Canada's ban on name Singh irks Sikhs

OTTAWA, July 25 (UPI) -- A Canadian Sikh organization is protesting a 10-year-old Canadian policy of requiring would-be immigrants with the surname of Singh to use their third name.

The Citizenship and Immigration department policy is used only for men applying for visas in New Delhi, and also women with the name of Kaur, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., reported.

Sikhs receive either of the names automatically when they are baptized, and there are millions of Singhs and Kaurs worldwide.

Citizenship spokeswoman Karen Shadd-Evelyn told the CBC the policy protects Sikhs from potential problems as their applications are being processed.

"You can imagine you wouldn't want your file to be confused with someone else's," she said.

But Jasbeer Singh, of the World Sikh Organization of Canada, said the policy is out of touch.

"Tomorrow they will not like Mohammed," he said to the CBC. "And how soon will it be before they are asking all Browns and Smiths to change their names?"