mr president like charity rights begin at home
i ask about the rights of europeans sikhs
because they wear the kirpan a small ceremonial dagger beneath their clothing they have been prevented from entering the european parliament
the kirpan is an act of faith which they may not remove so their exclusion is a matter of religious and racial intolerance
in successive years i have written to each of the two previous presidents and the commission who all replied that the exclusion is on security grounds
in celebrating her diamond jubilee queen elizabeth came to my region the east midlands where in their place of worship in leicester she talked to sikhs all wearing the kirpan standing as close to them as you are to your colleagues
i am minded to speak on this today because a month ago i was at the palace of westminster
there in our democratic parliament very close to both the house of lords and to the house of commons i met several sikhs all wearing the kirpan
with them was a leading sikh i have come to know
his forebears stood shoulder to shoulder with my forebears fighting for democracy in those conflicts which have so disfigured this europe of ours
as a result you and seven hundred others have the freedom to come from the four corners of europe to meet in this place
so what of the lisbon treaty which speaks of a union founded on respect for freedom equality the rights of minorities values of non-discrimination
will you live up to your treaty or is it just empty words
