Unsung heroes (good news is good business)

As voted by the Religion Newswriters Association's members, among the year's most consequential religion newsmakers were Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, Pope Benedict XVI, Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin, and the U.S. bishops.

How would you have ranked them? Has their influence been harmful or constructive? What issue or person do you expect to have the biggest impact in the year to come?

The latest top ten list issued by the Religion Newswriters Association omitted at least three groundbreaking developments in the realm of civil rights. In each of these cases, unsung organizations and individuals moved America closer to fulfilling its highest ideals.

Sikhs Graduate Army Training

For the first time in a generation, the U.S. Army graduated three turbaned Sikh soldiers. Although Sikhs have earned a reputation for martial prowess throughout the world, and although Sikhs were presumptively allowed to serve in the U.S. Army until 1981, new policies promulgated during the Reagan Administration effectively barred Sikhs from military service.

For Sikhs, this prohibition made absolutely no sense. They had served in the U.S. Army for many decades; produced several Victoria Cross recipients in the British Army; accepted the surrender of Pakistani forces on behalf of the Indian Army; and subdued the Afghans during the 19th century under the leadership of Ranjit Singh, the last ruler of a sovereign Sikh state.

During the last year, three Sikhs--Capt. Tejdeep Singh Rattan, Capt. Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, and Spc. Simran Preet Singh Lamba--insisted on serving in the U.S. Army and proving that Sikhs can excel as soldiers, without sacrificing their articles of faith. By all accounts, these patriots have excelled, and the Army deserves gratitude for giving them an equal chance to succeed. In 2011, we hope that all of the U.S. Armed Forces will open the doors of military service to anyone who is willing and able to serve, without discrimination, regardless of religion.

Oregon Repeals KKK Law

On April 1, 2010, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski finalized the repeal of a regressive law that effectively prohibited teachers from wearing religious dress in the public schools of Oregon. The law was originally enacted as an anti-Catholic measure almost 90 years ago by supporters of the Ku Klux Klan, but the discriminatory effect of the law has been felt more recently by Sikhs and Muslims. Thanks to the intervention of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice and tireless grassroots efforts by interfaith activists, Oregon is now one of 48 states in the country that presumptively give equal employment opportunity to public school teachers, regardless of religion. In 2011, we hope that Pennsylvania and Nebraska will join the club.

Senator Kerry Introduces Religious Freedom Bill

On December 17, 2010, Senator John Kerry introduced the Workplace Religious Freedom Act of 2010 (WRFA) in the U.S. Senate, with a view toward revisiting the issue next year. Although various iterations of WRFA have been introduced and re-introduced several times during the last few years, what is different about this version is that it explicitly addresses the problem of workplace segregation. Perversely, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act has been misinterpreted in ways that allow employers to segregate visibly religious employees from customers and the general public. In the name of 'corporate image' policies (which are almost always based on stereotypes about what American workers should look like), an aspiring Sikh salesman can be told to work in the basement for the same pay as someone on the sales floor, simply because his face is not considered mainstream enough to be seen.

In recent years, some federal courts have declared workplace segregation of this sort to be perfectly legal--a convenient way for bigots to keep religious minorities out of sight and out of mind, and a testament to the cancer-like staying power of the 'separate but equal' doctrine. Because customer interaction is critical to professional success and advancement, the federal government must finally put an end to the practice of workplace segregation. In 2011, we hope that people of faith will no longer have to choose between religious freedom and a job.

The media should get the message. Good news is good business.

By Rajdeep Singh | December 28, 2010; 2:32 PM ET Save & Share:
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