After the Sikh massacre by a white supremacist in Wisconsin which resulted in the death of six and injuring of four, I was more than a bit disturbed with comments made by callers to talk radio. The recurring thoughts expressed by these callers reflected an ambivalence because “the Sikhs are so different” from us (whomever that assumed “us” might be). The Amish conduct an atypical way of life and dress unlike most of us, but yet we all were horrified by the 2006 massacre in Pennsylvania. So why this apparent ambivalence towards the Sikhs? Shauna Singh Baldwin, in her August 11th column for CNN News quoted a young man:
"They're saying we're an obscure religion. How can 23 million people be obscure?"
The word “Sikh” comes from the Sanskrit shishya for “learner” or “disciple” or “seeker of truth,” and Sikhs consider themselves life-long students. Due to the religious requirement that they refrain from cutting their hair, turbans are worn to cover their long hair.
Sikhism is a religion which originated in the Punjab region of India. It goes back to the 15th Century, when Guru Nanak expressed the vision that humanity is one, rejecting social inequalities, caste hierarchies, gender discrimination, and religious persecution. Nanak called for devotion to the One Divine, justice and equality, and a commitment to divinely-inspired service. He taught that each person has the potential to develop his or her own relationship with the Divine. When a Sikh leader was beheaded for defending the right of all communities to freely practice religion, his head was brought to his son who asked if there were any Sikhs in the crowd to stand up to the injustice. He declared that from thence on, the Sikhs would never hide.
That son grew up to be the next Sikh leader, and he formalized the standard identity. He gave Sikhs their articles of faith, and declared that the lasting teacher would be the sacred scriptures, their religious text called “Guru Granth Sahib.” All were required to drop their surnames to avoid any reference to social status and embrace a shared surname: women adopted the last name "Kaur" and men took the last name "Singh." Sikhism integrates Hindu ideas about karma with Muslim monotheism, and their scriptures include writings from the gurus, along with testimony from Muslim and Hindu prophets.
Sikhs have 5 symbols known as the Five Ks:
Kanga: a special comb that represents cleanliness.
Kesh: uncut hair which symbolizes spiritual power. All practicing Sikhs wear the turban out of love and as a mark of commitment to the faith.
Kirpan: a religious sword that encapsulates an initiated Sikh’s solemn obligation of courage and self-defense. It denotes dignity and self-reliance, the capacity and readiness to always defend the weak and the oppressed. It is symbolic of their spirituality and the constant struggle of good and morality over the forces of evil and injustice, both on an individual as well as social level. Some people a necklace which has a miniature kirpan on it.
Kachera: an undergarment which is a reminder of the need for self-restrain over passions and desires.
Kara: a bracelet which is a reminder that he or she is a servant of the Guru and should not do anything that may bring shame or disgrace. It is round and seamless, the sign of eternity. God is one and has no end.
The Sikh legacy infuses the turban with deep meaning. It embodies a commitment to devotion, honor, and service to all. Sikhs are the only community for whom the turban is religious, and nearly every person who wears the turban in the United States. is Sikh.
The Khanda is the symbol of the Sikhs and reflects some of the fundamental concepts of Sikhism. (see http://www.sikh-studies.co.uk/khanda.htm) The symbol derives its name from the double-edged sword which appears at the center of the logo and is a metaphor of Divine Knowledge, its sharp edges cleaving Truth from Falsehood. The circle is the Chakar, a circle without a beginning or an end symbolizing the perfection of God who is eternal. The Chakar is surrounded by two curved swords called Kirpans, which symbolize the twin concepts of Temporal and Spiritual authority. They stress the equal emphasis that a Sikh must place on spiritual aspirations as well as obligations to society.
Through the 18th century, Sikhs were captured, tortured and executed before giving up their turbans or their faith. The Sikh ideal became the warrior-saint: to live a life devoted to God and fiercely committed to fighting injustice in all forms. Through the centuries, thousands of Sikhs died fighting alongside people of many faiths against political oppression. When India was conquered by the British, Sikhs joined fellow Hindus and Muslims to fight for independence. In recent history, Sikhs have continued to struggle for rights in India, and many Sikhs fled religious persecution in the 1980s to settle in the United States.
One of the fundamental ideas of Sikhism is the idea that all people are equal, regardless to race, class, creed, or cultural origin. Sikhs also believe that they have a duty to protect people who are poor or in need, whether or not they are fellow Sikhs. The saint-soldier precept of Sikhism states that Sikhs should devote their lives to prayer, contemplation, and modest living, but that they should also be prepared to fight or even lay down their lives for those in need. As a result, many Sikhs have military training, and they are in fact heavily represented in the Indian military. They are also directed to integrate charity and service into their lives and they practice tolerance and love for all mankind, praying for all mankind as part of their daily prayers.
Sikhs belong to the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and are more than half a million strong in the United States. However, Sikhs continue to encounter racism and religious bigotry. In the aftermath of 9/11, Sikhs have been bullied in schools, profiled at airports, barred from workplaces like the military, and targeted in hate violence.
Sikhs do not proselytize, but their temples are open to all, and they are happy to talk to curious people about their religious faith. In communities with a large Sikh population, it is also common to see Sikhs active in various charity efforts, and many Sikh temples host regular vegetarian dinners which are open to the entire community.
Bigotry should be an anathema to us all, and massacre that arises out bigotry should leave us not only outraged with the loss of life and the aftermath, but also enraged with the injustice of executed judgment based on perverse perceptions. No bigoted massacre should be considered “lesser” because of a lack of understanding of the victims.
Until the next time, LLAP!
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Thanks for this commentary, Andrea, and for the education--doing the research we should all bother to do but don't. I appreciate it. And am more enlightened for it.
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