France Using Isolation To Punish Sikh Students Over Turban?

[sikhlionz 3]

http://www.sikhsangat.org/publish/article_1347.shtml

France uses Isolation to punish Sikh Students over Turban

The debate over the ban on wearing of religious symbols in state-run schools continues in France.

Four Sikh children are being kept in isolation and are not being allowed to attend classes because they cannot give up their seven metre long turban which forms part of their religious identity and switch to an under-turban keski or patka.

Reminiscent of a prison, Jasmeet Singh is being kept in isolation, but he has committed no crime; merely practising his faith. Meanwhile school authorities are trying to coerce him into giving up his turban and with it part of his identity.

"They say you have two options. Either tie your hair at the back like girls or cut your hair. They say if I continue to wear my patka they will throw me out of school," said Jasmeet, Student.

Separate activities

Segregation is so severe that Jasmeet's schoolmates aren't even aware that he has been coming to school every day for the past two weeks.

"The school is French so he should get used to this. There is no other way. I don't want to sound mean, but if he can't, he should go back to his country," said a French schoolgirl.

"When he enters school he should not forget his religion but he should take off his turban for half a day and put it back when he comes out. God will understand," added a schoolboy.

After school hours, Sikh boys from various schools get together.

"They keep me in a separate room and give me some exercises to do. I don't have the right to go to class like everyone else, " Hardeep Singh, Student.

"Even when there is a fifteen minute break, they don't allow us to go out. They say you have to stay here," said Maha Singh, Student.

Legal precedent

While school authorities are implementing the ban, they don't want to make public comments about it.

France's secular laws are aimed at keeping religious affiliations out of Schools, but many find this oppressive.

"Now it's become an ideology where they want to suppress all the cultures they do not understand," said Kudrat Singh, UNITED SIKHS France.

School authorities are hesitant in making exceptions for Sikh children, as they fear they will set a legal precedent and insist that the law must apply to all.

But most Sikh children who remain in isolation for weeks or even months feel this is a traumatic period for them, as they often feel rejected or humiliated at school. They live a solitary life at school due to confinement and segregation by School authorities.

They are also torn between their belief in their religion on the one hand and the French law on the other.

Discuss

[navdeep kaur 2]

:wub: :wub: :D :umm: :D

[sikhlionz 3]

Vishavjit Singh veerji has done sewa of the following toon to create awareness regarding this news:

from:

http://sikhtoons.com/FrenchWhine.html

[Raju 0]

ohh these 'ecole polytechnique' bred pompous french !

"The school is French so he should get used to this. There is no other way. I don't want to sound mean, but if he can't, he should go back to his country," said a French schoolgirl.

though what this girl said sounds so highly reasonable. I would at the same time like to rip her tongue out.

p.s. Sorry if I offended any feelings.

[sgurbir 0]

:e: waheguru ji ka khalsa

waheguru ji kee fateh

Guru piyari sadh sangat ji this kind incidences should not be taken easily

we all of us must get together and show this entire world that khalsa is a purest section of the world who follow principal of almighty, we need to follow these rahets just to make sure that what guru gobind singh ji said we doing our contribution towards that KHALSA MERO ROOP HAI KHAAS . And to look KHAAS we need to maintain this knid of way of living for the benefit of humanity. Lets join our hands together and do ardaas to almighty so he can show us a way to make everyone aware of our religion,beliefs, and marayads

waheguru ji ka khalsa

waheguru ji kee fateh

ਜਿਹ ਕੋਟਿ ਇੰਦ੍ਰ ਨ੍ਰਿਪਾਰ ॥ ਕਈ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਬਿਸਨ ਬਿਚਾਰ ॥

ਕਈ ਰਾਮ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਨ ਰਸੂਲ ॥ ਬਿਨੁ ਭਗਤ ਕੋ ਨ ਕਬੂਲ ॥੮॥੩੮॥

ਕਈ ਸਿੰਧ ਬਿੰਧ ਨਗਿੰਦ੍ਰ ॥ ਕਈ ਮੱਛ ਕੱਛ ਫਨਿੰਦ੍ਰ ॥

ਕਈ ਦੇਵ ਆਦਿ ਕੁਮਾਰ ॥ ਕਈ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਨ ਬਿਸਨ ਅਵਤਾਰ ॥੯॥੩੯॥

