The Sikh Kirpan and Italy: Religious freedom or a threat to security?

The Italian Supreme Court has recently ruled against a Sikh migrant carrying a ceremonial knife in public. News of this are travelling all around the world, raising serious questions about respect, freedom of religion and the relationship between law and religion.

According to the Italian media, the specific case concerns a Sikh man’s appeal against a court’s decision that ordered him to pay a £1,700 fine because he left his house armed with a 20 centimetre-long knife.

The specific knife is a religious symbol of Sikhism and is called the Kirpan. Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru/spiritual master of the religion, gave a religious commandment in 1699 ordering Sikhs to wear five articles of faith at all times: the Kirpan,Kesh (uncut hair), Kangha (a wooden comb for the hair), Kara (an iron bracelet) and Kachera (100 per cent cotton tie-able undergarment).

Despite, the defendant’s religious arguments, the court ruled that he, as an immigrant, must ensure that his beliefs are legally compatible with those of his host country: “Multi-ethnic society is a necessity, public safety is an asset to be protected.”

On 24 October 2006, Denmark was the first country in the world to ban the wearing of the Kirpan. In Belgium in 2009, it was declared that carrying a Kirpan was regarded as “carrying a freely obtainable weapon without any legal reason”, overturning a €550 fine.

On the other hard, in 1994, it was held in the US that Sikh students in public schools have the right to wear the Kirpan. It is also allowed in most public places in Canada, including the federal parliamentary building and school premises as long as it is sealed and secured on the person.

In England, possession of the Kirpan without valid reason in a public place is illegal. However, the defendant could invoke the defence of carrying it for “religious reasons”. It should be highlighted that while all kinds of weapons were prohibited at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, the Kirpan was allowed.

with thanks : MANCUNION : LINK : for detailed report

Attackers Sentenced To 3 Years In Prison For Hate Crime Against Sikh Man

Two Texas men were sentenced to three years in prison on Thursday for beating and cutting the hair of a Sikh man in Richmond, California last year.

Maan Singh Khalsa, 42, appeared before Judge Patricia Scanlon to recount the Sept. 25 attack.

Khalsa, a Sikh American father and IT specialist of South Asian descent, pulled up to a red light as he was driving home on the night of the attack. A white Ford F-150 with five people inside pulled up next to him and the passengers started throwing beer cans at his car, authorities said.

Khalsa drove off and called 911, but the truck followed him. When he stopped at another red light, Chase Little, 31, and Colton Leblanc, 25, got out of the truck, approached Khalsa’s car, and repeatedly punched his face through his open window.

Khalsa pleaded with his attackers, he recalled in Thursday’s hearing, saying: “There is a misunderstanding; I am your brother.”

with thanks : huffingtonpost : LINK : for detailed news.

GURUDWARA GIAN GODRI - Sarna

14 ਮਈ ਨੂੰ ਗਿਆਨ ਗੋਦੜੀ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰੇ ਸਬੰਧੀ ਅਰਦਾਸ, ਅਸਲੀ ਸਥਾਨ ਤੇ ਉਸਾਰੇ ਜਾਣ ਦੀ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾਵੇ- ਸਰਨਾ

ਨਵੀ ਦਿੱਲੀ 12 ਮਈ () ਸ੍ਰ ਪਰਮਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਰਨਾ ਪ੍ਰੁਧਾਨ ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ ਦਿੱਲੀ ਨੇ ਗੁਰੂਦੁਆਰਾ ਗਿਆਨ ਗੋਦੜੀ ਦੀ ਬਹਾਲੀ ਲਈ ਮੰਗ ਕਰਦਿਆ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ 14 ਮਈ ਨੂੰ ਜਿਥੇ ਜਿਥੇ ਵੀ ਸਿੱਖ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਗੁਰੂ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਅੱਗੇ ਗੁਰੂਦੁਆਰੇ ਦੀ ਮੁੜ ਉਸਾਰੀ ਪਾਠ ਕਰਨਗੀਆ ਉਥੇ ਅਰਦਾਸ ਵਾਲੇ ਅਰਦਾਸੀਆ ਸਿੰਘ ਅਸਲੀ ਜਗ•ਾ ਤੇ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰੇ ਦੀ ਉਸਾਰੀ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਅਰਦਾਸ ਨੂੰ ਯਕੀਨੀ ਬਣਾਏ।

