OLYMPIA – The Washington State Senate on Thursday passed a resolution honoring the contributions of Sikh Americans to the culture and history of Washington state and the United States.
The measure was sponsored by Sen. Mona Das (D-Kent), who spoke about Sikh culture and recognized the service of Sikhs holding elected office in Washington: Whatcom County Executive Satpal Singh Sidhu, elected in 2020, as well as Kent City Councilmember Satwinder Kaur, elected in 2018.
Das’ comments were followed by remarks from Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond), the first and still the only Sikh elected to a state legislature in American history, who spoke about how Sikh values have inspired her and many others to public service. Dhingra also celebrated the milestone achieved by the Washington Senate this year, which marked the first time in American history that Muslim, Sikh and Hindu lawmakers have served together in any state or federal legislative body.
Sen. Yasmin Trudeau (D-Tacoma), the first Muslim to serve in the Washington State Legislature, then spoke on the importance of pluralism and solidarity across religions and cultures, and pointed out the corrosive effects that Islamophobia can have not just on Muslims but on others as well, especially to the Sikh community.
The session was opened with a prayer by Bhai Devinder Singh from Gurudwara Singh Sabha of Washington, in Renton.
The video can be seen and downloaded here.
- The prayer begins at time stamp 2:15.
- The resolution begins at 7:15.
- Das’s speech begins at 8:35.
- Dhingra’s speech begins at 11:45.
- Trudeau’s speech begins at 18:15.
