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https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/dec/02/our-love-turned-us-into-pariahs-but-we-never-backed-down Opinions? Read the article before commenting, please. Don't go off based on the headline. Thoughts on the reason for a British newspaper posting such an article (can we keep the half-cocked comments on the two people involved to a minimum). Can such relationships ever be innocuous and above board, or is the history between the two faiths reason enough to assume that no relationship between a Sikh and a Muslim - particularly when the dynamic of the coupling is Muslim male and Sikh female - is ever harmless despite the intentions of the parties involved. I'd like a thoughtful and considerate conversation if that's not too much to ask.

Australian-first Sikh Grammar School aims creating future leaders and fast bowlers http://news.pardesilink.com/rajkot/article/1250/australian-first-sikh-grammar-school-aims-creating-future-leaders-and-fast-bowlers

CARING FOR OUR BAJURG (ELDERS) http://www.kaurscorner.com/caring-for-our-bajurg-elders/

I was researching for a university essay and came across this rather interesting blog piece. It's a great deconstructive take on the growth of major religions. Would be interested to see what everyone else thinks. http://ramblingsofasikh.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/sikhism-recent-and-modern-phenomenon.html

The Progressive Teacher http://barusahib.org/the-progressive-teacher/

Have you ever noticed how similar politics and religion are? Both make promises and predictions that rarely come to pass. Both set standards that are either unreasonable or impossible to attain. Both believe their sovereign leaders are fair and/or flawless, but the truth is that is only imaginary. Both crusade for a better life, but usually hopes and dreams remain what they are. Both promote freedom, equality and justice, yet only a minority enjoys those rights. Both vow to be transparent and trustworthy, but historically that is something that almost never happens. Both offer help and safety, but generally only to select groups. Both are charitable, but how and what they give is frequently hidden. Both accept donations, but how that money is used is anybodys guess. Both have people in charge who are sometimes an embarrassment and often a disappointment. Both govern and regulate in such a way that compromise is seldom the direction taken. Both are preoccupied with control and misrepresentation, but neither will admit it. Both are plagued with deception, hatred and violence and few are held accountable. How sad it is that two rights can often be so wrong. Politics and religion are practiced worldwide in some form or another. Their influence and power has somehow captured the hearts and manipulated the minds of supporters who remain loyal and true under any and all circumstances. Politics and religion have definitely made life better. However, most people give them far more credit than they deserve. Scott Olsen Sturtevant Source - http://journaltimes.com/news/opinion/mailbag/politics-and-religion/article_dcd495ca-2766-5690-892a-506e8e97739e.html

Are we obliged to challenge religion as unbelievers? 26 May 2014, 10:32 Should unbelievers be actively challenging the religious and their ideas or should we take a more passive approach? Should unbelievers be working as hard as the religious, to promote knowledge over faith, reality over superstition? Ive been accused all too often of being too open and aggressive with my views on religion and its lack of validity. Often being accused of being Just as bad as the evangelists, pushing my ideas whenever I can. This is my take on the issue It is our reasonability as unbelievers to point out the logical fallacies of religion whenever religion is presented or promoted. This should be done with the same vigor as the religious, to give young minds a chance to use all the information available in order to make informed choices. Simply leaving young minds unprotected from relentless religious brainwashing techniques that have been perfected over centuries is not an option, and quite frankly unforgivable. Part of the problem, as I see it, is that rationality demands more brain activity than the irrationality of faith. Religion has a default God did it, all you need is faith position that absolves us of our obligation to engage our brain and think. In fact the idea of surrendering your intellect in favor of faith is seen as a virtue - in my view a stupid idea. Faith being the easy option, is easy to peddle, especially to the young. Once the belief system is entrenched, it takes a great deal of effort and mental anguish to break these belief systems and replace them with a system based on Knowledge and Logic. In my view it is better to compete with religion as early as primary school level (before indoctrination is successful) if not earlier. This battle is basically an educational one. Kids need to be taught to be skeptical, to ask questions and to think for themselves. Our education system is far too fact regurgitation orientated and not critical thinking & problem solving orientated, causing students to be vulnerable to accepting false ideas as true, simply because someone in authority said it was. The idea that religion has special privileges and cannot be questioned is false and students need to be taught that surrendering their decision making to someone or something else is a very dangerous, bad idea. Its time to level the playing fields presenting all sides of the argument at all times using all the information available to us, so that we can move forward to a sane, rational society, free from superstitious woo woo. Source - http://www.news24.com/MyNews24/Are-we-obliged-to-challenge-religion-as-unbelievers-20140526

