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canucksingh

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Posts posted by canucksingh

  1. The so called "Indo-Canadian gang-war" in B.C is just media sensationalism that has been pumped out for years. There are no real organized Indo-canadian gangs in B.C, Hells Angels have a firm grip on the illicit trade. Most these apnai kids (and kids are what most of them are) peddle low level crime like selling marijuana and fight amongst each other for slim pickings. I think legalization would put a stop to a lot of the crime experienced in B.C, but we will have to see the results of the next federal election before that would ever happen.

  2. "Don’t say the Vedas and the Books (Torah, Bible, Qura’an) are false. False is the one who does not study them." [1, 1350]

    "Kabir says this loud and clear, and you should think over it in your own mind. God pervades all persons unseen. He is the same in the Hindu as well as in the Muslim." [1, 483]

    "Some people call you Ram, others call You Khudaa. Some serve Gosain, some Allah. O Merciful Creator and Doer, have mercy upon me. Some bathe at holy places and others go for hujj. Some do pooja, others bow their heads. Some read the Vedas, others the Books. Some wear blue, others white. Some call themselves Muslims, others Hindus. Some seek bahisht, some suarg. O Nanak, say; whosoever has understood the Hukam (Divine order), has learnt the secret of God, the Master." [1, 885]

    "The temple and the mosque are the same, pooja and namaaz are the same. All mankind is one but appears to be several (groups). (The existence as different entities) of gods, the anti-gods, the yakshas and gandharvs; of the Muslims and the Hindus; is merely the difference in dress (outer appearance) of (people from) different countries. All have the same eyes, the same ears, the same body and the same form. They are all made of earth, air, fire and water. Allah and the Formless God are the same; the Purans and the Qura’an are the same; all are the same appearance, the same form." [2, 19]

  3. In my opinion I dont think it makes sense to say gurbani cures diseases,

    Moreover, I think a reasonable rebuttle would be, if someone does believe that prayer does cure diseases then what about the mass deaths experienced in countries like Africa where babies who dont even know the meaning of prayer die from futile diseases like diarrhea? Are they cursed for not doing their prayers? Are their pleas for health less than those who pray in the eyes of God?

    In my opinion people are too well settled with the idea that god will fix everything for them, that if Punjab is going through a drug epidemic we should pray for a solution, if gurdwarai in Pakistan are deteriorating because of lack of care we should pray for someone to fix that problem too, yet very few people look within themselves to take initiatives.

  4. I like the initiative TheLion, I think its a wholesome gesture. A lot of times mental illness in the South Asian community is brushed aside as "childish" behavior or Kala Jadhu. Often even loved ones can't sympathize with those experiencing the pain because pain in society is often wrongly associated with only physical wounds or scars. Mental illness in forms of depression, bi polar disorder, schizophrenia etc. is a disease as much any other health complication and needs to be taking serious as such by everyone in order to help support and seek proper medical attention for the individual. Although mental illness is often seen as taboo I have yet to met someone who hasn't struggled or knew someone that has battled it.

    This is an enlightening TED talk about one mans experience with depression.

  5. The fact that Sikhs are lumped in with those other minorities in Canada is frankly depressing for a non-Canadian such as myself. As much as I know it's true and appreciate the reasons behind it, that doesn't make it any less palatable.

    I believe in any country Sikh's will always be 'lumped in with those other minorities' by virtue of societies perception of coloured people. But I think the challenge for Canadian Sikhs and Sikhs around the world is to garner positive media attention that outshines the size of the community. I think in the case of Canada, if the focus of the community was less on petty Gurdwara politics and focused more on making a difference for the Sikh community and the Canadian nation as a whole, we would naturally have elevated our stance and duty as Sikhs and as Canadians.

    I think a great example is Jagmeet Singh of the Greater Toronto Area who has become a powerhouse in the NDP party.

    He is not only a Sardar and practising Sikh but also has a background as a Criminal Defence Lawyer and advocates on a federal level for important human rights issues and issues that concern the minority communities in his riding.

    So i think there is a lot of potential for Sikhs to elevate ourselves, not for the sake of anyone else, but because we as a community deserve positive representation.

  6. For those curious about the representation of Sikhs in Canada I would recommend the scholarly article written by

    Loveleen Kaur, "The Tear In the Fabric of Multiculturalism: The recurring image of the Sikh 'extremist'" in the journal Sikh Formations: Religion, Culture, Theory Volume 10, issue 1, 2014.

    According to Kaur,

    "It is when the tolerated Other crosses the lines of what is tolerable, does the myth of idyllic, multicultural nation become exposed. It is when Sikhs and other racialized communities are asking to be considered more than economic pieces – do the boundaries of tolerance get crossed. The application of the label of extremist on Sikh, Palestinian, Muslim, Tamil, Indigenous and other racialized communities within Canada only represents a community that is a deviant and refuses to be tolerated. They are communities who refuse to live on the fringes of society and challenge the power structures that exist. They are people who resist the liminal positioning of the racialized Other. The usage of the label of extremest gets used to demoralize the Other into a state of submission. However, it is in this moment where the state shatters its own mask that can allow for the Other to recognize the incomplete identities they are forced to occupy. It is in this moment that there can be conversations on ‘how communities of colour can begin to reframe these discourses, and so articulate the complex pragmatics of solidarity politics’ (Puar and Rai 2002, 136). It is in this moment that they can connect with their political histories and engage in a connectedness that goes beyond that of the borders of the nation-state."

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