Meeting of Sikh MPs and Lords called by The Minister for Policing and Crime, Sarah Jones MP
Following the tragic murder of Henry Nowak, there has been public concern about the religious exemption in law for Sikhs to carry the kirpan.
The meeting this week began with the Minister asking anyone with strong views to address the meeting prior to the subsequent round table discussion. Our Director, Lord Singh of Wimbledon, thanked the Chair for the opportunity. He said Henry Nowak was murdered by a Sikh man using an offensive weapon. The Murderer, Digwa put forward a defence in the case, suggesting it was a religious obligation, to carry the murder weapon – a Persian dagger known as pesh-kabz. This was both false and misleading. The murder weapon had no connection with the replica miniature kirpan, lawfully carried by amritdhari (baptised) Sikhs, and permitted to be worn under their clothing.[i] Lord Singh suggested the meeting should be based with this clarity in mind.
He also emphasized that news sells better if it is presented in a way that appeals to baser prejudices. The BBC for example, referred to ‘a ceremonial knife’ and to the ‘kirpan’ in the context of Digwa’s legal defence – ‘using a blade that he [Digwa] said he carried as part of his Sikh faith’. The BBC’s use of ‘ceremonial knife’ was misleading, it was, after all an offensive weapon, but they did clarify Digwa’s claim about the blade was false. However, the mention of the kirpan by the state broadcaster, served to blur the lines about the actual murder weapon, and in doing so, propagating a misleading narrative. This led to calls by political parties to remove the legal exemption to carry the replica miniature kirpan lawfully carried by amritdhari Sikhs (who are a small minority of British Sikhs).
During the second world war, there was a saying, careless talk costs lives. Today, careless reporting is food and sustenance to latent racism prevalent in society. Online hatred against the majority peaceful Sikh community, markedly increased following reporting of the Nowak case. In Southampton, the community has been fearful following some incidents, including an attack against a Sikh priest, whilst he was out shopping. The elderly and vulnerable were encouraged to stay indoors. There were some reports of individuals being aggressively stopped by some members of the public, who demanded to know if they were carrying a kirpan.
Lord Singh’s clarification about the murder weapon and concerns about media misreporting were noted by the Minister, and in subsequent discussion, echoed by others present including Lord Sahota and MPs Jas Athwal and Gurinder Singh Josan.
[ENDS]
[i] Section 139(5) of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 provides a legal defence against carrying a bladed article in public if it is worn for ‘religious reasons’. The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 explicitly accommodates the kirpan. It provides specific legal defences for Sikhs possessing, manufacturing, or supplying ceremonial kirpans, including presenting them at religious ceremonies. The law makes a clear distinction between possession and use of the kirpan.