Sikh temple shows how to become dementia-friendly We meet the Bradford doctor working with her local gurdwara to improve access to information and support By Victoria Lambert 6:59AM BST 05 May 2014 Dementia can make all types of communication difficult for patients and carers especially when English is not your first language. Among the Punjabi-speaking older Sikh community, where there is a particular stigma attached to the disease, this leads to isolation among sufferers and puts additional strain on families. As a result, a pioneering West Yorkshire scheme to turn Sikh gurdwaras (temples) into dementia-friendly spaces, making them the first port of call for support, has attracted interest from across the country. It is also a nominee in the Alzheimers Society first Dementia Friendly Awards, sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group and supported by The Telegraph, the winners of which will be announced on May 20. The awards recognise communities, organisations and individuals that have helped to make their area more dementia-friendly. Part of the group behind the Bradford-based initiative quietly launched 18 months ago is Dr Bhajneek Grewal, 24. She and her husband Dr Rajinder Singh, 27, are both in training: Dr Grewal hopes to be a consultant in palliative care; Dr Singh intends to train as a GP and specialise in rehabilitation medicine. The couple hope their local temple, Ramgarhia gurdwara, could act as a template for others across Britain. Dr Grewal explains: There is a serious stigma attached to dementia in the Sikh community, and we want to help dispel that by improving access to information and support for anyone in the community who is affected either personally or as a carer. The gurdwaras are community spaces as well as temples of worship, so they are already familiar places for most Sikhs. But we wanted to make them easier to use our first act was to try and make the space easier to navigate, making sure there are clear signs in both Punjabi and English, so people know where to find the meeting rooms or even the toilets. Meanwhile, weve organised surveys and questionnaires to establish what is known or understood about dementia, and we are running workshops so that families can learn about the illness, and what resources are available through the GP service or local carers groups. There are plans for courses, lectures and physical and virtual information portals. Dr Grewal adds: One of the strengths of the Sikh community is that families are very self-supportive, but this can mean a reluctance to seek help. As Sikhs get older, there is an acceptance of problems such as memory loss, she points out, without understanding that this is a symptom of an illness, not an inevitable part of ageing. Dr Grewal has seen dementia in her family although among relatives living in India but she has observed how friends have struggled locally to get the support they need for a mother or father affected by Alzheimers. She and Dr Singh are also driven to help because of their religion; Sikhs believe it is their duty to serve their community. This is a humble project, she says, but we believe we are beginning to make an impact. We hope next to train people to act as Sikh dementia ambassadors who can act as gatekeepers for information, improve local education and offer support where its needed most. For more details, go to dementiafriendlygurudwaras.com. The awards shortlist is at alzheimers.org.uk/dementiafriendlyawards Source - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/10808058/Sikh-temple-shows-how-to-become-dementia-friendly.html

