The Singh Nod
Happy Monday!
Hate Hits Home: When My Friend Became A Target
Guest blogged by Simran Jeet Singh Last night, I received the kind of phone call that everyone dreads: a close friend was hurt, and on his way to the hospital. But the news got worse, as I learned that my friend, Dr. Prabhjot Singh, a young Sikh American professor at Columbia University, had been...
Miss World Punjaban 2008
I found this video of the Miss World Punjaban 2008 contest interesting because the contestant chose to highlight her Sikh identity that is intimately linked to Punjabi culture.  I find that it is easy for us to “intellectually” talk about the separation of the two identities.  However,...
The Punjab Project
Blogged by: Amol Singh A new generation of Sikh youth is coming up to age in a diaspora still unable to decently reflect or respond to the tragedies that have befallen the Panth. Although, cognizant of the injustices done to Sikhs, we have categorically failed at identifying a half-way legitimate vision...
“Saanjh”-Bay Area Sikh Retreat In Late August
“Saanjh”-the annual Bay Area Sikh Retreat is taking place Thursday, August 27th-Sunday, August 30th at the Monte Toyon campsite near Santa Cruz, California.  Share your experiences and connect with other Sikhs through a Guru-inspired sangat.  This year’s theme is “Developing a Panthic Vision...
Hate Crimes Heat Up in Oz
A Sikh exchange student from Punjab became the 20th victim, this year, of a hate crime in Australia. His attackers attempted to rip off his turban and forcibly cut his hair. According to the AFP, this is the latest in a wave of attacks against desis in Australia. These attacks have been the subject of...
Fear and Loathing in the Gurdwara
Earlier this week in B.C., hundreds of Sikhs protested the arrival of Mann Singh Pehowa, a granthi accused of rape, misconduct, and blasphemy. There is, of course, an underlying issue here regarding whether or not Pehowa supports his own dera, has encouraged blasphemy, etc. There is pretty widespread...
Ravi Singh Bhalla Wins City Council Seat
Ravi Singh Bhalla was elected to the City Council in Hoboken, New Jersey this past week!  A city that is less than 1% Asian and predominately white, Hobokens elected Bhalla with 5,810 votes.  Bhalla had the highest number of votes amongst the 6 candidates competing for the 3 council seats. In an e-mail...
Gurbakhash Kaur: Standing Up For Our Rights
Gurbakhash Kaur Questioning Vice President Joe Biden One of the major issues affecting the Sikh community is increasing civic engagement in the United States.  We often focus on getting more Sikhs to vote and lobby our politicians about the issues affecting our community. This lobbying general pertains...
Enjoy The Show But Leave Your Kirpan At Home
  Vaisakhi in the diaspora usually brings two things to those living in cities with large Sikh communities: Nagar Kirtans and Vaisakhi concerts. Unfortunately, if you were an Amritdhari Sikh in London this year and you wanted to partake in both, you would have been out of luck. Tickets for the recent...
“Sikh Knowledge”
It seems like Canada is showcasing one socially conscious Sikh rapper after another. TLH has covered “Humble The Poet” and now here is “Sikh Knowledge” from Montreal. Sikh Knowledge raps with Lotus on issues effecting the 2nd generation and marginalized peoples. Kanwar Anit Singh Saini, a.k.a....
Afghanistan’s “Person of the Year”: a 25 yr. old Sikh
Radio Free Afghanistan just chose Anarkali Honaryar for their “Person of the Year” award.  Coincidentally, Anarkali is a member of Afghanistan’s minority Sikh community.  At 25 years old, Anarkali is also a physician, a human rights activist, a member of Afghanistan’s Constitution...
Pushing Against Discrimination in the Passport Line
A couple of days ago Darshan Singh took his six-year-old son, Gurjot, to the post office to get a U.S. passport. Unfortunately, his experience is all too familiar: postal workers refused to take Gurjot’s photo, insisting he remove his “hat”: A Frisco father says his family’s trip...
SGPC President: “Sikh religion doesn’t permit…jeans”
SGPC Chief Avtar Singh Makkar recently put forth the stunning idea that the Sikh religion doesn’t permit women to wear jeans. Apparently jeans, along with sleeveless shirts, “attract undue attention and distract others.” [link] The background story: …authorities in educational...
Beyond Diversity Days
There was an interesting story recently on Cultural Diversity Day at a local middle school. In addition to featuring dancing, self-defense, and dialogues,  a few speakers lectured on their experiences or cultures, including a Sikh speaker: Wearing a bright blue turban that matched his outfit, Gurparkash...
“Sikh Turban Week” at UT Arlington
We’ve definitely covered stories on the trials and tribulations Sikhs have faced recently in Texas. I saw this and thought it would be nice to share what students at the University of Texas – Arlington are doing to help dispel ignorance around our faith community. The line outside the University...
Surrey Gurdwara goes to court over leadership
We’ve talked a little bit about the Sikh Youth Slate that ran for gurdwara elections — and won — in Surrey, as well as how mainstream Canadian media was framing the event. In that election, youth won the vote with a platform promising a focus on Sikhi, community-based service, and support...
California Assemblyman Introduces Bill to Protect the Kirpan
Assemblyman Warren Furutani (D-Long Beach) has introduced a new bill requiring awareness trainings and instruction on how to approach Sikhs for California’s law enforcement agencies and officers. If passed, California, which is home to the oldest Sikh gurdwara in the U.S. (Stockton) and one of...
Truth and hair- always assert themselves
The conflict between modern ideals of beauty and the requirements of the Sikh faith came up in a prior post.  Recently, Sukhmandir Kaur Khalsa spoke eloquently on this issue in an Arkansas publication.  Excerpted below are Khalsa’s perspectives on hair, beauty, and truth. “I liken the...
UN grades India’s freedom of religion for religious minorities
The UN Special Rapporteur for freedom of religion or belief visited India last year and just released her report on the country, highlighting, among other things 2 matters that are of special concern to Sikhs: (1) the situation of religious or belief minorities (generally) and (2) justice for victims...
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