[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message] Re: Hate crimes against Sikh Community......
under the circumstances this is okay. we need to stop the fear and hate of ethnic americans and recent (past 30-years) immigrants. i am a white guy evangelical christian. On Friday, September 14, 2001, at 01:08 PM, Satwinder Mangat wrote: > > Sorry for using this bandwidth to educate ourselves about Sikh > religion. The > followers of Sikhism are called Sikhs (people with beard and turban) > and now > have become target of hate crime since last few days. Sikhs are neither > Muslims nor Hindus and have nothing to do Osama bin Laden. > > For slides on Sikhism and its history: check out > > http://www.maboli.com/seva/sikhi/index.htm > > Please forgive me if you think I shouldn't have this e-mail to this > mailing > group. We are a global society and learning about each other will make > this > world a peaceful place to live. If you agree, please share information > about > Sikhism with family and friends so that innocent Sikhs don't become > target > of hate crimes because of their visible identity. > > Thanks > Satwinder Mangat > > ========================================================================= > === > ================= > > SIKH COMMUNITY DENOUNCE THE TERRORIST ATTACK, HELD PRAYERS.... > > Sikh community in America would like to join their fellow Americans in > condemning the horrific acts that took place on the morning of > September 11, > 2001. Sikhs are saddened by the tremendous loss of life from these > actions, > and their thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims. > Sikhs > pray that the United States Government is able to swiftly bring those > responsible for these atrocities to justice. > > Since many Americans commonly mistake Sikhs for followers of Islam, or > associated with Osama Bin Laden because of turban, there are reports of > violent attacks directed against members of the Sikh community. Sikh > community request Amercian fellow citizens to educate themselves about > Sikhism so that innocent Sikhs don't become soft target of hate because > of > their visibile identity. Sikhs are neither Muslims nor Hindus and has > nothing to do with Osama Bin Laden. > > The Sikhism originated in Punjab state of India about 500 years ago. The > brief introduction to Sikhism is given below. Check www.sikhs.org, > www.maboli.com > www.sikhnet.com, www.sikhmediawatch.com for more details on Sikhism. > > All Sikh Americans extend their prayers and solidarity to those who have > been affected by this devastating act of terrorism, and hope that the > diverse members of our nation can come together as one in this time of > national crisis. > > ========================================================================= > === > ================== > > Introduction to Sikhism > ======================= > > A way of life and philosophy well ahead of its time when it was founded > over > 500 years ago, The Sikh religion today has a following of over 20 > million > people worldwide. Sikhism preaches a message of devotion and > remembrance of > God at all times, truthful living, equality of mankind, social justice > and > denounces superstitions and blind rituals. Sikhism is open to all > through > the teachings of its 10 Gurus enshrined in the Sikh Holy Book and Living > Guru, Sri Guru Granth Sahib. > > Who and What is a Sikh? > ======================== > > The word 'Sikh' in the Punjabi language means 'disciple', Sikhs are the > disciples of God who follow the writings and teachings of the Ten Sikh > Gurus. The wisdom of these teachings in Sri Guru Granth Sahib (holy > book) > are practical and universal in their appeal to all mankind. > > "I observe neither Hindu fasting nor the ritual of the Muslim Ramadan > month; > Him I serve who at the last shall save. The Lord of universe of the > Hindus, > Gosain and Allah to me are one; From Hindus and Muslims have I broken > free. > I perform neither Kaaba pilgrimage nor at bathing spots worship; One > sole > Lord I serve, and no other. I perform neither the Hindu worship nor the > Muslim prayer; To the Sole Formless Lord in my heart I bow. We neither > are > Hindus nor Muslims; Our body and life belong to the One Supreme Being > who > alone is both Ram and Allah for us." (Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Granth Sahib, > Raga Bhairon pg. 1136) > > "Any human being who faithfully believes in: (i) One Immortal Being, > (ii) > Ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak Dev to Guru Gobind Singh, (iii) The Guru > Granth > Sahib, (iv) The utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus and, (v) the > baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru, and who does not owe allegiance > to any > other religion is a Sikh." (Reht Maryada, Sikh Code of Conduct) > > Philosophy and Beliefs > ======================= > > - There is only One God. He is the same God for all people of all > religions. The Sikhs will worship only God. They will not set up any > idols, > gods, goddesses or statues for worship nor shall they worship any human > being. > > - Basic