Sikhs to get prayer room at JFK airport

NEW YORK: Sikhs are set to get prayer facilities at John F. Kennedy airport here.

At a meeting convened last week for the community by New York City assemblyman Rory Lancman, the Port Authority agreed that there was a need for a prayer room for Sikh travellers.

Lancman, who represents the Queens borough said, "The Sikh community is growing in Queens and many Sikhs go back and forth to India regularly. Sikh travellers deserve a place to worship at JFK airport alongside those currently set aside for other faiths."

So far, there are four prayer rooms at JFK airport - for Catholics, Protestants, Jews and a multi-faith room. The Port Authority has agreed to subdivide the multi-faith prayer room to cater for the needs of Sikh travellers.

"It will take more than a fortnight for the Port Authority to finalise their plans," said Diane Barrett, Lancman's chief of staff.

The participation of Sikhs at the meeting was coordinated by Amarjit Singh, multi-faith coordinator for the United Sikhs, an activist group based in New York.

Balbir Kaur, community services director of United Sikhs, said, "Most airports have 'meditation rooms' used for prayers by passengers. After JFK, we hope that other port authorities in the US will also accommodate the need for prayer facilities for Sikhs travelling through."