ਕਈ ਇੰਦ੍ਰ ਬਾਰ ਬੁਹਾਰ ॥ ਕਈ ਬੇਦ ਅਉ ਮੁਖਚਾਰ ॥

ਕਈ ਰੁਦ੍ਰ ਛੁੱਦ੍ਰ ਸਰੂਪ ॥ ਕਈ ਰਾਮ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਨ ਅਨੂਪ ॥੧੦॥੪੦॥

ਕਈ ਕੋਕ ਕਾਬ ਭਣੰਤ ॥ ਕਈ ਬੇਦ ਭੇਦ ਕਹੰਤ

ਕਈ ਸਾਸਤ੍ਰ ਸਿੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਿ ਬਖਾਨ ॥ ਕਹੂੰ ਕਥਤ ਹੀ ਸੁ ਪੁਰਾਨ

ਕਈ ਅਗਨ ਹੋਤ੍ਰ ਕਰੰਤ ॥ ਕਈ ਉਰਧ ਤਾਪ ਦੁਰੰਤ

ਕਈ ਉਰਧ ਬਾਹੁ ਸੰਨਿਆਸ ॥ ਕਹੂੰ ਜੋਗ ਭੇਸ ਉਦਾਸ ॥੧੨॥੪੨॥

ਕਹੂੰ ਨਿਵਲੀ ਕਰਮ ਕਰੰਤ ॥ ਕਹੂੰ ਪਉਨ ਅਹਾਰ ਦੁਰੰਤ ॥

ਕਹੂੰ ਤੀਰਥ ਦਾਨ ਅਪਾਰ ॥ ਕਹੂੰ ਜੱਗ ਕਰਮ ਉਦਾਰ

ਕਹੂੰ ਅਗਨ ਹੋਤ੍ਰ ਅਨੂਪ ॥ ਕਹੂੰ ਨਿਆਇ ਰਾਜ ਬਿਭੂਤ

[raju123 1]

CAN SOMEONE CONTACT THE SIKHS IN france and tell them we are oh so proud of them .....

the guru's are proud of them and also all the sikhs around the world.

:wub: :e:

[mann_kaum_layee_qurbaan 8]

I think our so called nation, Hindustan, which has a "sikh" Prime minister, the "largest democracy" in the world, with over a billion people should be able to do something. I mean come on. Siks are such a small minority and this issue is so huge. What bettter way to make a statement than having manmohan singh, leader of a huge country with so much foreign investent, take a bold stand? But no, it will never happen.

I'm kind of sick of all these token Indian politician sikhs....they are worthless...we NRIs always have to defend ourselves alone.

What good has come out of having a sikh prime minister and a sikh general in the indan army...seriously, all the barinwashed sikhs rejoiced like there was no tomorow when India made manmohan singh the PM, real sikhs knew all this meant nothing for sikhs....

India kicks out the pakistan ambassador to india every now and then to protest Pakistan's actions, why can't India kick out France's ambassador to india from new delhi? Thsi would send a strong message, not to mention it would be on every news channel in the world. But this is all a fantasy, as a sikh, i have learned that india can do nothing for me.

Yeah, i agree we need to collectively congratulate those brave sikh students for putting up with this French fascism.

[Laadli Fauj 10]

when this sh*tuff started, everyone was up an crazy about it. people wrote petitions all da way from fremont to the French. It's been so many years now, and nothings happened, and the protest and stuff has died down, though the threat is still there. we should organize a group of singh/nis and actually go there to talk to the gov, and find out whats happening.

find out and stop it that is

[singh91 0]

I think our so called nation, Hindustan, which has a "sikh" Prime minister, the "largest democracy" in the world, with over a billion people should be able to do something. I mean come on. Siks are such a small minority and this issue is so huge. What bettter way to make a statement than having manmohan singh, leader of a huge country with so much foreign investent, take a bold stand? But no, it will never happen.

I'm kind of sick of all these token Indian politician sikhs....they are worthless...we NRIs always have to defend ourselves alone.

What good has come out of having a sikh prime minister and a sikh general in the indan army...seriously, all the barinwashed sikhs rejoiced like there was no tomorow when India made manmohan singh the PM, real sikhs knew all this meant nothing for sikhs....

India kicks out the pakistan ambassador to india every now and then to protest Pakistan's actions, why can't India kick out France's ambassador to india from new delhi? Thsi would send a strong message, not to mention it would be on every news channel in the world. But this is all a fantasy, as a sikh, i have learned that india can do nothing for me.

Yeah, i agree we need to collectively congratulate those brave sikh students for putting up with this French fascism.

