Edmonton Sun And Air India

[Harmeet Singh]

As I read the article I couldn't feel more humiliated by constant nagging done on sikhs in the Canadian Media. Do sikhs have any respect in the canadian media? Do have any any sikh journalists who can teach these people a ethical sense of journalism.

How hypocrite is this when the author claims to defend the supreme ct decision to wear kirpan in school but can't seem to defend the other supreme ct decision on Air India.

Following are her comments

You can always find examples of the hazards of Canadian multiculturalism - like our infamous Muslim-extremist Khadr family and the terrorist Sikhs who perpetrated the Air India bombings.

Terrorists sikhs?? she must be dragged to the court for defamation.

Please do write to the editor and the author of the editorial. Be polite, first apreciate the authors stand to defending the SC's decision on kirpan then proceed towards defaming sikhs. It is very important that sikhs take these defamations seriously in the media so that we can put a stop to all this.

E-mail(author) Mindy Jacobs at mjacobs@edmsun.com.

Letters to the editor should be sent to mailbag@edmsun.com.

Story: http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Columnists...06/1475852.html

[Jai Tegang!]

But the journalist is only calling those guys who were on trial....right? so how is it defamation of all sikhs?

I don't like seeing the words "sikh" and "terrorist" in the same sentence either, but in this case, we can't say the media is being biased. it's just stating the facts.

I'm just happy that she supported the Kirpan issue.

[Harmeet Singh]

that is my point how are those guys terrorists, can she prove?Infact she is not pointing those guys on trial- she is saying sikh terrorists did it..in that case she is making a "provabale" statement.

also one time you are saying you don't like to see sikh and terrorits together and then you say its not defamation

[crayzy]

its not defamation - but write and say that multiculturalism has nothing to do with the bombings, rather it was oppression and human rights violations by the Indian government aginst Sikhs that sparked the bombings.

The word terrorist holds coz they attacked people that had nothing to do with the task at hand.

[sikh supreme]

I do understand anger and frustration with canadian ring-wing press.

But shes written quite a postive article apart from that reference to air india bombings and "terrorist sikhs". So maybe we should just be cautious who to complain about. I persume from that article she's jewish or something maybe she needs to learn about Israel's history how it was founded after jewish terrorist attacks against the British Army and others in palestine.

[Jai Tegang!]

This is actually the first positive article i've read since the kirpan decision by the SC.

Most journalists tend to stay ont he side of caution adn not go TOO against public opinion, and believe me right now the vast majority of public opinion is against the kirpan, so lets just be thankful to this journalist for her positive article.

Infact, by her mentioning "sikh terrorists" in the same article as supporting the kirpan it shows readers that the kirpan is not associated with unlawful, terrorist behaviour. She indirectly dissociates the stigma of air-india from the kirpan issue.

[buddasingh]

The judgment is online to verify the following. Apologies for my laziness right now, but if I recall correctly from my reading, the prosecution alleged that the cause of the plane going down was a bombing by "Sikh" terrorists. The defence for the accused did not take issue with this.

I am guessing that in the marathon trial, the defence chose to strategically pick and choose the defence and there was such a weak case against the accused that the defence felt it necessary to focus their efforts on this and not what else or who else took may have taken the plane down.

The issue of the cause of the AI plane going down was not on trial from what I understand. The prosecution put forth their theory that "sikh terrorists" did it. Defence simply was interested in saying the men before the court were not guilty.

The media took this to suggest that there was a "finding" that "Sikh terrorists" placed a bomb on the plane. It is interesting that someone can suggest a finding of fact by the court of identity without the court having identified any guilty party.

The warped anti-sikh media had to salvage and do damage control after the decision. Not all media were merely reporters. There was a mission by members of the press to see convictions. They shaped public opinion against the accused to a fever pitch before, during and after the trial. The judge was hearing prosecution witnesses make fools of themselves and the media started believing the fantasy they were creating. After all what they said led to international headlines. Reporting fact was irrelevant as they also assisted to create enormous political and public pressure toward convictions.

In doing damage control after not guilty verdicts, the media tried to push as part of their agenda that "the court concluded Sikh terrorists did it".

All the above aside, it is offensive to repeatedly use the words "Sikh terrorists". Do we hear Christians, Jews, Catholics etc. who violate laws in the name of religion referred to as "Jewish terrorists" or "Christian terrorists".

With respect to the article you link Harmeet Singh, I agree that is irresponsible to use the words “sikh terrorists” by Ms. Jacobs. However, I would commend and take the opportunity to thank and educate this reporter. She went against a tidal wave of opposition by supporting the kirpan, and she did so head on.

For the most part those who use the words “sikh terrorist” need to be made aware of the racist legacy they are leaving behind for themselves. They need to be made aware that what they express and how they express it amounts to extreme hatred and racism. They degrade themselves first. Deep down they even know it, but they are in denial. It is up to each of us to be dignified, intelligent and strong in not being afraid to speak up.

[kurtas]

This is usual of the western press.

If the skin colour is different then they have to make direct links to religion. We had years of troubles in northern ireland but never had the IRA referred to as catholic terrorists or the UDA etc referred to as Protestant terrorists. Each time they undertook an act of terrorism it was the group that was linked to the atrocity not the religion. But if people of the islamic faith undertake an act of terror out goes this line of thinking and instead they are termed muslim terrorists.

[mann_kaum_layee_qurbaan]

“sikh terrorist” <--- This term has been made popular by India. If sikhs are indians, then how come we never hear Indian terrorists? When something good is done by sikhs, the papers say the Indian community did it, when something bad happens our religion is pointed out. what a bunch of hog wash.

If the indian constitution says sikhs are a sect of hinduism, then why don't they write hindu terrorists?

why are sikhs unique when the media wants them to be.....?????

it's all a big game with mostly or people behind it all. there are some shady singhs and singhnees out there playing with the quam.

[Harmeet Singh]

Sangat these journalists are very clever people, please don't get swayed by what they write. Recently in an article in Daily Herald on Op Bluestar everything the reporter wrote was alright pertaining to how it hurted the sikh psyche but when concluding why it happened; she wrote it was because Sant ji had taken illegal weapons inside- so see how they give bait of poison with the coating of sweet sugar so that in one line they can break your backbone. Same is here. How can the Paper say it was sikhs who did it when there is not evidence or legal conclusion as of yet.

Following is what I expect to write to the paper and please everybody do respond to Mindy jacobs and her editor.

In reply to your article by Mindy jacobs: Kirpan is no threat

As I read the opening lines of your opinion on kirpan issue I couldn't feel more humiliated by the ever growing racism and unethical journalism presented by your editorial. In the opening lines she wrote (by giving example) that the AI bombing is the result of "hazards of multicularism and Sikhs did it".Yet there is no proof as of who did it, then very cleverly she proceeds to claim that even beacause of these mass murders ,canada is still a progressive and peaceful society because of no race riots and absence of torture on jews. WOW! I couldn't help myself fall from by seat. It seems Mindy has much less pain for those who were butchered on the AI plane than for jews getting tortured and race riots. Implying: Canada remains progressive as long as jews dont get tortured and race riots dont happen but mass murders can go on. What kind of logic is this. How would jews getting tortured make canada look like hell but constant nagging on sikhs and mass murders wont? This is deplorable to the utmost. Not only she is defaming sikhs for no reason but also shows a lack of journalistic ethics.