Sikh Community Needs To Reconsider Its Perceptions About The West, Russia And China DR. SAWRAJ SINGH INTERNATIONALAFFAIRS / EDITORIAL Generally, the Sikhs have an impressionabout the 1984 tragedy that IndiraGandhi (the Indian Prime Minister at thetime) was too close to the Soviet Unionand was very hostile to western countries.Even some Sikh scholars feel that Russiaincited and helped Mrs. Gandhi to attackSri Harmandir Sahib and the Akal Takhtin 1984, while western countries wereopposed to the attack. These impressions,along with some other factors,have contributed to the westward tiltamongst Sikhs. After the glorious revolutionof Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, afeudal and elite sect emerged among theSikhs which eventually struck a compromisewith the British colonialists andaccepted a subservient position. Theirstand was completely against Sikh principles,which emphasized continuous andunending struggle against oppressors,and was responsible for the beginning ofthe tilt toward the West. The increasedimmigration of Sikhs to the westerncountries, which is more than any othercommunity in India, has furtherincreased this tilt. However, the justreleased secret British documents(declassified after many years) about the1984 tragedy have shocked many Sikhsand shattered their previously held beliefsabout the tragedy, the West, and Russia.Their generally held impressions aboutwestern and Russian roles in the tragedyhave been challenged by the newlyemerged facts. Many Sikhs may realizethat western capitalism comes close tothe Mayadhari Sansar (an unbalancedmaterialistic society) which is condemnedin Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The conceptof a so-called liberated man in westerncapitalist society who is free to pursue hisdesires, also comes close to the conceptof Manmukh (a self-willed individualwho follows the desires of his mind)which is severely criticized in Sri GuruGranth Sahib. Similarly, the anti-Russianfeelings are not supported by these facts.First of all, we have to understand thatthere is a big difference between theSoviet Union and Russia. Even thoughthe Soviet Union was founded uponMarxist revolutionary principles, yet thefact is that it was thoroughly influencedby western capitalist principles of puttingeconomics above ethics and had mostlybetrayed the Marxist revolutionary principlesand transformed into a Socialimperialist state running almost parallelwith the American imperialists. It was nolonger a nationalist or revolutionaryRussia, but had become one of the twosuperpowers, the other being the US.However, after the collapse of the SovietUnion, a new nationalist Russia, qualitativelydifferent than the Soviet Union,has emerged. The new Russia is nowplaying an anti-imperialist role. The presentRussia cannot be blamed for the mistakesof the Soviet Union. The newRussia is working closely with China toend western domination and Americanhegemony, and for a more equal and justworld order. The western imperialistswant to finish all diversity and lead to aunipolar world under their dominationand under their culture and value system.All kinds of diversity: cultural, national,religious, social, economic, ethnic, racial,and political are seen as obstacles to thewestern quest for dominating the world,and finishing diversity and leading to uniformity.All forces who want to preservetheir identities and independent existenceare in the same boat. Therefore, theSikhs, along with other religions, are inthe same boat with Russia, China, Islamiccountries, and other third world countries.They are all struggling against westerncultural invasion.Even though all facts about the 1984tragedy are not before us, yet some thingsare obvious. Under British law, secretgovernment documents are released aftera period extending over some decades.However, some documents are still beingwithheld. We should demand for all ofthe documents to be made public so thatwe can know the whole truth about thetragedy. Whatever facts we have learnedso far, they all indicate that there was acommunication about OperationBluestar between the British governmentand the Indian government, long beforethe operation started. The British advisedthe Indian government and participatedin some way in this operation. Americaand England work hand-in-glove.Therefore, we cannot imagine that theBritish did not inform the Americansabout the operation and did not havetheir approval. Therefore, it is not justthe British but probably the westernblock that was involved in some manner.There are also suggestions that a lucrativetrade deal between India and Englandwas also considered at that time. Thisgoes to prove that the fundamental conceptof western capitalism, that economicsare above ethics, has not changed.This concept has led the west to abandonand negate the spiritual aspect of life forall practical purposes, and limit it only tothe material aspect. Therefore, the western-dominated globalization is economic-only globalization without any ethicalaspect. I feel that we Sikhs are less clearabout the roles of the west, Russia, andChina than other religions and communities.For example, Islam and the Sikh religionare the youngest among the sixmajor religions of the world. However,there is a very big difference in the clarityabout the roles of the West, Russia,and China between the Muslims and theSikhs. Most of the Muslims see westernconsumerist culture as the biggest threatto their religion. However, many Sikhsgenerally seem to have a more favorableimpression of western consumerist cultureand are less concerned about westerncultural invasion.We can have many differences withRussia or China, yet we have to understandthis fact that like us, they are alsostruggling to preserve their identities andtheir independent existence from thewestern cultural onslaught. Russia and China are workingtogether to end western dominationand American hegemonyso that the world canbecome more equal and just.The struggle is not simple andis not in a straight line, but isvery complicated and is in spirals.However, the ultimate aimis good; they want to changethe western-dominated andAmerican-led unipolar world toa multipolar world.The Sikhs should rise to theoccasion and let the wholeworld know that the concept ofa multipolar world is basedupon Guru Nanaks message oftolerance, accepting diversityand pluralism, love, universalconcern, universal welfare, andpeaceful coexistence. Todaysmajor trends are the decline ofthe West and the rise of theEast. Russia and China representthe leading forces of theEast. However, Sri GuruGranth Sahib represents thecontinuous evolution and thezenith of eastern wisdom andspirituality. Therefore, it canprovide an alternate model ofdevelopment to the collapsingwestern capitalist model.Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. isthe Chairman of the WashingtonState Network for Human Rightsand Chairman of the CentralWashington Coalition for SocialJustice. He can be reached at sawrajsingh@hotmail.com. Source - http://thelinkpaper.ca/?p=35428

