'The kirpan is not a weapon, but an article of faith protected under Canadian law'
The Winnipeg Police Service is developing a religious accommodation policy after refusing to let a Sikh applicant write its recruitment exam while wearing a kirpan — a case underscoring for HR professionals the risk of hiring procedures that fail to address articles of faith.
Jaspal Singh Gill – who immigrated to Canada in 2021 and moved to Winnipeg from New Brunswick last summer – was told in late April to remove his kirpan – a ceremonial dagger worn by initiated Sikhs – before sitting the police recruitment exam, according to reports.
Singh Gill told CBC News he left WPS headquarters "shocked" and "disappointed," and felt he had to "choose between employment and my faith." A recruitment officer told him he must surrender the kirpan or be barred from the exam, CTV News reported.
The kirpan is one of five articles of faith initiated Sikhs must wear at all times. Singh Gill described it as a sacred symbol — not a weapon — representing "our duty to protect the weak and stand against injustice."
"For Sikhs, it serves as a reminder to act with compassion, discipline and justice," he said.
WSO legal counsel Balpreet Singh Boparai has called for broader education on the kirpan's religious significance, with implications for HR training of recruiters and security staff.
The Supreme Court of Canada unanimously affirmed in 2006 that Sikhs may wear the kirpan under...
18 Days in Minnesota: False claims, chaos and cover-ups BBC CNN DW CGTN NBC ABC ALJazeera France24 JoyNews CitiTV Net2TV TV3 UTV DelayTV KofiTV MagrahebTV MGTV OTHERS | Movies Documentaries 18 D...