tenents of Sikhism are: > a) Honest labour and work (Kirat Karna) are the approved way of > living ones > life. It is considered honourable to earn ones daily bread through > honest > work and not by begging or dishonest means. > > b) Sharing with others (Vand Chhakna) is also a social > responsibility. The > individual is expected to help others in need through charity. > > c) Community service (Seva)is also an intergral part of Sikhism. > The free > community kitchen (langar) found at every gurdwara (Religious place of > Sikhs) and open to people of all religions is one expression of this > community service. > > - The soul goes through cycles of births and deaths before it reaches > the > human form. The goal of our life is to lead an exemplary existence so > that > one may merge with God. Sikhs should remember God at all times and > practice > living a virtuous and truthful life while maintaining a balance between > their spiritual obligations and temporal obligations. > > - The true path to achieving salvation and merging with God does not > require renunciation of the world or celibacy, but living the life of a > householder, earning a honest living and avoiding worldly temptations > and > sins. > > - Sikhism condemns blind rituals such as fasting, visiting places of > pilgrimage, superstitions, worship of the dead, idol worship etc. > > - Sikhism preaches that people of different races, religions, or sex > are > all equal in the eyes of God. It teaches the full equality of men and > women. > Women can participate in any religious function or perform any Sikh > ceremony > or lead the congregation in prayer. > > - Sikhism stressed the full equality of women, rejecting female > infanticide, permitting widow remarriage and rejects purdah (women > wearing > veils). > > - Normal Family life (Grasth) is encouraged, celibacy or renunciation > of > the world is not necessary to achieve salvation. The devotee must live > in > the world yet keep his mind pure. He must be a soldier, a scholar, a > saint. > > > History and Practices > ===================== > > The founder of the Sikh religion was Guru Nanak who was born in 1469. He > preached a message of love and understanding and criticized the blind > rituals of the Hindus and Muslims. Guru Nanak passed on his enlightened > leadership of this new religion to nine successive Gurus. The final > living > Guru, Guru Gobind Singh died in 1708. > > During his lifetime Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa order > (meaning > 'The Pure'), soldier-saints. The Khalsa uphold the highest Sikh virtues > of > commitment, dedication and a social conscious. The Khalsa are men and > women > who have undergone the Sikh baptism ceremony and who strictly follow the > Sikh Code of Conduct and Conventions and wear the prescribed physical > articles of the faith. One of the more noticeable being the uncut hair > (required to be covered with a turban for men) and the Kirpan > (ceremonial > sword). > > Before his death in 1708 Guru Gobind Singh declared that the Sikhs no > longer > needed a living and appointed his spiritual successor as Sri Guru Granth > Sahib, his physical successor as the Khalsa. Guru Gobind Singh felt > that all > the wisdom needed by Sikhs for spiritual guidance in their daily lives > could > be found in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Eternal Guru of the Sikhs. Sri > Guru > Granth Sahib is unique in the world of religious scriptures because not > only > is it accorded the status of being the spiritual head of the Sikh > religion, > but besides the poetry of the Gurus, it also contains the writings of > saints > of other faiths whose thoughts were consistent with those of the Sikh > Gurus. > > Sikhism does not have priests, which were abolished by Guru Gobind > Singh. > The Guru felt that they had become corrupt and full of ego. Sikhs only > have > custodians of the Guru Granth Sahib (granthi), and any Sikh is free to > read > the Guru Granth Sahib in the Gurdwara (a Sikh temple) or in their home. > All > people of all religions are welcome to the Gurdwara. A free community > kitchen can be found at every Gurdwara which serves meals to all people > of > all faiths. Guru Nanak first started this institution which outline the > basic Sikh principles of service, humility and equality. > > The most significant historical religious center for the Sikhs is > Harmiandir > Sahib (The Golden Temple) at Amritsar in the state of Punjab in northern > India. It is the inspirational and historical center of Sikhism but is > not a > mandatory place of pilgrimage or worship. All places where Sri Guru > Granth > Sahib are installed are considered equally holy for Sikhs. > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > The xml-dev list is sponsored by XML.org <http://www.xml.org>, an > initiative of OASIS <http://www.oasis-open.org> > > The list archives are at http://lists.xml.org/archives/xml-dev/ > > To subscribe or unsubscribe from this elist use the subscription > manager: <http://lists.xml.org/ob/adm.pl>
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