As a Democratic member of the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman Brad Sherman called for a Federal Hate Crimes statute to become the law of the land during the annual Baisakhi celebrations held April 8 at the Los Angeles Convention Center here.

With the Democratic Party having captured Congress in the recent elections, "I'm convinced that we will be able to pass such a bill and add it to California's law," he told the gathering of Sikh men and women from throughout Southern California.

Since France has prohibited the wearing of religious attire in public, Sherman also told the gathering that he has sponsored a resolution with 41 co-sponsors "to put the United States on record, saying that religious garb is a human right that ought to be respected by all governments that are concerned with human rights regardless of which religion, regardless of which country." [Link]