Sikh Youth Should Patrol Sikh Areas

[JagsawSingh]

Now, lets look at 2 notorious, crime ridden inner city neighbourhoods : Crown Heights in Brooklyn New York and Hackney in London. Both these areas are similar as both have orthodox Jews living alongside blacks. Crime is endemic in both these neighbourhoods but the one constant is that the orthodox Jews in these areas suffer no crime or intimidation at the hands of their fellow neighbourhood dwellers.

So why is this ?

Well, it's because ib both these areas and in all other working class, inner city Jewish neghbourhoods, such as Stoke Newington near Tottenham etc, the Jews have what they call the 'Shomrim'. Every Jewish neighbourhood on earth, from London to New York, from Paris to Beunos Aires, has a Shomrim.

The Shomrim is made up of able bodied Jewish men who take it in turns to patrol their neighbourhoods as a small group. They ensure the property of Jews is kept safe. They ensure elderly Jews are kept safe. They ensure the honour of their womenfolk is kept safe.

Using the various north and north east London Shomrims as an example, they have the blessing and active support of the local councils and police.

Now, lets look at our own Sikh neighbourhoods. Lets look at Southall. Southall is now officially London's hotspot for prostitution and drugs etc. As soon as it gets dark a drive down Southall Broadway would shock even the most broadminded amongst you. An absolute cesspit of immorality. The daytime isn't much better and its not much better in our other Sikh areas such as Wolverhampton and Birmingham etc. Our elderly Sikhs are attacked and robbed and our girls are openly targetted.

So where are our able bodied men ? Where is our 'Shomrim' ?

[Big_Tera]

Shouldn't Sikhs just move out of crime ridden areas? I mean why are Sikhs living in areas that are bad in the first place?

I lived in a rough area when I was growing up ie full of crime and now I moved out into a better area. With Sikhs being one of the wealthiest communities we can afford to move into better areas.

[JagsawSingh]

Crime ridden areas only become 'crime ridden areas' when the people who live there do nothing, sit back and watch it happen.

Those areas, are OUR neighbourhoods. We don't need to run to the suburbs. We need to create an environment where our community is safe. We need to care more about what happens right outside our front garden and our Gurdwara gates. See thats what I don't understand about Southall. There's 30 or 40 Gurdwaras here and right outside them are prostitutes openly plying their trade, dealers openly dealing their poison and more drug addicts than you've had hot dinners. I don't understand how and why the sangat close their eyes and ears to it.

[jkvlondon]

Shouldn't Sikhs just move out of crime ridden areas? I mean why are Sikhs living in areas that are bad in the first place?

I lived in a rough area when I was growing up ie full of crime and now I moved out into a better area. With Sikhs being one of the wealthiest communities we can afford to move into better areas.

Why are you so foolish not everyone is minting it ...some don't have choices. I grew up in Hackney and yes it was hard during the seventies, better in the eighties but now with the guns and drugs I am glad my brother managed to move his family out , but my Mum still lives there and my sister and her family they have no choice . Anyway point is Sikhs' duty is to end evil in his corner of the universe even if it starts from under his roof, then slowly spreads to the 'hood. Evil only prospers when good men stay silent. If everyone used your mentality then everyone will leave Punjab and settle abroad then Punjab will become Hindu by majority then we would lose our rights there. One can stay and stand our ground in the face of trouble as my folks did in our childhood or run to the easy life 'dying a thousand deaths' every time we hear trouble is growing closer in the news. Lets agree to stand and hold position for the good folks in the universe

[Big_Tera]

Why are you so foolish not everyone is minting it ...some don't have choices. I grew up in Hackney and yes it was hard during the seventies, better in the eighties but now with the guns and drugs I am glad my brother managed to move his family out , but my Mum still lives there and my sister and her family they have no choice . Anyway point is Sikhs' duty is to end evil in his corner of the universe even if it starts from under his roof, then slowly spreads to the 'hood. Evil only prospers when good men stay silent. If everyone used your mentality then everyone will leave Punjab and settle abroad then Punjab will become Hindu by majority then we would lose our rights there. One can stay and stand our ground in the face of trouble as my folks did in our childhood or run to the easy life 'dying a thousand deaths' every time we hear trouble is growing closer in the news. Lets agree to stand and hold position for the good folks in the universe

Okay Maybe I was presuming everyone could afford to move. I dont think we as Sikhs need to think ourselves as some kind of superman though. Where we can singly single handedly taken on the world. At the Moment Sikhs cant fix their own problems such as caste, conversions, drink alchol abuse ect. Never mind pretending to be some kind of righteous people who can turn around crime ridden areas with the flick of our sword. Its time Sikhs did what was best for Sikhism. Ie instead of this notion that we are the protectors of the world. We need to focus on ourselves first.

Im not saying leave Areas where there is a high Sikh Population. Im refering to those areas where 90% of the Population is Muslim. I see so many complaining that their area is over run by criminals or Muslims. But deep down maybe these people probably want to live in a muslim area as they have become use to the muslim way of life.

