News & Update

A few months after starting employment at Tom Wood Lexus, Gurpreet Singh of Greenwood, Indiana, was approached by several co-workers who had many questions. His appearance aroused curiosity. “How long is your hair?”, “Have you ever cut it?”, “How do you wrap that turban?”, were some of the most common questions that were asked. Inspired by this curiosity, Gurpreet decided to hold a “Turban Day”. “I wanted my co-workers to get a taste of being in my shoes for one day, so I decided to tie turbans on everyone who was interested. I picked a date close to Vaisakhi so that I could educate them more about Sikhism and how the Khalsa Panth was created.”

Turban Day was a success! Gurpreet felt heightened respect from his co-workers, supervisors and managers. “Everyone had a great time that day!” Gurpreet intends to turn this into an annual Sikh Awareness day at his workplace.

Gurpreet Singh, 19, is an avid member of Chardi Kala Sikh Youth Society of the Mid-West, whose mission is to partake in selfless service and spread awareness of Sikhism by education both in the immediate and wider communities.

~ Parminder Kaur
Source: http://www.sikhnet.com/ 

As I walked out of my office building for a short break, I saw this small Asian guy (looked like a Korean or Japanese to me) looking at me with a big question mark on his face. I could figure out that it was my look that had him wonder if I belonged to this planet. Looking at his uniform, I could make out that he worked for the local housekeeping contractor.

Next, I walk up to him and say “Hello”, his first reaction was to point at my turban and ask “What is that and why do you wear it?”. I give him a smile and said “I am a Sikh”. He tried to pronounce it a couple of time and got it just right on his fourth try. We shook hands and I ask him for a quick chat. He looked at his watch trying to ensure that he was not ignoring any planned housekeeping tasks, and agreed to join me.

As we stood out side on a rather chili afternoon with me sipping into my hot cup of coffee, he kept staring at me as I shared more details about Sikhism including a little bit of history and culture and most interestingly for him, my looks. As I shared with him the rationale behind keeping my hair uncut and wearing a colorful turban, he for some reason kept going back to the hair imagining how difficult it would be to manage this look.

As he decided to go back to work (still having the same look that he had 10 minutes ago), we gave each other a hug and said “Good Bye”.

I see him every day and our bond seems to get stronger each day. He greets me each morning trying hard to pronounce my name but he does say “Sikh” pretty well and that brings a sense of pride and a smile on my face.

As you read this post, I request you to take a few minutes to read about Sikhism here. We are all about peace, love and service to humanity.

And to my new found friend John, we are from the same planet and this is we !

Courtesy – www.nirmaljeet.com

“Mera Russey naa kalgiyan wala

Jag pavein sara russ jaye! “

YUBA CITY, Calif. – A Sikh in California was barred from jury duty because he refused to remove his Kirpan that his religion dictates he wear at all times.

Gursant Singh was told that he could not bring the dagger, known as a Kirpan, into a Sutter County courthouse in Yuba City as a matter of security.

“I either break the law for not showing up for jury duty — they can fine and imprison you if you don’t show up for jury duty — or I break my Sikh code of conduct, one of the two,” Singh said.

A kirpan is a 5-inch blade that serves as a reminder to come to the defense of those in peril.

Other physical articles of the Sikh faith are the kesh or long, uncut hair that symbolizes the perfection of God’s creation, the kangha or a comb used twice a day as a reminder to keep lives tidy and organized, the kara or iron band that is a reminder for restraint in action and the kachera, an undergarment that indicates a soldier’s willingness to be ready for battle or defense at a moment’s notice.

Singh said he would like to be a juror, but would go to jail rather than deny his religious beliefs.
He and dozens of supporters demonstrated outside the courthouse this week, demanding that they be allowed inside while wearing their ceremonial daggers. His jury duty was supposed to begin on Tuesday.

“I feel very strongly that as a citizen of the United States that I should be able to serve as a juror,” Singh said.

Sutter County Court Executive Officer Mary Beth Todd said the requirement that Singh remove his dagger was not an issue of religious freedom, but of security.
“We do have a no-weapons policy,” she said.

Court officials are concerned that the small blade would jeopardize the safety of everyone entering the building.

“It’s important to secure the courthouse,” Todd said. “There are many proceedings that go on every day. It can be an emotionally charged environment.”

The Sikh Coalition said that many other agencies have made exceptions for Sikhs to carry their kirpan, and that it would expect the same from the court.

“A Sikh man with a dagger has never in history gone into a movie theater or anywhere and attacked defenseless people,” Jaskarn Singh said.

Courtesy –
http://www.cbsnews.com/