I strongly agree with you, I mean what is the point of having a sikh pm, when he cant even help out his own poeple. Ok i know that he dosent have full power, the Congress runs the government, hes just a puppet, but come on i know he can do something about the situation. And i have totalll respect for the sikhs in France that are facing this problem. I know that its real hard to keep following your religion, when you have the whole country against you..but with guru ji's kirpa sikhs will continue practicing there religion.

[Raju 0]

Yes Manmohan Singh can do a lot for the Sikh students in France. But let us look at his record of late...

During the Mumbai Bomb blasts he and his govt pointed fingers at Pakistan, and now I hear that yesteday he went ahead and shaked the hands of the pakistani president tinpot Musharraf.

What does that convey, to the relatives of those who died in the Mumbai Bomb blasts ??

That we have a wimp for Prime Minister !

Secondly the Balochistanis have been fighting Pakistani oppression since 1940, recently their leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti was killed or should we better put it ..... assasinated by the Pakistani army. The Baloch have always looked towards India for moral support...and they have always protected the minorities in Balochistan.

In fact when the Pakistani army was raining bombs on the Baloch chieftain...the homes of many hindus were destroyed because the Baloch sardar kept the hindus close to him. He also took it upon himself to protect them.

And what did the great leader Manmohan Singh do for them ?

By shaking hands with Musharraf, he showed them a BIG FINGER !

So sorry, since we have a proper pansy for a leader, there is no point in expecting anything from him.

He works on the dictates of the US...if they tell him to jump he will jump....if they tell him to sit ... he will sit. He doesn't have a spine that he can call his own.

This happens to so-called leaders who have no "mass political base" and are just technocrats and ineffective ones at that.

I had for long nurtured fond hopes that when ultimately a Sikh would be Prime Minister of India, we would finally prevail over our enemies.

I was a fool.

[mann_kaum_layee_qurbaan 8]

Look at the recent remarks by the Pope about Islam and Jihad. All the muslim nations collectively condemed the remarks. Why can't "our" country's (India) parliament condemn the actions of France. Are not 20 million sikhs "citizens" of India. Don't people say that India is the homeland of the sikhs? Why isn't our "homeland" defending our rights on the international stage?

Because it's not our country. India has never stood by us in our hour of need. They never stod by our side during the punjabi suba movement, they never stood by us in 1984, they never stood by us in delhi pogroms, they never stood by us in fake police encounters, they never stood by us in anything.

Again in this hour of need mother india gives us the step-child treatment.

[Raju 0]

Why can't "our" country's (India) parliament condemn the actions of France.

Parliament is not in session currently !

If it was, some Sikh MP probably Navjot Singh Sidhu or Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa would have raised this issue in parliament and the old fogies would have issued a statement condemning it.

At the end of the day, French ambassador should be summoned by Foreign Ministry and be given a demarche.

The only "hitch" I see to something like that happening is that the Indo-US 'unclear' err 'nuclear' deal is due in IAEA and NSG and France is supposed to be a major supporter of this deal and its companies esp Areva are supposed to benefit.

If India acts 'tough' with France then they might get different ideas.

We can force them to accept any conditions after this deal is passed and the companies bid for contracts. I am sure the French govt will then bend over backward to please the Indian govt.

Meanwhile Sikh delegations should take up this issue forecefully with Manmohan Singh no less and make him accountable.

[Guest PRITAM SINGH KHALSA]

I think we should just allow france to be taken over by a nieghboring country and let them cry about it. Then they will ask for help and they wont get it. maybe next time they will remember the sacrifices other people from other countries have made for their ungrateful government. :

[Manjot_13 1]

Or i know something even better. Why dont we get Indias "brave" prime minister primeminister to do something :wub: :wub: :D

[Balait_da_Sher 200]

Indian goverment cant support sikhs. If it did it wouldnt be indian government.

One of the primary signs which tell you that india is not a country for sikhs is the lack of support given to sikhs by indians. Muslims have billions of people to support them. Sikhs only have handful. If india and non sikh indians truly valued sikhs thenthey would have protested against the treatment of their sikh brothers in france.

Problem is that we dont have enough numbers. Lets say that every one of the sikh bans French product, will that have an economical effect on france? i dont think so.

France should be made to feel ashamed for the way itis treating sikh students. I think the best course of action is some sort of movement that serves as a slap on French face showing them what they are doing is against human rights.

Cant we start some sort of internet campgain or something? When i heard the story of sikh youth being isolated from mainstream for their beliefs my heart just melted. The lack of mainstream media attention is also harming the issue. Any muslim issue gets headlines but things like these for sikhs dnt even make page 10.

Patta Patta singha da vairi :wub: