Monday, January 27, 2014
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Delegation from Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Religion & Worldview, K.U.Leuven, Belgium, at Golden Temple, Amritsar
Thanks Dr Gurdeep Kaur & K U Leuven, Belgium
Pentagon to relax rules on personal religious wear — including beards, turbans
The Pentagon on Wednesday is expected to announce widespread changes to rules governing religious items and religion-based physical attributes that service members can maintain while in uniform — including beards, some religious tattoos, and turbans.
NBC News obtained an early draft of the new Department of Defense instruction which states that the military will make every effort to accommodate “individual expressions of sincerely held beliefs” (conscience, moral principles, or religious beliefs) of service members.
It goes on to say that unless doing so could have an adverse impact on military readiness, unit cohesion, good order and discipline, health and safety, or any other military requirement, commanders can grant service members special permission to display their religious articles while in uniform.
Requests for religious accommodation can be denied when the “needs of mission accomplishment outweigh the needs of the service member,” the directive will explain.
Earlier this month, a major in the U.S. Army who is a Sikh American took his case to staffers on the Hill, explaining how he and other Sikhs should be able to serve in uniform and still maintain their religious beliefs, including wearing turbans and unshorn hair, including beards.
The new directive will explain that if the articles of faith or physical attributes interfere with the proper function of protective clothing and equipment, the request could be denied. For example, a beard or unshorn hair cannot interfere with gas masks or helmets.
Jewish service members can request permission to wear a yarmulke while in uniform. Muslim service members can request to wear a beard and carry prayer beads. Even Wiccan service members, those who practice "Magick," can seek accommodation — the directive covers all religions recognized by the U.S. military.
The policy will also spell out that service members have the right to observe no religion at all.
According to Defense Department statistics, which are based solely on self-reporting, there are only a handful of Sikh Americans in the military (about 3).
There are nearly 3,700 Muslims, nearly 6,300 Buddhists, and more than 1,500 Wiccans.
The immediate commander can approve some of the religious accommodation, but some will have to be kicked up to higher headquarters.
In some cases wearing something that impacts the uniform (religious apparel), grooming (beards, longer hair), religious tattoos, and some jewelry with religious inscriptions.
The directive stresses that “the importance of uniformity and adhering to standards, of putting unit before self, is more significant and needs to be carefully evaluated when considering each request for accommodation.”
It goes on to say that “it is particularly important to consider the effect on unit cohesion.”
Each individual service member has to re-apply for new permission at each new assignment, transfer of duty stations, and for each deployment.
with thanks : USNEWS : NBCNEWS : LINK
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Delegation from Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Religion & Worldview, K.U.Leuven, Belgium ( 2014)
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KU Leuven India Study Group 2014
From January 17th to February 16, 2014, a group of 20 European students ( Masters and Bachelors) along with Prof.dr.Bert Broeckaert from Faculty of Theology and Religiou Studies ( KU Leuven,Belgium) is to visit India for a India Study Course on Indian Religions.
During their one month stay in India they will study religious richness and cultural Diversity of fascinating sub-continent.They will visit religious & historical places in Delhi,Amritsar,Varanasi,Bodh Gaya,Sikkim/ participate in a wide variety of rituals/attend lectures deliver by local professors and specialists/ join-in discussions with representatives of various traditions to immerse in the world of Sikhism,Hinduism,Buddhism, Jainism,Christianity,Islam,
This study visit is an overall efforts of Prof. dr.Bert Broeckaert who (since 2002) has been organizing courses on Indian religions for students of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies,KU Leuven to build insights of number of world religions amongst Europeans to deal with religious and cultural diversity.
Delegation will stay in Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib,New Delhi and in Goden Temple,Amritsar from 18th January till 22nd January 2014.
DSGMC President Mr. Manjit Singh G.K. will felicitate the group and Mr. Kulmohan Singh,Chief Advisor and PR of DSGMC will give them a lecture on "Sikh Prayers" in the Conference Room of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib on 20th January 2014
Photos : courtesy of Prof. Bert Broeckaert.
Dr. Gurdeep kaur
SGND Khalsa College
University of Delhi
INDIA
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Funniest or Horrible ? Only you can decide ! Must watch it :
Must watch the Emergency Exit :
Just click the link below :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2W-D0A7gaY
Just click the link below :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2W-D0A7gaY
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Friday, January 3, 2014
George Hine House to become Leicester Sikh free school
Part of a former mental health hospital has been chosen as the site of the first Sikh free school in Leicester.
Falcons Primary School is expected to open in September 2014, taking children from all faiths.
The school aims to supply the demand for a Sikh education in Leicester, which it says is not currently met by the city's existing schools.
Planning applications have been submitted to use part of the Towers Hospital site in Gipsy Lane.
A school spokesperson said the Sikh faith was not represented "in the Leicester family of schools" which parents who wished their children to have an education "in a faith environment are at a disadvantage".
Towers Hospital, an institution for people with mental illness, closed its beds in 2000 and saw its last outpatients in 2013.
George Hine House, a Grade II listed building on the site, was later used as the headquarters of Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust.
Architects propose converting George Hine House into the schoolbut the outside of the building would mainly remain the same.
Ward blocks behind the George Hine Building would be demolished.
Some parts of the site have already been developed into apartments.
with thanks : BBC News : LINK
Sikh driver shot dead by police in southern California
A 45-year-old Sikh truck driver was shot dead by police in the city of Bakersfield in southern California on Sunday morning. According to reports in the local media, the victim has been identified as Jaspal Singh. The police reportedly responded to a call about domestic disturbance from a home near Oswell Street on San Mateo Drive in Bakersfield.
When cops reached the spot, Singh reportedly had his gun pointed at them. He was fired at five times.
Detective Todd Farnsworth was quoted as saying by local news networks, “Upon arriving on scene, officers were encountered with a male subject with a gun. The subject pointed the gun at officers.”
He said Singh was hit by five shots fired by one of the two officers. He was rushed to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Singh, who came to California from Bharo Majra village near Phagwara in Punjab about a decade ago, was reportedly suffering from depression. No details about his family were known.
The officer who shot at Singh has been sent on leave as police continue their investigations.
Bakersfield is home to some very successful Sikhs in southern California, including Mehnga Singh Sangera who was the first Indian to own car dealerships (Mercedes, Volvo and Subaru) since the 1950s.
with thanks : Hindustan Times : LINK
Monday, December 30, 2013
Awareness about Sikhism
https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/sikhawareness
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Mr.B.S.Vohra with Arvind Kejriwal
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