MisterrSingh

Extolling the virtues of even the occasional recreational drink isn't going to be looked upon favourably by practicing Sikhs, no matter how it's justified.

This fella's undertaking online dawah. On the streets or behind a computer it makes no difference. Spread lies, create confusion in the minds of the uninformed ("you know, maybe Islam isn't the way it's been portrayed"), standard Islamic deceptions. Appealing to our common sense of humanity, pleading to see things his way in the hope a gullible Sikh steps in and wags his finger at us like we're naughty school children for being so intolerably unwelcoming. So transparent. All that's left is to label us as paranoid, and job done.

Another book a fellow forummer recommended to me a few days ago is Cynthia Mahmood's Fighting for Faith and Nation. From the few pages I've read in the preview it's exactly what you're looking for. Good luck with your dissertation. I wish you the best.

You guys never give up, lol! Even with irrefutable evidence, you'll still peddle the "It's all lies!" party line. I'm not even angry, I'm actually impressed. That takes some dedication. Carry on, good sir, your rewards await you in your "paradise." BTW, if you don't like it, I suggest you stay on your own forums.

Wot happened?

Who, funnily enough (not 'ha-ha' funny), would get chopped up by the Taliban or ISIS in a hypothetical caliphate for indulging in haraam or un-Sharia activities. Yet, some of these Muslims who sympathise with enforcers of Sharia also love beating the drum for how Nusrat was a genius (he was IMO) and how much they adore his music. Lots of cognitive dissonance going on.

They really say that, do they? Amazing, absolutely amazing. Can anything they say be taken as the truth? Taqqiya in full affect once again, lol.

It may work for them, but if you feel it's negatively impacting your faith in Sikhi, then walk away and find a method that gives you the peace you're seeking. If these doubts increase you may end up becoming disillusioned with the entire concept of Sikhi and religion. That's a tough place to be in. Have a word with someone you trust in that group and ask them what's going down. If it's all vague and "You aren't trying hard enough" sentiments being thrown back at you, then look inside yourself for the answer.

Orcs getting beheaded are somehow permissible (probably because of their fantasy / grotesque appearance), but I think a kid would get freaked out if it was human. I was watching Schwarzenegger movies at the age of 7 (his gory, violent period) and it never did me any harm. I'm mellow and well-adjusted, I think. Depends on the child. If the kid is easily led or emotionally delicate it will affect young minds for sure. My dad always made a point to loudly declare when watching violent films with me, "It's fake. It's just acting." At the time I thought he was annoying me, but now I realise it was the desi way of getting me to think it was not reality. It worked. LotR is a great introduction to concepts of good and evil for youngsters. It's not over-simplified so that it becomes childish in the extreme, as well as not too complex that the kid gets bored.

Seven is fine. Get started on the samurai swords asap. I'm kidding, lol. Although, Kurosawa? Seven Samurai? That's awesome. C.S. Lewis is a great starting point. I began with the Narnia series too. It was the lion that drew me in (Singh iconography and all that).

How ironic.

That's the first thought that crossed my mind. Spot on. They were very smart people way before they fell under the sword of Islam. That faith didn't just increase their I.Q.'s and made them world-beaters, lol, as you well know. It's a shame what happened to the Zoroastrians (Persians) when they succumbed to Islam. They were a wonderfully unique culture pre-Islam.

Absolutely. To be fair to the Muslims of that time in that particular part of the landscape they were leading the world in many fields, whilst the Europeans were scrabbling around in the Dark Ages or just a bit after.

Flipping Mongols also heralded the end of the so-called Islamic Golden Age due to their conquests. You never know, things may have turned out differently if they hadn't been so barbaric.

Let her see Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2 and watch as she discovers how a ankhi warrior female behaves in times of trouble. Job done. You'll never have to worry about her safety again, lol.

A Saudi acquaintance I knew in my uni days would tell me how during the annual Hajj to Mecca, there is a lot of unspoken "ooch-neech" going on between what the Arabs would refer to as the "Conquered & Converted" groups, I.E the Pakistani, Bangla, Indian, African, etc, Muslims. The aforementioned Arabs would consider these Muslims as a lower class of Muslim, and not in the same league as the naturalised Muslims. The "C&C lot" he'd refer to them, lol. Another myth they've fabricated to hoodwink gullible people.

You have something of the Sufi about you, lol.

To clear up another misconception surrounding Sufism, the mistaken assertion that it's almost a benevolent strand of Islam at odds with its more forceful and vociferous stablemates is inaccurate and misleading. Their raison d'etre is the same as the orthodox strands of Islam. The aim will always be the propagation of Islamic superiority, Sufi or not, the only difference being the Sufi will prefer a softly-softly approach, in stark contrast to the immediate rush towards domination of the type of Islam preferred by the Sufi's religious cohorts. The end result will always be the same. So it's quite perplexing as to why they are considered to be on the fringes of Islam (or beyond its borders according to some) when their aims are identical with the only fundamental differences being the respective approaches, as well as the slight dharmic-derived deviations in belief. The ummah reigns supreme no matter what else may occur. The phrase, "Killing me softly" springs to mind. If I was playing devil's advocate and I was a Muslim with designs on Islamic supremacy, I'd play the long game, pretend to be the conciliatory friend who means no harm, and then when my moment came I'd quietly sneak up behind the victim and end it. But I suppose the general violent and bloodthirsty Islamic mentality that gets a thrill from suffering and destruction would not be satiated by such a relatively mellow approach, lol.

Aren't these same Sufi saints considered to be apostates by the Sunni, Salafi, and Shia elements in Islam? These are the same Sufi saints whose shrines and followers are attacked with violence by other sects within Islam? One would assume if these Sufi saints performed such noble acts as increasing the numbers of Islam through parchaar they'd be venerated and respected as loyal soldiers of their faith. So why does mainstream Islam look down on them as fruity mystics extolling a bastardisation of the "true" message?

Well there was God's work to be done before we showed up. The world wasn't on hiatus until then. If a few required special blessings to fulfil their duties, then what's wrong with that? You don't think another God created non-Sikhs, do you?

I don't think it's about seeing it as you'd see you or me (although some people can see colours of various auras). The "feeling" or mood that undesirable person causes in another, or unknowingly emits, is the important signifier. A sizeable group of cut-hair individuals have great abilities. I don't think it's a dearth of kesh for these girls that's the issue. The problem lies within. There's something that's missing inside of them that causes these lapses of judgement. Some might say the 5 vices have taken a firm grip on such a person. I think it's a bit more.

God existed before 1469, bro. --- http://www.sott.net/article/234783-The-Truth-About-Hair-and-Why-Indians-Would-Keep-Their-Hair-Long

@mrggg123 - I still reckon I could get a high success rate, lol. There's something intrinsically "Islamic" about their being that just isn't shared by non-Muslim Punjabis, regardless of similar upbringing in humble or deprived areas, or even apparent similarities in the use of language. It's tough to describe without being vague. It's more of an art than a science, lol.

No idea. Who are they?

Thanks, Balkaar Singh. Those sound exactly like the type of titles I'm after. I've decided to start with Khushwant Singh's 2 volumes on Sikh history to get a thorough grounding on the subject on a sociological and political level at least. I'm aware if I'm expecting any theological enlightenment I will be disappointed, lol. But I realised that, aside from accounts from sakhis, my knowledge of what life was like for Sikhs in the times of our Gurus, in terms of the grittiness of everyday life, was sorely lacking. Those Mahmood books sound brilliant. Thanks again.