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Sikh Coalition to host webinar amid UK kirpan controversy
The webinar will tackle the complex problem of how to respond to hard questions, along with discussions on legal rights and permissions.
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Staff Reporter - Fri, 05, Jun 2026
- 04:06 EDT
- 25
Representative image / wikipedia
The Sikh Coalition is organizing a webinar on kirpan rights in U.S. on June 6 amid growing concerns and fear among community members after the recent backlash against kirpans in the U.K.
The controversy centers on the killing of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, a British-Polish student at the University of Southampton, who was fatally stabbed in December 2025 by Vickrum Digwa, a British Sikh who was this week sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder.
The conviction has sparked a wider debate over the kirpan, one of the five articles of faith carried by initiated Sikhs, after Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe called for the ceremonial blade to be banned in public spaces.
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Highlighting the need for the webinar, the Sikh Coalition said on X, "A horrific murder in the UK and rhetoric from right-wing commentators has raised questions among U.S.-based sangat about our right to maintain the kirpan."
The Sikh Coalition's webinar will discuss how the U.S. legal system views the kirpan as an article of faith, rather than as a weapon or a symbol, and also highlight the protections kirpans have in public and private settings.
The webinar will also try to shed light on how to request accommodation in a school, workplace or public building.
The Sikh Coalition also plans to address the question of hate rhetoric. The webinar will tackle the complex problem of how to respond to hard questions, including the "abhorrent" 2026 U.K. case.
This virtual event is open to all sangat members, including Amritdhari Sikhs, parents of Sikh students, gurdwara committees and sevadaars, attorneys and educators.
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