Corbett: Sikhs' visit still of value
A group of Sikhs whose trip to the European Parliament was blighted by security issues still had a productive visit to Brussels , according to a leading Labour MEP.
Richard Corbett, MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, met a small group of Sikhs from Leeds and Halifax after a much a larger contingent, visiting from across Europe , were not cleared by security.
The problem arose when security insisted all the Sikhs remove their small ceremonial swords, known as a Kirpan, which the vast majority were not willing to do.
Mr Corbett said: "It was deeply unfortunate all the visiting Sikhs could not get into the Parliament and it highlights some of the problems certain religions face day in day out, due to a lack of understanding".
"The Kirpan is more than just a traditional part of their religion, it is a fundamental part of being Sikh."
Despite the security issues Mr Corbett spent an hour listening to the visiting group and offered advice about how best to pursue some of their concerns.
He continued: "It was an informative meeting, covering the main areas of discrimination and restrictions on religious freedoms experienced by the Sikh community".
"I frequently receive letters from constituents of all faiths expressing similar concerns, and the EU plays a vital role in fighting intolerance within Europe and in the wider world".
"MEPs play an important role in offering advice on how constituents can effectively engage with EU institutions and the Member States and I think we all learned a lot from the meeting".
Jaspal Singh, from Halifax , was one of the Sikhs who met with Richard and hoped that the visit would help raise awareness of Sikhism across Europe .
He said: "We were obviously hugely disappointed with the problems we encountered at security and this is exactly the sort of issue we wanted to raise awareness about across Europe".
"We understand that people will have security concerns about the sword and now after decades of Sikhs living in Britain people understand it poses no risk".
"We now want the UK to help other countries reach the level of understanding that exists at home so Sikhs can freely practice their faith, where ever they choose to live or visit."
Richard Corbett is the MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber.
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