           

ਜਾਰੀ ਇੱਕ ਬਿਆਨ ਰਾਹੀ ਸ੍ਰ  ਪਰਮਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਰਨਾ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਗਿਆਨ ਗੋਦੜੀ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦੀਆ ਧਾਰਮਿਕ ਭਾਵਨਾਵਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਜੁੜਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਧਾਰਮਿਕ ਮਾਮਲਾ ਹੈ ਤੇ ਕਿਸੇ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਇਸ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਤੇ ਸਿਆਸਤ ਨਹੀ ਕਰਨ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ ਕਿਉਕਿ ਕੁਝ ਲੋਕ ਸਿਆਸਤ ਕਰਕੇ ਆਪਣਾ ਹਲਵਾ ਮੰਡਾ ਇਸ ਮੁੱਦੇ ਦੀ ਗਰਮਾਹਟ ਤੇ ਸੇਕਣਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਨ ਜਿਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਰੋਕਿਆ ਜਾਣਾ ਬਹੁਤ ਜਰੂਰੀ ਹੈ। ਉਹਨਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਕਰੀਬ 500 ਸਾਲ ਪੁਰਾਣਾ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਕਦੋ ਢਾਹਿਆ ਗਿਆ ਇਸ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੈਣ ਦੀ ਲੋੜ ਨਹੀ ਸਗੋ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰੇ ਦੀ ਉਸਾਰੀ ਲਈ ਠੋਸ ਤੇ ਨਿਸ਼ਕਾਮ ਯਤਨ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਲੋੜ ਹੈ। ਉਹਨਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਦਿੱਲੀ ਸਿੱਖ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਕ ਕਮੇਟੀ ਤੇ ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਕ ਕਮੇਟੀ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰੇ ਦੇ ਸਥਾਨ ਨੂੰ ਤਬਦੀਲ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਲੁਕਵੇਂ ਢੰਗ ਨਾਲ ਯਤਨ ਕਰ ਰਹੀਆ ਹਨ ਕਿਉਕਿ ਉਤਰਾਖੰਡ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੇ ਭਾਈਵਾਲਾਂ ਭਾਜਪਾ ਦੀ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਹੈ ਤੇ ਭਾਈਵਾਲ ਦਾ ਪੱਖ ਵੀ ਪੂਰਣਾ ਇਹਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਮਜਬੂਰੀ ਤਾਂ ਹੋ ਸਕਦੀ ਹੈ ਪਰ ਸਿੱਖ ਪੰਥ ਦੀ ਕੋਈ ਮਜਬੂਰੀ ਨਹੀ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਅਸਲੀ ਸਥਾਨ ਤੇ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਉਸਾਰਨਗੀਆ। ਉਹਨਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਬਾਦਲ ਮਾਰਕਾ ਇਹਨਾਂ ਦੋਵਾਂ ਕਮੇਟੀਆ ਦੇ ਕੁਝ ਸਾਥੀ ਦੂਸਰੀ ਜਗ•ਾ ਤੇ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰੇ ਦੀ ਉਸਾਰੀ ਲਈ ਹਰਿਦੁਆਰ ਵਿਖੇ ਪਿਛਲੇ ਕਰੀਬ 220 ਦਿਨਾਂ ਤੋ ਧਰਨਾ ਲਗਾ ਕੇ ਬੈਠੇ ਹਨ ਪਰ ਸਿੱਖ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਰਾਜਨੀਤੀ ਤੋ ਵਾਕਫ ਹਨ ਅਤੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੇ ਛਲਾਵੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਨਹੀ ਆਉਣਗੀਆ। ਉਹਨਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਜੇਕਰ ਬਾਬਰੀ ਮਸਜਿਦ ਢਾਹ ਕੇ ਉਸ ਜਗ•ਾ ਰਾਮ ਮੰਦਰ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਯਤਨ ਕੀਤੇ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ ਤਾਂ ਫਿਰ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦਾ ਗੁਰੂਦੁਆਰਾ ਉਸ ਜਗ•ਾ ਤੇ ਕਿਉ ਨਹੀ ਬਣਾਇਆ ਜਾ ਸਕਦਾ। ਉਹਨਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ ਦਿੱਲੀ ਅਸਲੀ ਥਾਂ ਤੇ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਦੀ ਹਮਾਇਤ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ ਤੇ ਲੋੜ ਪੈਣ ਤੇ ਸੰਘਰਸ਼ ਕਰਨ ਤੋ ਵੀ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਨਹੀ ਹੱਟੇਗਾ। ਉਹਨਾਂ ਸਿੱਖ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਅਕਾਲ ਤਖਤ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਵੱਲੋ 14 ਮਈ ਨੂੰ ਹਰ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰੇ, ਹਰ ਘਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਜਪੂਜੀ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦੇ ਪਾਠ ਕਰਕੇ ਅਰਦਾਸ ਕਰਨ ਦੇ ਦਿੱਤੇ ਗਏ ਆਦੇਸ਼ ਦੀ ਹਮਾਇਤ ਕਰਦਿਆ ਕਿਹਾ  ਕਿ ਇਸ ਸਮੇਂ ਅਰਦਾਸੀਏ ਸਿੰਘ ਆਪਣੀ ਜ਼ਮੀਰ ਦੀ ਅਵਾਜ਼ ਤੇ ਅਸਲੀ ਸਥਾਨ ਤੇ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਉਸਾਰੇ ਜਾਣ ਦੀ ਗੁਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਅੱਗੇ ਜੋਦੜੀ ਕਰਕੇ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦੀਆ ਧਾਰਮਿਕ ਭਾਵਨਾਵਾਂ ਦੀ ਕਦਰ ਕਰਨ। 