Ive got relatives in Hackney and I think people just don't want to move out of there as they have lived there so long. It feels like home. Hackney is a dangerous area btw so much drug dealing and crime. Even Black people want to leave there and its mainly a black area.

[jkvlondon]

Okay Maybe I was presuming everyone could afford to move. I dont think we as Sikhs need to think ourselves as some kind of superman though. Where we can singly single handedly taken on the world. At the Moment Sikhs cant fix their own problems such as caste, conversions, drink alchol abuse ect. Never mind pretending to be some kind of righteous people who can turn around crime ridden areas with the flick of our sword. Its time Sikhs did what was best for Sikhism. Ie instead of this notion that we are the protectors of the world. We need to focus on ourselves first.

Im not saying leave Areas where there is a high Sikh Population. Im refering to those areas where 90% of the Population is Muslim. I see so many complaining that their area is over run by criminals or Muslims. But deep down maybe these people probably want to live in a muslim area as they have become use to the muslim way of life.

Ive got relatives in Hackney and I think people just don't want to move out of there as they have lived there so long. It feels like home. Hackney is a dangerous area btw so much drug dealing and crime. Even Black people want to leave there and its mainly a black area.

It does not take a superman or superwoman to do the right thing in your own home/family/neighbourhood just someone who wants to live in the truth. We grew up in an area with very few asian let alone sikh families and that didn't stop us from follow Guru ji and trying to speak up for ourselves or others . Doing Right is never easy ...that why the path is so narrow and difficult but with Waheguru at your side why not???

[Big_Tera]

It does not take a superman or superwoman to do the right thing in your own home/family/neighbourhood just someone who wants to live in the truth. We grew up in an area with very few asian let alone sikh families and that didn't stop us from follow Guru ji and trying to speak up for ourselves or others . Doing Right is never easy ...that why the path is so narrow and difficult but with Waheguru at your side why not???

Well Why did you move out of Hackney then lol? Are you not being hypocritical?

Anyway I completely agree that Sikhs should not just move at the drop of a hat when there is crime in their areas. But why make it harder for yourself and try and be some kind of hero if you have the means to leave. Its not about running away. Its about keep your family safe from crime ect..

[Koi]

Well Why did you move out of Hackney then lol? Are you not being hypocritical?

Anyway I completely agree that Sikhs should not just move at the drop of a hat when there is crime in their areas. But why make it harder for yourself and try and be some kind of hero if you have the means to leave. Its not about running away. Its about keep your family safe from crime ect..

Ok, but if we keep moving, where do we stop and make our stand? Where does it end?

[jkvlondon]

Well Why did you move out of Hackney then lol? Are you not being hypocritical?

Anyway I completely agree that Sikhs should not just move at the drop of a hat when there is crime in their areas. But why make it harder for yourself and try and be some kind of hero if you have the means to leave. Its not about running away. Its about keep your family safe from crime ect..

When I married, my Husband lived South of the water, in 'beautiful' New Cross Gate we uased to go into Lewisham to shop (prime gang area) then moved around the corner to Brockley ...the place was more worrying than where I came from,the first day we moved into our rental home i got told that I would be burnt out of my home (at the time I was expecting my first) we stayed until little one was about four months and moved back to hackney/Bethnal green border to make our days shorter (two and half hour commute each way from Brockley).We moved to Newbury Park because our landlord wanted to sell his property and we ran out of space (one to three babies). All in all I have seen a lot of neighbourhoods including Plumstead where Mum and Dad had their first shop , blackheath , Woolwich (cousins ) I think you can make a go whereever you land up, as long as you stay strong mentally.

[Big_Tera]

When I married, my Husband lived South of the water, in 'beautiful' New Cross Gate we uased to go into Lewisham to shop (prime gang area) then moved around the corner to Brockley ...the place was more worrying than where I came from,the first day we moved into our rental home i got told that I would be burnt out of my home (at the time I was expecting my first) we stayed until little one was about four months and moved back to hackney/Bethnal green border to make our days shorter (two and half hour commute each way from Brockley).We moved to Newbury Park because our landlord wanted to sell his property and we ran out of space (one to three babies). All in all I have seen a lot of neighbourhoods including Plumstead where Mum and Dad had their first shop , blackheath , Woolwich (cousins ) I think you can make a go whereever you land up, as long as you stay strong mentally.

Okay I get your point, I know about moving myself all over the UK. nice story btw.

I grew in a 100% white area near Manchester. And We were the only Sikh family on the street an no asians for miles. It was a quite racist area lot of crime. But the white people knew we were Sikh and not Muslim. Hence we didnt get racism. My family built The very first Sikh temple In Preston Lancashire in 1964. Now its has one of the biggest Sikh communities in the North West. Then I moved London Forest Gate/Ilford when I was 12 and for the past 14 years been living here and love it.

I still go back but I defiantly prefer London. Alot more opportunities, better universities, more diverse ect.