Sikhs Want Guru’s Portraits Removed from Hollywood Bar

United Sikhs has initiated a petition drive and plans to initiate a boycott with the aim of getting the owners of a Hollywood, Calif., restaurant – Pikey Café and Bar – to remove portraits of Sikh Guru Gobind Singh from the establishment’s walls.

“Our religion is very against drinking. Hanging pictures of our guru where people are drinking is very disrespectful,” Karam Grewal, who alerted this publication to the issue, told India-West. “Images of Guru Gobind Singh are only found in gurdwaras or in private homes,” the Indian American said, adding that Pikey has tried to create an Indo-British feel to its Maharaja room, where portraits of maharajahs hang alongside pictures of Sikh saints. 

Grewal said that in the past week, she has contacted the bar multiple times. On the first occasion, she spoke to Noam – he only gave Grewal his first name – who said the portraits would be taken down. On subsequent occasions, Grewal was told to contact the Pikey parent company, Committed, Inc., founded by New York hotelier Sean MacPherson.

“They’re being passive aggressive. They have said they will take them down, but have not told us when. They realize that they have hurt a lot of people, but they’re not doing anything about it,” she said, adding that Pikey’s managers should close that part of the restaurant or at least cover the portraits until the matter is settled.

Committed, Inc. owns eight restaurants in Southern California, including two branches of the Swingers’ Diner, Bar Lubitsch, Jones Hollywood, El Carmen, and the Roger Room. MacPherson is also owner of the Bowery Hotel and the Jane Hotel, and recently opened the Marlton, all in New York. His estimated net worth is $800 million.

MacPherson was unreachable for comment at the Committed, Inc.’s West Hollywood headquarters. Abraham Beltran, controller at Committed, Inc., had not returned several calls or an e-mail for comment by press time.

Manmeet Singh, legal director for United Sikhs, told India-West that his organization would initiate a boycott of MacPherson’s vast empire if the portraits are not removed within the week.

“In the teachings of Sikh religion, all intoxicants are banned,” he said. “To put up pictures of Guru Gobind Singh, and other Sikh gurus, in an environment that promotes alcohol is utterly disrespectful,” Singh stated.

with thanks : IndiaWest : LINK : for detailed news.

Man jailed for cracking offensive Sikh jokes

A Jalandhar resident, who texted offensive jokes on Sikhs to a member of the community, found himself in a legal tangle.

CHANDIGARH: Next time you crack a joke on Sikhs, think twice. A Jalandhar resident, who texted offensive jokes on Sikhs to a member of the community, found himself in a legal tangle and had to spend two weeks in jail.

Complainant Narinder Singh, who heads a Sikh organisation in Jalandhar, accused Atul Kumar of hurting his religious sentiments “by sending jokes that downgraded Sikhs”. “ Kumar had texted offensive jokes to Narinder several times. Though Narinder remained silent initially, he decided to meet Kumar when the latter texted him 15 jokes together. 

He even told Kumar that the messages were hurting him. But an unfazed Kumar didn’t stop sending such jokes to him. A disappointed Narinder filed a police complaint when Kumar sent him an objectionable picture of Asaram Bapu with girls,” Ravinderpal S. Sandhu, assistant commissioner of police, Jalandhar ( west), told M AIL TODAY . The police arrested Kumar on September 5 under section 295 ( A) and IT Act. He was released on bail two days ago.

“ I was forced to complain against Kumar. He continued to text offensive jokes to me though I requested him not to do so. One day I received 15 jokes that were in bad taste and hurt my religious sentiments,” Narinder said.

Sikh organisations have termed the incident “ an eye opener” to others and warned that cases will be registered against those crack jokes on Sikhs.

with thanks : Yahoo News : LINK

Sikhs caught in crossfire of France's battle to stay secular

France's Sikh community is ramping up a campaign for the turban to be allowed in state-funded schools amid moves to reinforce a 2004 law banning pupils from wearing religious symbols.

The contentious issue pits the cherished French principle of secularity in public life and institutions against the essence of the Sikh religion, which requires followers to keep long hair as a mark of their faith and piety and a turban to cover the tresses, worn as a bun on the top of the head.

France's Education Minister Vincent Peillon has unveiled a new charter on secularity which must be displayed in government-funded schools explaining in child-friendly language why the Jewish skullcap and the Star of David, the Sikh turban, crucifixes and the Islamic veil are taboo.

But the 30,000-strong Sikh community in France argue that they are the victims of ignorance.

They see the recent official emphasis on secularism as being primarily the result of opposition to the Islamic veil and broader tensions with the largest Muslim community in Europe, and say they have been caught in the crossfire.

"We are currently in talks with (Interior Minister) Manuel Valls to explain our unique situation and to be exempted from this law," said Kashmir Singh, a member of the management committee of the largest gurdwara or Sikh temple in France, located in the Paris suburb of Bobigny.

"We have also met Manmohan Singh asking him to put pressure on France for justice to be done," he said, referring to the Indian prime minister who is also Sikh.

Singh added: "Our children are dropping out from school or being expelled for keeping the faith. The cross, the veil and the kippa are not mandatory and are symbols. But the kesh (long hair) and the pagri (turban) are non-negotiable. They are not symbols but a sacred, inherent and intrinsic part of our religion."

with thanks : expatica : LINK : for detailed news.

