Saturday, December 4, 2010

Pakistan: The Taliban and the Endangered Sikhs of Peshawar

In Peshawar's noisy and manic Dabgari bazaar, bearded men weaving in and out of the curbside stores are a ubiquitous sight. (There are few women in the market). Most of them wear round, white Pashtun hats, a fixture in these parts. But there are a substantial number of merchants who, though also bearded and dressed in the traditional shalwar kameez, are adorned with the intricately wound and colorful turbans of those who profess the Sikh religion. Many of them live just a few streets away from the market, where the noise and rubbish-strewn streets fall away and are replaced by a warren of winding narrow alleyways, swept clean, and lined by brick homes, many of which despite being caked in decades of dust and disrepair still maintain a haughty grandeur. This is Jogan Shah, the Sikh neighborhood of Peshawar.

Sikhs and Hindus are tiny and embattled communities in Pakistan. As small, non-Muslim populations, especially in the volatile, religiously conservative northwest, they were easy prey for the Taliban. That's why the population of Jogan Shah has spiked in recent years. Sikhs like Darsha Singh, displaced from his village of Orakzai in the war-ravaged tribal territories further northwest, have sought refuge with their co-religionists in Peshawar, which now hosts some 500 families, the largest Sikh population in Pakistan.

With thanks : Time.com : link in headline above for DETAILED REPORT.

SikhsIndia
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www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com
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Friday, December 3, 2010

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Message - Sri Akal Takht Sahib - dated 1.4.06

Hukamnama - Sri Akal Takht Sahib - dated 16.3.98

Temples 'breaking the Sikh code' on meat and alcohol



Some gurdwaras in the UK are going against their religion by serving meat and alcohol on their premises, according to an association of Sikh followers.

The UK Sangat, an association of Sikh followers, has started a national campaign to stop what it says is the violation of the basic principles of Sikhism.

Some Sikhs have protested, stopping one gurdwara in Edinburgh and one in Essex from going against the teachings.

UK Sangat said there were at least another 15 temples in Britain flouting the rules, which they planned to approach.

The Sikh religion forbids the use of alcohol and other intoxicants.

Sikhs are also not allowed eat meat - the principle is to keep the body pure.

All gurdwaras are supposed to follow the Sikh code, known as the Akal Takht Sandesh, which comes from the highest Sikh authority in India.

SHOCKING :

The detailed news can be viewed with thanks to BBC News : link in headline above.

SikhsIndia - spreading awareness.



Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Sikh cab driver, mistaken for Muslim, attacked in California











A Sikh cab driver in Northern California was attacked after assailants mistook him for a Muslim.

Harbhajan Singh was attacked by two men, who shouted profanities and called him Osama Bin Laden. He escaped when a woman with the attackers intervened and put herself between them, reports Associated Press (AP).

Singh believes the men intended to kill him because he wears a turban.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been approached by The Council on American-Islamic Relations to investigate if the attack was racially motivated.

with thanks : tribune.com.pk

Amritsar-Toronto flight to resume soon

New Delhi The government on Tuesday decided to soon resume the Amritsar-Toronto Air India flight, the discontinuation of which since October has caused a lot of problems to frequent non-resident Indian fliers to Punjab.

The assurance to restore the flight was given by Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel to Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who headed a SAD-BJP delegation to lodge strong protest over the cancellation of the flight.

The national carrier had withdrawn the service as part of cost - cutting measures and on the ground that the airlines was making huge losses in the sector.

with thanks : expressindia : link in headline for detailed news.

SikhsIndia


Hundreds to stay warm this winter, thanks to Tracy Sikhs

TRACY -- Hundreds of residents braved the cold and rain Saturday morning to get a free coat for winter. The American Sikh Community spent $75,000 this year to offer more than 15,000 winter items such as coats, gloves, scarves, socks, hats and blankets.

The coordinator's for Saturday's event was the Sikh community in Tracy. Lines grew to more than 400 people deep, and an estimated 2,000 people were expected to benefit from the day's event that was held at the Larch Clover Community Center. The group plans to hold additional warm-clothing giveaways in Manteca, Modesto and Turlock, the dates of which have yet to be announced.

"This feels good to be able to help the community and see the small kids be able to pick out a new coat," said Karnail Singh Sandhu, one of the event's coordinators. "This may be the only coat these children have this year. We are doing this in remembrance of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh, age 9, and Sahibzada Fateh Singh, age 7, who were kidnapped (in the year 1705) and put into a cold and damp room with nothing to keep them warm. They were tortured and killed because of their religious convictions. Today, we honor them and give warm clothing in remembrance."

Entire families showed up and stood in line for almost an hour to pick out a free coat. The largest family to show had 10 members, with the average family numbering five. Ages ranged from newborn to a woman in her late 80s. All seemed grateful for the warm clothingand blankets.

with thanks : contracostatimes : link in headline for more details.

SikhsIndia

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Vast Sikh temple in Kent is 'largest outside India'

You can view the BBC News Video from this link :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/11818769

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com
www.RWABhagidari.blogspot.com

SGPC sends off group of 58 Sikh devotees to Bangladesh

AMRITSAR: SGPC (Shriomani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) here Monday send off the group of 58 Sikh devotees including 15 females first time to Bangladesh to pay obeisance at various Sikh shrines and observe the birth anniversary of founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev.
In a release issued here SGPC stated that the group of Sikh devotees during their visit to Bangladesh would reach at Dhaka on December 3 to observe the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev at Gurdwara (Sikh shrine) Memon Singh. Sikh devotees after paying obeisance at various Sikh shrines in Bangladesh would return to India on December 9.
with thanks : punjabnewsline : link in headline for details.

SikhsIndia

Sunday, November 28, 2010

'Golden Temple kitchen busiest'

CHANDIGARH: Food is said to be a great unifier, and a documentary film appears to second this. According to Holy Kitchens production— an initiative of an Indian-American Chef Vikas Khanna, who is rolling out a series of films to tie together the metaphysical meaning of food in religion with the real world experience of sharing food in a spiritual context — Golden Temple has the busiest kitchen in the world.

Khanna is an award winning chef, author TV personality and restaurateur based in New York City.

The first in the series is a documentary 'True Business', which takes its inspiration from first Sikh master Guru Nanak's message of Sacha Sauda, from where the concept of 'langar' or common kitchen originated.

As the story, Guru Nanak's father had given him Rs 20 to start a business but was surprised to see his son distributing food to the poor, bought with the money meant to start an enterprise. On being asked that why did he do this, Guru Nanak is supposed to have replied that this was ''Sacha Sauda, True Business''.

With thanks : times of India : link in headline above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia