8 THE QUEENS COURIER • SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Mayor joins turban tying ceremony in Richmond Hill
BY DEAN MOSES
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Mayor Bill de Blasio had a turban tied
for solidarity on Sunday, Aug. 29.
Th e atmosphere outside the Gurdwara,
the Sikh Cultural Society Inc. in Richmond
Hill, Queens was one of unbridled excitement
on Sunday, Aug. 29. Th ose attending
the house of worship that aft ernoon
eagerly awaited a ceremony that has not
been performed in 30 years.
David Dinkins was the last New York
City mayor to have had a turban fastened
to his head all the way back in 1992.
According to Harpreet Singh Toor, chairman
of public policy and external aff airs
for the Sikh Cultural Society, the process
which sees the head of the city wrapped in
cloth is both a gesture of gratitude and a
symbol of tolerance.
“Today, we just wanted to honor the
mayor by tying a turban on him while he
speaks,” Toor said.
Toor, like many of those in attendance
of the event, were grateful for the eff orts
put forth by de Blasio to allow Sikhs in
the NYPD to proudly wear their turban
and beard.
For those in the Sikh community, the
inability to don articles of their faith
had become a deterrent, preventing them
from joining the Police Department. Th is
was heartbreaking for individuals like
Toor who says he once wanted to serve
his city as a member of the NYPD but
couldn’t.
“Today, by the mayor putting on the
turban we are just making that message
clear: Th is is America, and one should not
be judged from their appearance because
we end up making judgements on their
appearance and through the wrong judgement
sometimes people die, which has
happened especially aft er 9/11,” Toor said,
describing hate crimes committed against
the Sikh community.
Remembering the days aft er the horrors
of Sept. 11, 2001, Toor referenced the
death of a man who was brutally beaten
aft er leaving the Sikh Cultural Society
in the following weeks. He hopes actions
such as the turban tying ceremony will
help unite Sikhs and fellow New Yorkers,
preventing such bloodshed and ignorance
from occurring in the future.
Aft er his arrival at the temple, de Blasio
was all smiles as he sat behind a desk and
underwent the turban tying process.
“It is an honor because we are here
today sending a message that the city —
this country and this world — needs this
message that we are all together. A message
of respect. A message of inclusion.
Photos by Dean Moses
Th e Sikh community has contributed profoundly
to New York City. I want to make
it very clear: New York City is a better
place because of this community. We need
this community; we cherish this community.
And yet, in a world where there’s so
much misunderstanding and too many
biases and prejudices, we have to fi ght
every day, every one of us to remind people
of these great contributions to remind
people, the value of this community and
why all of us need to stand shoulder to
shoulder,” de Blasio said.
Emerging as a new, albeit more colorful
man with his orange turban, the mayor
strode around the Gurdwara (where
worship services are held) and paid his
respects.
“Several of my colleagues here today
talked about the decision to bring members
of the Sikh community into the
NYPD and to allow them to recognize
their traditions, their beliefs honorably.
I went to a graduation ceremony a few
months ago for the NYPD. And in the
front row were some of the most distinguished
graduates of the police academy,
those who had done the best on the test,
those who showed the most potential and
promise. Th ere was a young Sikh man
with his turban and his shield and badge
number on the turban. And I looked at
that and I thought to myself, how many
good young men and women never had
that opportunity before who could have
done so much who could have protected
this city and contributed and how wrong
it was that they were excluded,” de Blasio
said.
Mayor de Blasio was happy to take part in the ceremony.
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