PR 12.5.2017

GURUDWARA GIAN GODRI - Sirsa

MANJINDER SINGH SIRSA URGES SIKH SANGAT TO PARTICIPATE IN RECITATION OF JAP JI SAHIB AND ARDAAS FOR GURUDWARA GIAN GODRI ON MAY 14TH

          

New Delhi, May 12: The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) General Secretary Mr. Manjinder Singh Sirsa today urged the sikh sangat of Delhi particularly young generation to whole heartdly participate in programme of recitation of Jap ji Sahib followed by Ardaas on May 14^th, 2017 at 9.00 at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib.

          

In a statement released here today, S. Sirsa said that Sri Akal Takht Sahib has issued directions for recitation of Jap ji Sahib followed by Ardaas to support efforts on reclaiming land and reconstruction of historic Gurdwara Gian Godri Sahib where first sikh Guru Guru Nanak Dev Ji had visited on Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar, Uttrakhand. He said that feelings of Sikhs residing in every part of the world are linked to this historical place but everybody is concern over the fact that this Gurdwara which is place visited by Guru Nanak Dev Ji was demolished in 1979 and Sikhs were not allowed to reconstruct it.  He said that this is very emotive and serious issue for sikh community and representative bodies of Sikhs Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandhak Committee (SGPC) and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management committee (DSGMC) have jointly initiated efforts to get back the land and reconstruct it. He said that it is also proud moment for Sikhs as Sri Akal Takht Sahib has directly taken over the command for this cause on the request of both the institutions.

          

Mr. Sirsa urged the sikh sangat particularly young generation to whole heartly support and participate in this movement to reconstruct Gurdwara Gian Godri Sahib. He said that this will also provide young generation to become aware of our glorious heritage and sikh history.

PR dt 12.5.17

'SikhsIndia' will support the US campaign - WE ARE SIKHS

'SikhsIndia' will support the US campaign - WE ARE SIKHS. Please feel free to share with us any material related to the campaign for uploading on SikhsIndia. 

We are also starting a similar campaign from India, supporting the cause i.e. to raise awareness about Indians & Sikhs in USA, against the racial as well hate crimes there.

'SikhsIndia' supports the USA campaign " We Are Sikhs "

Why American Sikhs Think They Need A Publicity Campaign

Nearly 60 percent of Americans admit knowing nothing at all about Sikhs. That lack of knowledge comes at a deadly cost. In the wake of recent incidents from the 2012 Oak Creek Massacre to a shooting of a Sikh man in Washington this March, the Sikh community is taking a more vocal stand against hate.

