Mumbai Attacks: Terrorism has no Religion
The terrorist attacks in Mumbai — which consisted of blasts in at least seven sites and which apparently targeted Westerners — have, as of this writing, claimed over 110 lives and injured a minimum of 300. Terrorism on this scale has the tendency to engender very common, basic reactions:...
Every Punjabi Girl
Ok, so on Friday, I write this sort of stupid post. It isn’t meant to be taken too seriously so relax (I’m sure many won’t, but oh well).
Last year, my friend sent me this link from craigslist. It was a ‘rant’ but in so many ways it is sooo true.
So here is my question,...
Heer Ranjha hits the Scottish stage
Posted by Camille in General on 11 28th, 2008 | 10 Comments
A retelling of Heer Ranjha is set to launch in Glasgow this week, and the screenwriters have done a fascinating job of trying to place the classic love story in a contemporary setting. Instead of the story of two villagers (Ranjha, who leaves his home and is hired by Heer), it’s the story of a...
Obama Supporters
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and celebrate what we are thankful for, rather than commemorate the manipulative actions of the Pilgrims (yes, in many ways this statement makes me feel better when I have my Thanksgiving meal)!
One of the things I am thankful for this year is Barack Obama’s victory...
Mumbai- November 26, 2008
Posted by Reema in General on 11 26th, 2008 | 48 Comments
If you haven’t already come across this link, CNN-IBN is streaming live (though the worst of the violence is definitely over).
Even by the standards of terrorism in India, which has suffered a rising number of terrorist attacks this year, the assaults were particularly brazen and dramatically different...
Flying While Sikh – Not on US Airways
Posted by Jodha in General on 11 26th, 2008 | 47 Comments
A Sardar friend of mine once recounted his experiences flying soon after 9/11. He was flying within California to a small Central California city. Upon arriving he had to wait for his plane-side check-in luggage and the air-hostess joked that he was lucky to have flown at all. When he asked why,...
Diaspora Sikhs in Punjab
Posted by Singh in General on 11 26th, 2008 | 5 Comments
Joint Post by Reema and Singh
The Book Club recently commented on the terminology and applicability of the term ‘diaspora’ to the Punjabi community outside Punjab-and whether ‘diaspora’ can apply to a group that won’t be returning to the homeland. For more discussion of...
Part 4 – Sikh Book Club – Sikhs In Britain: Between Factory and Family
Last week we actually had a conversation about the book (thanks RT!) and hopefully this week will continue the dialogue. Sorry for the delay in getting this up, airline delays are tough. Here we continue….
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The...
Moderates, Fundamentalists, and Now Orthodox Sikhs
Posted by Maple Leaf Sikh in General on 11 24th, 2008 | 116 Comments
Gotta love Kim Bolan. For years, the Sikh-Canadian community’s favourite journalist has gotten tremendous mileage from the monikers “moderate” and “fundamentalists” that she has used to describe the BC’s Sikh population. Now, in her reporting of the Guru Nanak Sikh...
Sikh Youth Slate wins Gurdwara election
Posted by Reema in General on 11 24th, 2008 | 51 Comments
Watch out Aunties and Uncles, the bachey are taking over the gurdwara!
Surrey, BC – In a historic decision by the Sikh Community of British Columbia, the Sikh Youth slate has been elected to the management committee of Gurdwara Sahib Guru Nanak Sikh Temple in Surrey, BC.
The Sikh Youth slate of...
Saving Baba Atal
My Nana Ji (maternal grandfather) often says: “Ja savair da bhulia, shaam noo ghar muriavye, ta oh nu bhulia nehee keheeda”. That if one is lost in the morning, but finds his way home by evening, he’s no longer lost. Hopefully that’s the case with Sikhs and their preservation of history and architecture.
Over...
Business Booming For Meat and Doda Shops
I know that we Punjabis love importing our culture and traditions to the countries we now call home, but this is getting ridiculous.
Brampton city councillor Vicky Dhillon is on a crusade to stop stores in his area from selling two kinds of decorative poppy flowers, which he said contain addictive opium.
Dhillon...
Gurdwara Expansions and Community Relations
Posted by Camille in General on 11 21st, 2008 | 6 Comments
On the topic of gurdwara construction, the El Sobrante Gurdwara here in the Bay Area recently had its on-site expansion authorized by the county Planning Commission [link]. The gurdwara is located in unincorporated territory, so it’s not controlled directly by city government, and it’s petitioned...
On the Proliferation of Sikh Temples
Posted by Publius in General on 11 21st, 2008 | 42 Comments
I recently came across this article, which notes that the construction on a new Sikh gurdwara in the UK is near completion. The cost for the gurdwara is a staggering £11m, all of which has been financed privately by members of the Sikh community.
The article compelled me to think about the growth of...
Please Donate! (No Turbans Allowed)
I just received a Community Advisory alert from SALDEF discussing the case of Gurnam Singh Khera who recently visited a community center in North Carolina to make a donation for their Thanksgiving Food Drive. Sounds great right? Except for the fact that Gurnam Singh is a Sardar and I guess it goes...
A new Sikh award
A new contest + award is in place for Sikhs. Who will be the Chic Sikh of the Year for 2008?
The sponsor is Sikhchic, the online magazine which promotes Sikhs in the arts (and also invites articles on an array of subjects). The nomination process is completely transparent, which makes it interesting....
Good Community Politics + Turbans = Bad Ethnic Politics?
Posted by Maple Leaf Sikh in General on 11 19th, 2008 | 21 Comments
It’s a dark and story night in northern Alberta city of Edmonton. Preparing for a national election that is still months away, the Conservative Party’s riding association in Edmonton-Sherwood is having its nomination meeting. Its not expected to be eventful, as everyone expected local municipal...
“The 1984 [anti-Sikh] riots were wrong”/Widow Colony
Posted by Singh in General on 11 19th, 2008 | 28 Comments
Recently, during a news conference in Amritsar, Rahul Gandhi reportedly condemned the widespread violence which followed his grandmother’s assassination by her bodyguards Satwant Singh and Beant Singh.
The 1984 riots were wrong, and I strongly condemn the carnage…
The comment came in...
A Look at the Spinning Wheel
Posted by Sundari in Art, California, Entertainment, Events, Film, Media, Sikhi on 11 18th, 2008 | 16 Comments
I spent the past weekend surrounded by Sikh Art and Film at the annual Spinning Wheel Film Festival in Hollywood. I usually attend these events with high expectations, hoping to be inspired and moved and there are always one or two films that provide that sustenance. The films were creative, such as...
Preserving What History We Have Left
Posted by Maple Leaf Sikh in General on 11 17th, 2008 | 8 Comments
“The first step in liquidating a people is to erase its memory. Destroy its books, its culture, its history. Then have somebody write new books, manufacture a new culture, invent a new history. Before long that nation will begin to forget what it is and what it was… The struggle of man against...
