'sikh And Tired Of It'

[guptveer1469]

'Sikh and tired of it'

25-03-2009

IT is a conflict which has led to thousands of deaths, seeped onto the streets of Britain from the sub-continent, and just refuses to go away.

Now Birmingham is the latest city to be engulfed again by tensions between Muslims and Sikhs, stemming from the bloody partition of India and Pakistan.

The attack on a gurdwara in east London last week has also put Sikh-Muslim relations under the spotlight with some blaming community tensions for the arson.

In the past few months, there have been six reported armed clashes between youths and the tensions has led to a conflict resolution group intervening in Birmingham.

The youngsters, aged between 16 and 18, have clashed over Muslim youths dating Sikh girls leading to an explosive cocktail of jealousy and rumours about forced conversions, according to the West Midlands Mediation and Transformation Service (WMMTS).

To avoid more ugly episodes, independent mediation service WMMTS will meet the Faith Matters group to discuss taking community

leaders to a peace centre in Northern Ireland to resolve their differences.

Kirk Dawes, managing director of WMMTS, told Eastern Eye that Muslim and Sikh leaders need to come together.

Dawes said: “There is fear of violence unless people get into dialogue to get peace. We bring people to the table and problem solve with those involved.

“There is a lack of knowledge between generations, there is loads of cultures in a melting pot. you take people out of this and enable them to get to know each other better.

“Corrymeela has a reputation for doing this, that might be a process we could do.”

He added: “Some Sikhs are taking it as Muslim boys stealing their girls, (and there) is rumour and innuendo about conversions. When conflict spirals it starts slowly, then they pick up weapons and are engaged in fights and getting injured.”

The West Midlands city is no stranger to these clashes. In 1997, the Birmingham-based Shere-e-Punjab Sikh gang invaded Slough to attack cars and homes in its war with the Chalvey Boyz.

Just last month, The Centre for Social Justice warned up to 400 people in Birmingham were involved in gangs split along ethnic or religious lines and claimed the government had shown “a lack of urgency” in dealing with the problem.

But a glimmer of hope for Birmingham is Faith Matters’ successful journey to Northern Ireland which took community leaders from areas including Coventry, Slough, and Wolverhampton.

Faith Matters used government money to take 15 Muslims and 15 Sikhs to the Corrymeela Centre last July for talks.

The four-day trip involved brainstorming sessions to challenge myths. The group then produced a handbook for councils on how to resolve future conflicts.

Fiyaz Mughal, director of Faith Matters, said tensions have spiralled since websites spread rumours that Muslims were behind the fire at the Gurdwara Sikh Sangat last week.

He said: “Over the last two to three months the level of tension in Birmingham has been rising. Because of small youthbased activity and the Sikh elders blaming Muslims for them being accepted more, a ‘them and us’ mentality has arisen.

“The second element beyond Birmingham are websites and chatter that Muslims were responsible for the fire at the gurdwara. There is a lot of hot air and stereotyping. Since the work we have done, there has been a more coordinated attempt to divide them. We will be meeting with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to get people around the table.”

EE visited Birmingham to speak to asian youths and community leaders about the bones of contention between them.

Dr Mohammed Naseem, chair of Birmingham Central Mosque, raised the issue of Sikh and Muslim tension at Wednesday’s (25) Inter Faith leaders meeting. Naseem said: “There has been a problem in the past, but the majority was not involved.

“It may be some isolated groups, but the leadership is strongly against this.

“There are websites interested in creating a rift between the communities... people should not get carried away by their emotions.”

Harmander Singh, spokesman for Sikhs in England, said: “Within an hour of the fire, I put out an e-mail saying do not speculate as that is dangerous and unhelpful.

“On Muslim guys dating Sikh girls and vice versa, that is typical when one community does not tolerate the other.

“It takes two to tango and if they come out and say they are not being forced to date each other, that will help resolve it. It increases dialogue, instead of just accusations.”