This month, the National Sikh Campaign, an advocacy group led by former political strategists, launched a $1.3 million awareness campaign, "We are Sikhs." Funded entirely by grass-roots donations, the campaign's ads will air nationally on CNN and Fox News as well as on TV channels in central California — home to nearly 50 percent of the Sikh American population — and online.

The ad, which aims to tackle misperceptions of Sikhism, shows Sikh men and women speaking about how values of their faith — tolerance, religious freedom and gender equality — align with American values. According to Gurwin Singh Ahuja, the executive director of the National Sikh Campaign, "These are core values of the United States, yet we're often perceived as anti-American or as religious extremists. Our community is hurt by bigotry and ignorance, which is, in many ways, compounded by our own silence. To change these perceptions, I felt we had an obligation to share our stories with our neighbors."

Some young Sikhs like Sabrina Rangi, a medical student at Michigan State, are optimistic about the potential impact of the campaign. "I think after years of struggling to find the right words, this campaign is getting it right," says Rangi. "This initiative embodies everything that Sikhism represents, especially its emphasis on shared values and equality. I see this practiced in the gurdwara, where all of the participants sit together on the floor, beneath our holy book, to symbolize that regardless of gender, race or social standing, we are all one."

with thanks : WNPR : LINK : for detailed news report

" We Are Sikh " campaign educates others on what it means to be Sikh and American

An American Sikh advocacy group is hoping to change perceptions of the group with a $1.3 million commercial campaign.

On April 14, the National Sikh Campaign launched commercials to run on Fox News and CNN for about one month to help educate Americans about the Sikh faith and challenge misconceptions about their turbans. They have also aired commercials in Fresno, California, a city that holds one of the largest Sikh populations in the United States, and a frequent target for hate crimes since 9/11.

"We teach our kids the American values go hand in hand with the Sikh values."Source: We Are Sikh/YouTube

"We launched our ads on April 14, on Vaisakhi, which is a special day for Sikhs," Rajwant Singh, co-founder and senior adviser to the National Sikh Campaign, said in a phone interview. "[Vaisakhi] is a day when the turban and beard became our symbols — a mandatory part of our identity in 1699. Now, we are celebrating our identity to let the rest of America know who we are."

The campaign organizers said they hope the "We Are Sikh" commercials clear up misconceptions about their image and faith, and prove to the public that Sikh values are in line with American values. One ad, titled "Proud," features a family talking about signing up their son for Boy Scouts and describing their pride in being Sikh and American. Another ad, titled "Neighbors," features a diverse group of Sikh Americans discussing their love of Game of Thrones, Star Wars and Spongebob Squarepants.

"I've seen every episode of Spongebob, because that's what my daughters like to watch."Source: We Are SIkh/YouTube

with thanks : mic.com : LINK : for detailed news report by :  

Sarah A. Harvard

@amyharvard_

British Sikh Barrister Jasvir Singh Receives Order Of The British Empire From Prince William

LONDON:  A British Sikh barrister has received the prestigious Order of the British Empire (OBE) from Prince William for his services to the community at London's Buckingham Palace.

Jasvir Singh, the founding chair of City Sikhs, received Officer of the Most Excellent OBE from Prince William, the second in line to the British throne who often steps in for Queen Elizabeth II at investiture ceremonies where such medals are officially conferred.

"It was a humbling experience. I met many inspiring people, including scientists, artists, Paralympians, and various members of the Armed Forces and the Police, and found out about their remarkable achievements," Singh said in a statement after the ceremony last week.

"I also spoke to Prince William and commended him for the work he and his brother, Prince Harry, are doing to help remove the stigma of mental health problems," he added.

City Sikhs is among a number of Sikh organisations in Britain and claims a membership of 6,000 members. It says it is involved with several important projects, including the 'Grand Trunk Project' which is led by the 'Faiths Forum for London' and is looking to foster better relationships between communities of South Asian heritage in towns and cities throughout the country.

with thanks : NDTV : LINK : for detailed news.

Happy Gurupurab

Live on HT DELHI on the MCD ELECTIONS - Video