N.C. Mission Rejects Charity Over Turban

Non-Profit For Poor Snubs Sikh's Donation Because He Would Not Remove Headcovering

(AP)  A Halifax County man was turned away from a local mission when he refused to remove his turban while trying to make a donation.

Gary Khera, who is a Sikh with U.S. and Indian citizenship, went to the Union Mission this week to donate cash or food, The Daily Herald of Roanoke Rapids reported Thursday. Khera said he had previously mailed in his donations but wanted to visit the site in person.

The mission has a rule - explained in large lettering on the mission's door - asking all males to removed headcoverings inside the facility, and mission directors asked him to remove the turban. Khera refused to do so because he wears it all day as part of his religion.

Union Mission officials claim Khera was disruptive and simply wanted to argue, although the 54-year-old said he calmly tried to explain that he was there to give a donation.

"We have policy and he didn't want to abide by it," said the Rev. Ron Weeks, the mission's executive director. "He gave the receptionist a bad time and decided to do a vengeance thing because he didn't get his own way. This was nothing to do with the turban, nothing to do with his faith."

Weeks said if Khera wants to continue donating, he should send it by mail or donate to someone else.

Florence Williams, the mission's in-take director who initially denied Khera access, said she was sorry it happened and that she was not trying to disrespect Khera's faith.

"The sign says on the door all males take off their (headcovers)," she said. "This is a church."

Khera said he will talk with the Halifax County Department of Social Services about another place to make his donation.

"I just want to be heard," he said. "We need more education about other religions. In our temple we read everything, we don't go by one. We do everything in praise of God."

[jjp735i]

Mr. Khera wanted the church to respect his religion by allowing him to keep his turban on and the church wanted Mr. Khera to respect their religion and remove his turban when entering the church. It''s sad that neither would give in and show a little respect towards the other.

[tiredofitnow]

What happened to the rest of the comments that were here an hour ago?

[antoniof123]

I bet he will not be sending them anything else.

[evian_ycnan]

Mr. Khera wanted the church to respect his religion by allowing him to keep his turban on and the church wanted Mr. Khera to respect their religion and remove his turban when entering the church. It`s sad that neither would give in and show a little respect towards the other.

Posted by jjp735i at 01:29 PM : Nov 21, 2008

Nah, it`s human nature. But, he came to give.

[downsteamjim]

In equally important earth shaking news, there is a stray cat outside my house.

[jaggudadaa]

"They shal wear linen turban and linen drawers on their loins" (Ezekiel 44: 18-19)

"He shall wear a sacred linen tunic and a linen drawer to cover himself and shal put on a linen sash around his waist and wind a linen turban round his head and these are sacred vestments and he shall bathe before putting them on" (Leviticus 8:9)

These religious scholars need to read their scripts little more closely and stop changing religion according to their own lifestyle instead of changing themselves according to religion.

[kevinbgoode]

It was a mission - not a "church." Was it a house of worship? No. . .just a mission dependent upon public donations to operate - though apparently the only "public" are those of the approved "religious" belief.
I hope they dump that stupid faith-based initiative *** - it only feeds this sort of "religious" hysteria where people claim one superstition is superior to another.

Maybe we need to pass some constitutional amendments restricting the rights of ignorant conservatives. After all, they are a minority. . .they believe the majority should be able to vote on the rights of anyone else, and they are still free to "worship" in their superstitious hate industry choices - the rest of us just aren''t forced to recognize their lifestyle choice.

Hmm..sounds like a plan. Seems to me conservatives should be put on the same level as the *** they run around the country trying to strip rights from.

[barbaram99]

It is not a church. A mission. I won''t go for a meal there as I don''t want to attend their services. I was eating at a mission and a person made since when he said he needs a meal NOT a church service. iT IS NOT A CHURCH. iN aMERICA WE HAVE SEP OF CHURCH AND STATE. tHE PLACE IS A BUSINESS.

[chicagorail8]

Filthy HillBilly Baptist ethics: also Republiscum Party-taught ethics.




No surprise when this type of fundamentalist ********* is found South of the Mason-Dixon Line, where most of the inbred Baptist swine prosper.










This ''pastor''s'' reward will be right next to Henry Hyde - in HELL.

[pcreversed]

If anybody has ever been thru Roanoke Rapids, you would know why people there think the way they do. The air smells like a sewer and there is something in the water that kills brain-cells. I have yet to meet anyone from Roanoke Rapids that has an IQ higher than 50. I dated a girl from that area, she was a real piece of work, lied about everything,. She ended up workingas a low price hooker

[barbaram99]

They beg for mpmey and yet they are fussy of the gent''s head covering. I was raised that males remove their hats indoors,period. I was asked to remove my hat and I said us ladies wear hats imdoors.It was at a mission. America allows the people from other nations hers. That place is not a church .Maybe they best give back that he gave since they are ungrateful.

[pcreversed]

They beg for mpmey and yet they are fussy of the gent''''s head covering. I was raised that males remove their hats indoors,period. I was asked to remove my hat and I said us ladies wear hats imdoors.It was at a mission. America allows the people from other nations hers. That place is not a church .Maybe they best give back that he gave since they are ungrateful.


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Posted by BarbaraM99 at 12:44 PM : Nov 23, 2008

Please learn to use the English language and how to spell. your poor use of the language and spelling makes you look ignorant