Sikh News

Italian Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Sikh Kirpans: Media Reports

By Parmjeet Singh

May 16, 2017

Italy: As per media reports, the Italian Supreme Court has ruled against a Sikh migrant who wanted to carry Kirpan in public.

The court reportedly said that migrants who choose to live in Italy must respect Italian laws prohibiting the carrying of weapons even though many Sikhs regard Kirpan as sacred.

A report by BBC notes that [t]he court acknowledged that diversity in a multi-ethnic society is important. But it ruled that public safety from weapons was of paramount importance and superseded an individual’s rights.

The Sikh man in the case was appealing against another court’s decision ordering him to pay a €2,000 fine because he had been carrying Kirpan in Goito, northern Italy.