Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)

Founded in 1996, SALDEF is the oldest faith-based Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. The Sikh religion was founded in South Asia over 500 years ago by Guru Nanak. There are more than 25 million Sikhs throughout the world and approximately 700,000 adherents in the United States. Observant Sikhs are often subjected to hate crimes, employment discrimination, denial of public accommodations, school bullying, and stereotyping in the mass media because of their actual or perceived race, religion, ethnicity, and national origin.

With a view toward overcoming these challenges and creating a more fostering environment in the United States for future generations of Sikh Americans, SALDEF builds leadership in the community, creates spaces to increase civic participation of Sikh Americans and educates other Americans inlcuding law enforcement, politicians and media outlets about Sikhs and Sikh community concerns.