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Turbans now OK at
Costa Mesa bar
COSTA MESA – A nightclub that one year ago refused to let a Sikh
medical student inside because his turban violated the bar's dress
code has revised its policy after being accused of religious
discrimination.
Sanjum Paul Singh Samagh, 24, accompanied friends to the Pierce
Street Annex bar last year, only to be turned away because his
turban was deemed to conflict with a rule prohibiting hats.
"It's not a fashion statement I'm trying to make," Samagh recalled
telling the owner at the time, explaining that his black cotton
turban is worn for religious reasons.
 Samagh, a Stanford University graduate who was born and raised in
California, asked for a written apology and rule change, and his
classmates organized a boycott of the East 17th Street drinking
establishment.
Aside from insulting Sikhs, the rule would also impact Jews who wear
yarmulkes and Muslims who wear hijabs, the students argued.
In a letter earlier this month, Pierce Street Annex owner Douglas
Adsit relented, saying he wanted to "apologize for any inconvenience
or embarrassment caused to you for being denied entrance to our
business."
 Adsit, whom bar officials said was out of town and could not be
reached for comment, wrote that the policy was "never meant to
discriminate" and was changed in April "in keeping with our policy
to not discriminate against mandatory religious practices."
Asked why the rule change wasn't announced earlier, Samagh's mother,
Pam, said that Adsit was willing to verbally apologize but wouldn't
put his regrets in writing.
"We are happy that this issue has been resolved amicably and we hope
that this does not happen to anyone else in the future," Pam Samagh
said.
The turban, or dastaar, is customarily removed only at home or in
private. Similar dress-code disputes have occurred at nightclubs
around the country, according to the Sikh American Legal Defense and
Education Fund.
Men wearing turbans have also clashed with airport security
screeners who require the headwear to be removed, a tactic that is
"like being strip-searched" for a Sikh, group director Kavneet Singh
said in an August news release.
As for Samagh, he said he's "really happy" with the rule change but
hasn't decided if he'll be heading back to Pierce Street Annex.
Should he stop by, Adsit will apparently be happy to have him. "If
you feel comfortable and willing to return to our place of business,
we would welcome the opportunity to serve you," Adsit wrote. "Thank
you for the professional manner in which you have handled this
unfortunate set of circumstances."
(Courtesy The Orange
County Register)
30 January 2008
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