A few days ago, I think it was on this forum, that I came across an article regarding Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. It answered some question relating around him and the police. It mentioned something about him presenting himself to the police along with 50 others before going into Nanak Niwas. I have been looking for it ever since but cannot find it. Can anyone please help me look for it?

Just ahead of Sant Baba Deep Singh’s Shaheedi divas this Friday (10th February 1758), an inspiring and informative article has been written on Sant Jees entire life. From growing up around Guru Gobind Singh Jee, to fighting the Durrani army in Battle of Amritsar, all is revealed in this exclusive biography! -Guaranteed to be an interesting read! Please check it out on www.kclsikhsoc.wordpress.com We have written other articles on -History of Sri Harmandar Sahib –destruction and restoration -Guru Gobind Singh Jee and His Gurbani -Battle of Chamkaur Sahib -Saka Sirhind -Shaheedi Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Jee All articles are in English and fun and easy to read for Sikh youth! Forgive us in advance for any mistakes www.kclsikhsoc.wordpress.com

Waheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Jee Ke Fateh! Daas is co-president at Kings College London University Sikh Society and with a group of students we have started a new project called 'Sikhi Explored', where we research and write about Sikh historic events. We design the newsletters ourselves and reference all our sources. All the writing is original and we refrain from copy and pasting from websites. The aim is to produce articles that are interesting for Sikh students/ youth to read and give them a basic understanding of key ithiaas. We read different aritcles, books and listen to katha to make sure the history is as accurate as possible. We give a basic summary to make sure that students and Sikh Youth are not put off by the length of the articles. So far we have produced 5 articles on; Shaheedi of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Jee, Birthday of Sahibzada Baba Fateh Singh, Battle of Chamkaur Sahib, Shaheedi of Chotte Sahibzade and finally Guru Gobind Singh Jee and His beautiful Gurbani. We have a dedicated site www.kclsikhsoc.wordpress.com, which is used to publish the work and I humbly ask if you can look through the articles which we have written and if you approve, perhaps share them with Sikh Youth/ Students. If you could also provide us with some feedback either by replying to this post or on the site, than that would be much appreciated as it is only with Sangats input that we can improve. Please let me know if there is anybody would like to support this and I would also like to say that we are happy to take off any logos, as we are not looking to promote the name of KCL Sikh Soc, but only want Sikh Youth to learn about our beautiful and rich history. Forgive me in advance if we have made any mistakes. Gurfateh! (You can also email us at sikh.soc@kcl.ac.uk)