road Safety (CRS). Neither council nor the CRS can find any record of contact from the group.

There are about 126,000 Sikhs in Australia, according to the 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics census. It is the fifth largest religion after Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism.

Victoria has seen the sharpest increase in the number of Sikhs with 52,762. The state with the second highest Sikh population is NSW with 31,737 Sikhs, Queensland 17,433, Western Australia 11,897, South Australia 8808, ACT 2142 and Northern Territory and Tasmania have under 700 Sikhs each. 

Turban symbol

Why do Sikhs wear turbans? Here is an explanation from Sikh Council of Australia’s website.

Unshorn hair (‘Kesh’) are also an essential part of the Sikh Code of Conduct. This makes Turban an essential part of a Sikh’s attire. Like the ‘Kirpan’ issue, this is another issue where the Government and its departments as well as the wider Australian community need to be informed about the importance of the Turban for a Sikh. More importantly, in order to tackle the hate crimes and discrimination based on the ‘looks’ the Australian community is being educated about the distinction between a Sikh and other members of the community who may also wear a Turban or cover their head or perhaps may look the same due to other items of clothing (for example the salwar and kameez for the women).

Hopefully the Government will introduce measures which will allow the wider Australian community to be more aware and tolerant and not discriminate against someone wearing a Turban and not assume that they might be a terrorist.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

More Sikhs allowed to ride in turban

Sikhs in Ontario are now allowed to ride in a turban instead of a helmet, joining riders in three other Canadian provinces as Australian Sikhs seek the same exemptions.

The Ontario government has granted the rule waivers to Sikhs in recognition of their civil rights and religious expression after a bill presented by parliamentarian and Sikh Prabmeet Sarkaria.

“The wearing of the turban is an essential part of the Sikh faith and identity, and exemptions for Sikhs have been successfully implemented in other provinces in Canada and across the world,” he said.

Sikhs are also exempt from wearing motorcycle helmets in Indian, the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia, and the UK introduced the exemption in 1976.Turban Sikh sikhs helmet

However, Denmark is following France by cracking down on helmet exemptions that allow riders to go without a helmet if they obtain a doctor’s note or have a legitimate non-medical reason such as wearing a turban. 

Aussie Sikhs

Sikh Motorcycle Club rides for charity sikhs turban
Aussie Sikhs

The Sikh Motorcycle Club of Australia told us last year that motorcycle and bicycle helmet rules are discriminatory.

They are calling for an exemption for all cyclists and for motorcyclists and scooterists riding at low speeds only.

Founding member Daljeet Singh told us that while initiated male and female Sikhs must cover their hair with a turban, Sikh Motorcycle Club members wear a bandana-style scarf underneath their helmets.

The Central Coast of NSW Sikhs say they have campaigned to Coffs Coast Council for the right to not wear helmets on city streets signposted up to 60km/h.

However, the matter would have to be decided by the NSW Centre for Road Safety (CRS). Neither council nor the CRS can find any record of contact from the group.

There are about 126,000 Sikhs in Australia, according to the 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics census. It is the fifth largest religion after Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism.

Victoria has seen the sharpest increase in the number of Sikhs with 52,762. The state with the second highest Sikh population is NSW with 31,737 Sikhs, Queensland 17,433, Western Australia 11,897, South Australia 8808, ACT 2142 and Northern Territory and Tasmania have under 700 Sikhs each. 

Turban symbol

Why do Sikhs wear turbans? Here is an explanation from Sikh Council of Australia’s website.

Unshorn hair (‘Kesh’) are also an essential part of the Sikh Code of Conduct. This makes Turban an essential part of a Sikh’s attire. Like the ‘Kirpan’ issue, this is another issue where the Government and its departments as well as the wider Australian community need to be informed about the importance of the Turban for a Sikh. More importantly, in order to tackle the hate crimes and discrimination based on the ‘looks’ the Australian community is being educated about the distinction between a Sikh and other members of the community who may also wear a Turban or cover their head or perhaps may look the same due to other items of clothing (for example the salwar and kameez for the women).

Hopefully the Government will introduce measures which will allow the wider Australian community to be more aware and tolerant and not discriminate against someone wearing a Turban and not assume that they might be a terrorist.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com