Sikhs seek equality and peace in spite of murders

The senseless murders of six Sikh worshippers in Oak Creek, Wis., on Sunday, Aug. 5, again shocked the country so soon after the Aurora, Colo. massacre in the movie theatre. It also exposed the Sikh religion to the general public.

When I lived on Magnolia Avenue in Jersey City, a Sikh family moved on the block and their son played with some of the children nearby. He had never cut his hair since birth and twisted it in the shape of a bun on his head, which was the subject of much discussion and curiosity.

He was a very polite boy and I remember him recounting how he was taunted in public school because of his hair. Today there are many Sikhs living in Jersey City, which also boasts the only gurudwara, or house of worship on Broadway and Corbin Avenue, in all Hudson County.

Two days after the murders, I felt moved to visit and found 50 men, women and children gathered for their daily evening prayers. As I walked in the door, two members came from inside, greeted me and welcomed me warmly to come inside. I took off my shoes and covered my head with an orange kerchief.

I sat on the floor with the rest just as someone was coming around spooning a sweet, brown sticky food called karah parsad, which is a mixture of wheat, honey and butter, into every person’s cupped hands. I immediately thought of Communion in the Catholic Church. Their ritual symbolizes equality, which is a hallmark of Sikhism. And it was also evident by the communal spirit shared not only in the worship but the common meal served afterward.

But before the meal, some 30 of the worshipers gathered around me and allowed me to engage them in a group discussion for about one hour. They had planned to discuss a possible candlelight service in Jersey City to remember the murdered Sikhs but deferred to my presence.

I had never met any of these people but their gentleness and peacefulness overwhelmed me. The large number participating made it difficult to track who said what made even more complicated by the fact that all the men use the same last name, Singh, and the women, Kaur.

How difficult, I thought, to distinguish one from the other! Their reply was that this practice developed in response to the caste system prevalent in India, where Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak - who lived from 1469 to 1539 - in the state of Punjab in northern India. Again stressing equality, Sikhs rejected the caste system and also incurred the wrath of the majority Hindus. For this and other reasons, Sikhs have experienced persecution in India.

Yet, many of those present immigrated to the U.S. for a better life, just like historic immigrant groups.

Among the members there were Talwinder Singh, 27, of Jersey City, a systems engineer, and his older brother, Sukhwinder Singh, 37, who owns an I.T.firm, and is also the president of the U.S. Sikh Chamber of Commerce, which he founded. Inderjit Singh is the son of the gurudwara’s president and a U.S. Navy engineer. His family also owns their own trucking company.

While Inderjit wore a turban, Talwinder and Sukhwinder did not and wore the same kerchief I did. Swinder Pal Singh, 46, explained that some Sikhs grow into this practice and there seemed no prejudice toward those who did not wear a turban and cut their hair.

with thanks : NJ : LINK : for detailed news. Must view.