The increase in unpredictable and indiscriminate terrorist acts around the world since 9/11 in the US and the London bombings in July 2005 has had severe implications for the global community, not least Sikhs and other minority communities, who have faced a sharp increase in hate/bias-related crimes and incidents.

Examples include racial slurs and rudeness, such as spitting, name-calling etc., indirect discrimination in the workplace and behaviour such as refusal of entry to places of leisure because of their particular racial features, physical assaults against people resulting in loss of life and damage to property, including Gurdwaras and homes.

In response to this, UNITED SIKHS has undertaken to collate data on hate/bias crimes and incidents against Sikhs to ensure that justice is properly served. UNITED SIKHS works in North America, the United Kingdom and the rest of the world in partnership with other organisations to raise awareness of hate/bias-related incidents and crimes, and to promote the practice of reporting such incidents.

Please help us by reporting all such incidents, no matter how insignificant you may feel they were.

Please also ensure that you do report hate/bias-related crimes/incidents to the police, as they can only act if they are made aware of such incidents. For further information about what a hate/bias-related crime or incident is, and what to do in such circumstances, please read our leaflet entitled “What is a Hate Crime?”. This leaflet can be found at the bottom of the hate/bias crime/incident reporting forms.

PLEASE USE THE CORRECT FORM FOR YOUR REGION, AND PLEASE ENSURE YOU ARE REPORTING A HATE/BIAS RELATED INCIDENT/CRIME. We are currently creating forms to deal with other types of discrimination including employment issues, gender issues etc.