HOME

Where is Gurudawara in Ottawa???
Recommend this site!

Sunday | November 25, 2001 How little we know about our neighbors who aren't like us 11/24/2001 By HARBANS LAL / The Dallas Morning News Guest column It all began when an Amtrak train was stopped in Providence, R.I., the day after Sept. 11. Authorities searched for terrorists and arrested Sher J.B. Singh, a young Sikh American, under a pretext of suspicion that he might be related in some way to radical Muslim terrorists. They did so when he produced his kirpan, a ceremonial knife that he and many other Sikhs wear all the time as a symbol of their faith in the Divine guidance. He was handcuffed and yanked off the train for interrogation. Mr. Singh was vindicated a month later when a charge of carrying a concealed weapon was dropped. Elsewhere a Sikh psychiatrist was asked to lie on the ground, his face in the dirt, and was handcuffed for questioning. A Sikh judge was asked to remove his turban in public, and another Sikh was asked to travel without turban. There were deaths and looting at some places. Although many Americans support religious liberties in the face of life-threatening challenges, the incidents do show how little many Americans know of other world faiths. There is a silver lining in all this. Although it is disheartening that there have been more than 250 incidents related to false identity and hate crimes, all is not lost. Many people of all faith and media everywhere are constantly asking officials and the public to act with restraint in situations such as the present one. The half-million Sikhs across North America began to work on educating the American public and public authorities about their heritage. At the same time, Sikhs continued their participation in collecting money for charities to help the victims and donating blood for the injured. Sikh physicians are providing free assistance. The government is very receptive. The police have been very good at investigating crimes, and one indictment for a hate-crime murder has already been handed down. President Bush invited Sikh representatives to the White House to allay their fears. He also signed into law H.R. 3162, the Patriot Act of 2001, which incorporated resolutions condemning crimes against Sikh Americans and called for protecting their civil liberties. Sikh representatives met with Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta about profiling issues at airports. He was told about Sikhs who have been asked to remove their turban even when a metal detector found no reason for suspicion. (The turban is worn to hold unshorn hair in place.) Many mayors, police chiefs, and other officials visited Sikh places of worship to establish confidence. Sikhs came to America more than a century ago. They take part in all facets of public life. They share the same prosperity and same fears as other Americans. But some also fear that their neighbors do not accept them. Sikhism was born as a revealed religion starting from the Indian subcontinent 532 years ago. Its founder, Guru Nanak, countered religious bigotry and fanaticism by claiming that there was no single religion that God would patronize. Each disciple of spirituality may work out individual practice to calm the mind and insure suitable paths to salvation. Guru Nanak preached the practice of spirituality in earthly living, all leading to a life of sharing one's possessions with others and seeking the Divinity in daily practices. He inculcated cleansing acts to purify the heart. In his religion, the company of enlightened people would facilitate the journey to salvation. No deities, mythical stories, hidden powers, or other beauty tricks of organized religions would be desired for spiritual attainments. The Sikh prophets traveled to many countries to promote harmony among various sections of society, and they rejected class distinctions and an inferior status for women. Guru Nanak and his successors edited a scripture based upon writings of 36 holy men of all religions. Today, Sikhs are found in every country and claim 22 million adherents. Their place of worship is known as Gurdwara, and they are found in every city of North America, and they are open to all, irrespective of religion or nationality.