But the historic tensions, that began with the partition of India in 1947 when thousands were forced to flee their homes, have seeped through to second-generation Muslims and Sikhs in the Midlands city.

Yasim, a 17-year-old from Alum Rock, said: “Sikh boys try to steal our [Muslim] girls as well, it works both ways.

“There are always fights at college, they go around calling us things like ‘terrorists’.”

Sukhdev, a 19-year-old student from Alum Rock, said: “Muslims go around thinking they are gangsters, trying to intimidate us. We are just defending ourselves.”

The plan to take community leaders from Birmingham for peace talks has been backed by Khalid Mahmood (pictured), the Labour MP for Perry Barr.

Mahmood said: “It is always a good idea to take kids from inner city areas to places like Northern Ireland, to broaden their horizons and show them how other people deal with different situations.

“I don’t think there is a huge amount of tensions, but individual cases between young people. It is kids trying to assert themselves as

leaders in schools or colleges.

“We need to get people out of that mentality and get them into something more constructive like sport.”

by Nadeem Badshah

[cool water]

Well end of the day, in a multicultural multi-faith country you are bound to get tensions if one group or another cant tolerate other faiths or groups. Muslim boys have a habit of wanting to "get one over the kafir" by speficially targetting non-muslim girls for conversions or relationships whereas in other faiths conversions or relationships with women of not their faith is not a motive or a goal of that religion but in Islam it seems like a goal to dishonour and disrespect the women of other faiths to make muslims look superior.

[liveandletlive]

They dont respect their own women...so what chance have other women got?

We give our girls toooo much freedom...and they slap us in the face.

[rajkhalsa9]

We might agree or not ..BUT...All Muslims are not terrorists..HOWOEVER ...ALL terrorists are MUSLIM...and world over they have created a conflict with every known religion or nation ..below is the frustration of the PM of Australia which is clearly seen in his speech.

Canada & America Need A Leader Like This!

Prime Minister John Howard - Australia

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.

Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote: 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.'

'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'

'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!'

'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'

'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'

'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom,

'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'

'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'

Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, American and Canadian citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths.

[Harjeet.Singh]

The western world are trying to use muslims in an attempt to start world war 3! They can easily be tamed, but this is going to turn into a war. Muslims are out of control, but they could easily be stopped. Just watch though in the coming years what is going to happen. The media are helping instigate this. Even 1 little thing a muslim does wrong, it is going to be all over the news.

[Kaljug Singh]

The western world are trying to use muslims in an attempt to start world war 3! They can easily be tamed, but this is going to turn into a war. Muslims are out of control, but they could easily be stopped. Just watch though in the coming years what is going to happen. The media are helping instigate this. Even 1 little thing a muslim does wrong, it is going to be all over the news.

Maybe you should read some history. The Islamic world has been at war with Dar al Harb since its inception. They are still aching over their loss at the Gates of Vienna in 1683. The problem is that Muslims have a long memory while your average Westerner can't remember what happened last week.

- K.

[rajkhalsa9]

The fact veer ji is ...there is no 'one little thing' that a musalman does ...that 'one little thing' is as big as a 9/11 or the series of bomb blasts in Mumbai or Delhi ...

What i have heard is they had ISI agents infiltrating the khalistan movement too...there were incidents of hindus pulled out of buses and masacred and cow's heads hurled in temples ...such incidents were their handwork..they disguised as Sikhs and helped to create a huge mess.

[Guest fordcapri]

Never trust one rember what they done to our Gurus.

Rember there acts against "infidel" women in partition.

For years they have spread, crime, drugs, toture, assults.

Dont mix with them you can never trust one, most of all be aware of them

[rajkhalsa9]

Ford capri ji yu hit the nail right on the head ! I fail to understand Akaal Purakh's Maya...noble religions and people like the Parsis are nearing extinction and such maggots like islam flourish ...!!!

Waah re mere Maalak

[HSD*^]

at the end of the day, each community looks out for itself. unfortunately many sikhs associate themselves with other groups more than their own kind.