8 SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES 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.
The atmosphere outside the Gurdwara,
the Sikh Cultural Society Inc.
in Richmond Hill, Queens was one of
unbridled excitement on Sunday, Aug.
29. Those 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. This 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: This 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
Mayor de Blasio was happy to take part in the ceremony. Photos by Dean Moses
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. The 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. There 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.
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