Attacked US Sikh professor to dispel notions about community

IANS

New York, Sep 24: A Sikh professor who was attacked over the weekend by a large group of teenagers shouting "get Osama" and "terrorist" wants to show core American and Sikh values are the same. 

"It's clear that the associations between beards and turbans and terrorism are devastating for an entire community," said Prabhjot Singh, assistant professor at Columbia University, who was attacked Saturday evening in Harlem, New York City.

The teenagers surrounded him on bicycles, pulling his beard and punching him. Shortly after the incident a Muslim woman was attacked a few blocks away.

"So I want to continue working to show that core American values are core Sikh values as well," said Singh. "Most importantly, I want it so that my one-year-old has nothing to fear in this neighbourhood."

State and federal law enforcement authorities in New York City are investigating the attack as an alleged hate crime, according to two community organisations, the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF) and the Sikh Coalition.

An ambulance rushed Singh to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where he also works as a resident physician, SALDEF said.

Singh was hospitalised with displaced teeth, severe bruising and swelling, a small puncture in his elbow, and a possible fracture in his lower jaw. By Sunday evening, Singh was resting after surgery.

with thanks : IANS : LINK : for detailed news.

Columbia University Sikh professor attacked in US, called 'Osama'

Sikh professor of Columbia University attacked

NEW YORK —  A Sikh professor who wrote a New York Times op-ed last year about hate crimes against American Sikhs was attacked by a group of teens over the weekend, media reported citing police.

Prabhjot Singh, an assistant professor at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, was attacked at around 8 p.m. Saturday while walking along 110th Street near Lennox Avenue in upper Manhattan, NBC 4 New York reported.

Singh, who wears a turban and a beard, said he was confronted by more than a dozen teens on bicycles who shouted slurs before attacking him.

"I heard 'Get Osama' and then 'terrorists', and then the next thing I felt was someone moving past me, ripping at my beard and then hitting me in the chin," Singh told the channel.

Singh said he started running and was punched in the face and on his sides. His attackers continued to kick and punch him after he fell to the ground, he said.

Singh was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital Saturday and had surgery on his jaw, which was fractured, according to NBC 4 New York.

Singh, the channel said, believed he could have died if passers-by hadn't helped get the teens off him.

"There's no doubt in my mind it was a bias-related event," he was quoted as saying.

The attack, he said, made him worry that his one-year-old son, "who will certainly resemble a Sikh man", will face similar hatred as he gets older.

"My fear is that they'll disappear into the neighbourhood," he said of the assailants, adding that he hoped the community mobilises to prevent similar attacks.

Condemning the attack, North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) urged the US government to begin tracking and counting anti-Sikh hate crimes, just as it must continue to vigorously combat bias and discrimination against all Americans, including Muslims.

The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) also called on state political and religious leaders to speak out against bias-motivated crimes after the attack on Prabhjot Singh.

with thanks : AM : LINK

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Akal Takht bans Guru Granth Sahib in homes with liquor, tobacco

Akal Takht, the primary seat of Sikh religious authority, has banned the installation of Guru Granth Sahib in houses having liquor bars or where substances like tobacco, other intoxicants and halal meat are consumed.

This decision was taken at a meeting of the Sikh clergy at the Akal Takht secretariat in Amritsar on Tuesday.

Giving details about the decision, Akal Takht Jathedar (high priest) Giani Gurbachan Singh said keeping the Guru Granth Sahib in houses of Sikhs who had made liquor bars in their drawing rooms was tantamount to showing utter disrespect to the holy book, which is considered a living embodiment of Sikh gurus.

Besides liquor bars, the Sikh families using substances that are against the basic tenets of the religion have also been cautioned against keeping the holy book in their homes.

“Sikh families who consume ‘halal’ meat, smoke hookah, charas (hashish) and tobacco also can’t have the holy book in their homes. We also advise Sikhs to abstain from such practices. Else, religious action would be taken against them on receiving any such complaint or violation,” said Gurbachan.

The Takht has also banned placing Guru Granth Sahib or holding its prayers at samadhs or places which worship the dead. The Takht also banned printing of Guru Granth Sahib by anyone else but the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). In another decision, Sikh high priests on Wednesday declared SGPC member from Doda, Navtej Singh Kauni, as ‘Tankhayia’ (religious atonement).

with thanks : New Indian Express : LINK : for detailed news.

SAD preparing to contest Delhi assembly elections under own banner, symbol

CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has begun making preparations for contesting the Delhi assembly elections under its own banner and poll symbol on nearly half-a-dozen seats.

After tasting victory in the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) elections, when it ousted Akali Dal (Delhi) headed by Paramjit Singh Sarna, the party leadership is confident that it can put up a good show in the assembly elections as well.

Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is also the president of SAD, has conveyed to the BJP leadership that the party is looking at several constituencies which have a sizeable Punjabi population, including Tilaknagar, Rajouri Gardens and Harinagar. This fits in with Sukhbir’s grandiose plan to expand the base of SAD beyond the confines of Punjab. SAD already has an MLA in neighboring Haryana. It has also drawn up plans to contest the polls in Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.

It may be mentioned here that SAD had fought the last Delhi assembly elections under the BJP banner and poll symbol, but could not win any seat.

Source : Punjab Newsline Network : LINK

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