The Power of Nightmares
Posted by Jodha in Entertainment, General, Politics, UK, USA on 02 29th, 2008 | Comments Off on The Power of Nightmares
Recently, I watched a brilliant documentary called The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of Politics of Fear. Produced by the BBC, this documentary is 3 one-hour films comparing the rise of the American Neo-Con movement with the radical Islamists. It discusses certain parallel ideologies and the symbiotic...
Breakthrough for HIV+ women in Punjab: a self-help group
We’ve discussed AIDS in Punjab and its impact on women before. An impressive and inspiring update has since taken place.
…a small group of HIV positive widows from rural Punjab has taken to a path that may prove to be a major initiative in making people living with HIV/AIDS self-reliant…
12...
Dear Momma
Posted by Jodha in General on 02 26th, 2008 | 35 Comments
There are no words that can express how I feel
You never kept a secret, always stayed real
And I appreciate, how you raised me
And all the extra love that you gave me
I wish I could take the pain away
If you can make it through the night there’s a brighter day
Everything will be alright if ya hold...
If You Don’t Know Me By Now
When an author chooses to write a memoir, they take the risk of unveiling a plethora of secrets that otherwise (and perhaps preferably) would remain buried. And when that author is Punjabi Sikh, it is almost guaranteed that issues will be brought up that make people uncomfortable. For our parents’...
“Nanak Kheti”: Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Natural Farming In Punjab
Guru Nanak Dev Ji is admired and well-known for his travels, for example, across South Asia and the Middle East by foot in an effort to begin the development of Sikh theology through engagement with others of different faiths and belief-systems. Even though I have always had great admiration...
Self-Determination
Posted by Reema in Politics on 02 20th, 2008 | 10 Comments
The U.S., France, and Britain (among other nations) have formally recognized Kosovo after it declared its independence on Sunday. This tiny province was unable to reach a deal with Serbia after decades of conflict and the dissolution of former Yugoslavia.
The province declared independence from Serbia...
Hiring a Hitman in Hoshiarpur
An interesting news article caught my attention yesterday. While we have read on this blog about ‘holiday brides’ and other problems in Punjab, it seems that these problems, along with many older ones (especially involving jameen [land]) have opened a new-old market for contract killings. According...
UPDATE: “All Eyez on Me,” Pakistan
Posted by Jodha in News, Politics on 02 19th, 2008 | Comments Off on UPDATE: “All Eyez on Me,” Pakistan
The pundits (is that really an appropriate word here?) were right, the Musharraf coalition suffered a crushing defeat. The party of the slain Benazir Bhutto, the PPP, gathered 31%of the national assembly seats(83/272), Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N gained 25% (69/272), and the Musharraf-backed PML-Q collected...
Preserving History the Right Way?
Good news! After years of coaxing and clamoring by Sikhs worldwide, the SGPC has recently committed to preserving Sikh buildings in their historic condition – instead of updating facades with rows of crisp white 4×4 tile, layers of white paint, and sheets of white marble, among other forms...
Update: Hook a Sikh Punjabi Brother Up
Update:
Who knows if the “Langar-ite Leap” helped Rohanpreet gain the maximum number of votes last weekend, but it surely did help. If you voted last week, make sure you vote again. If you didn’t vote last week, make sure this week you do.
It is down to the final 3. After an acrimonious...
The Longest Walk to the Lodi Sikh Gurdwara
While perusing the internet news, I found something interesting. It seems that Native Americans, in order to bring awareness to issues concerning both Native Americans and the global community, have started an initiative, called the Longest Walk 2008, commencing from San Francisco this past Tuesday...
Pyaar and Literature
Love lost, love gained, and love yearned for … HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
Some of the first things that comes to my mind when thinking about Valentine’s Day are thoughts of carnations, roses, scobby-doo miniature valentine day cards, and those sugary heart candies with statements like “Be Mine”...
Punjabiyaan (Canadiaan?) di boli
New census figures show that by 2011, Punjabi will step up two places to become the fourth most spoken language in Canada (after English, French, and Chinese). Apparently, not only is the influx of Punjabi immigrants driving these changes, but also a resurgence of Punjabi-learning among Canadian-born...
Mortgage Crisis, Foreclosures, and Punjabi Sikhs
Co-Blogged By Camille and Phulkari
The National Context: Subprime Markets & Immigrant Communities
It’s hard to read the economic news these days without coverage of two big issues — the subprime mortgage crisis and a looming recession. In many of these stories, the narrative of the subprime...
Pink Ludoos
Posted by Reema in General on 02 13th, 2008 | 18 Comments
Recently, in Cheema Kalan village near Ludhiana, some well known Punjabi singers entertained to bring awareness of social problems like sex-selective abortion. Singers in attendance included Sarabjit Cheema, Jaspal Jassi, Babbu Mann, Jasbir Jassi and Inderjit Nikku. Why were these singers willing to...
Will the Revolution be Televised? Sikhs and the Media
So, I’m a fan of Waris Singh Ahluwalia. It should be no surprise – he’s an actor who makes incredible jewelry and I’m all about diverse talents. Last year, with the release of The Darjeeling Limited, he did an interview and responded to being honored for his positive portrayal of Sikhs in the...
The Romance that is Panjabiyat
I recently read an article by Christine Moliner, a French doctoral student in anthropology. The article’s title “Frères ennemis? Relations between Panjabi Sikhs and Muslims in the Diaspora” caught my attention and I thought it raised a number of interesting questions. While the different...
Follow up: A “Sensible” Religious Response to LGBT Sikhs
Earlier this week I blogged about how Queer/LGBT Sikhs have been (shamefully) excluded from the Sikh community by religious leaders. Today, I was sent the following blog post and BBC article about “marriages of convenience” for queer desis who feel they cannot come out, by virtue of their...
On Common Ground – Sikhs and the DOJ
Posted by Jodha in Sikhi, USA on 02 8th, 2008 | Comments Off on On Common Ground – Sikhs and the DOJ
This tip just came in (thanks DJ Drrrty Poonjabi).
It seems that the US Department of Justice has released a training video, developed with SALDEF, for public view. Although the video has just been placed on their site, the US DOJ seems to have been using it for internal purposes since the Thanksgiving...
Threading, Unfair Labor Practices, and Activism
Yes, like many of the ladies out there in blog-reading land … we love (not the process, but the outcome) getting our eyebrows threaded and not waxed or plucked. I know for myself, I usually go to a small beauty shop where generally an immigrant South Asian woman has set-up shop by herself or has hired...
