Swat Valley Sikhs

[Kaljug Singh]

kaljug Singh

How do you know that the pakistanis welcomed the taliban with open arms, is there a legitimate opinion poll that you have read?

Secondly the people of punjab have voted in idiots for years should we excommunicate them because the politicians did not live up to their promises

The problem you have which u will probably not admit is that u are collectively labelling a whole people, ~Guru Nanak spoke out against Babar because HE was bad he did not say all muslims are bad because of Babar.

The below is an official army document given out to all soldiers in punjab immediately after operation bluestar, it labelled all sikhs the same, how is your philosophy any different. Your saying they are all intent on destroying Sikhi have u met them all, or are you just sitting comfortable at home

'Any knowledge of the 'Amritdharis' (baptised Sikhs) who are dangerous people and pledged to commit murders, arson and acts of terrorism should immediately be brought

to the notice of the authorities. These people may appear

harmless from outside but they are basically committed to

terrorism. In the interest of all of us their identity and

whereabouts must always be disclosed.'

Baat Cheet Serial No. 153 (July 1984), Department of Defence, Govt. of India,

Fateh!

The difference between that goverment document and the Pakistani love for the Taleban, is that the former is not true. Do you not wonder why the tribal militia groups were sitting on their butts when the Taleban gave them what they wanted (a strict Islamic sharia state within Pakistan) but now that they are fighting them they are being heralded as heroes saving Pakistan from the evil Taleban?

Here's one poll which describes the views of the Pakistanis before the Taleban turned on them:

http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/art...mp;nid=&id=

Note how few want their government to take action against the Taleban and other Isl;amic militant groups.

Here's another poll you may find interesting:

http://people-press.org/report/165/what-th...0.1/t.gif[/img]

Take a gander at the number coming in from Islamic countries:

Note some of the conclusions from Muslim countries:

* The majority of Lebanese support suicide bombing.

* The majority of Nigerians who expressed an opinion support suicide bombing.

* The majority of Bangladeshis who expressed an opinion support suicide bombing.

* 47 percent of Jordanians who expressed an opinion support suicide bombing.

* 43 percent of Pakistanis who expressed an opinion support suicide bombing.

You might wonder why I use a poll from 2002? Because that was before the Iraq War, the event that is supposedly responsible for radicalizing Muslims against the Western world (and the U.S. in particular) like no other.

Some other interesting findings I've seen:

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.ah...0.1/t.gif[/img]

This one finds that:

* The majority (52 percent) of Egyptians support the Sept 11th killings.

* Only 19 percent think Islamists were behind 9/11 (even the leader was an Egyptian), while 39 percent think it was an Israeli conspiracy.

Here's another one I found weird (not only because it came from The Guardian, either):

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/20...0.1/t.gif[/img]

Poll in Egypt, 2006:

* Which country do you most hate? Top answer - USA.

* In which country would you most like to live? Top answer - USA.

And another Pew survey from 2007:

http://pewglobal.org/reports/display.php?R...0.1/t.gif[/img]

Which finds that:

* 42 percent of Nigerians support suicide bombing of civilians.

* 34 percent of Lebanese support suicide bombing of civilians.

* 23 percent of Jordanians support suicide bombing of civilians.

* 20 percent in Bangladesh support suicide bombing of civilians.

* 9 percent of Pakistanis support suicide bombing of civilians.

* 8 percent of Egyptians support suicide bombing of civilians.

* 57 percent of Palestinians support Bin Laden.

* 41 percent of Indonesians support Bin Laden.

* 38 percent of Pakistanis support Bin Laden.

* 20 percent of Jordanians support Bin Laden.

Contrary to what you may believe, I do not hate all Muslims. In fact, I have many good Muslim friends who chose to reject Islamic teachings that condone and encourage the killing of innocents and converting everyone to Islam by force or deception. Unfortunately, they are the minority, and most unfortunately they do not stand up and debate their more orthodox religious brethren because they know that what groups like the Taleban, Al Qaeda, Hizb ut-Tahrir, Hamas, Hezbollah and many others preach is real Islamic doctrine and their actions are based on the example of Mohammed who raped, killed, enslaved and assassinated in order to spread his creed.

Here's an article which details my reasons for being careful where we Sikhs send our money:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/world/as...l?_r=2&hpw)

The war with the Taleban may have reached its climax already, but the propaganda war in the refugee camps is just beginning. I do not want money that would be better spent on Sikhs to go to these people who make use of foreign aid then go right back to the jihad against the infidels like you and me.

Warm regards,

K.

[rupinder singh]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jDb_MJz1cDxpe92OiodD9lSo9c_A

Sikhs, Hindus dread Taliban tax in Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Sitting on a broken chair outside a Sikh temple in a crowded part of Peshawar, Aman Deep Singh is frantic about his future after losing his business in Pakistan's tribal district of Khyber.

When the Taliban gave Sikhs and Hindus an ultimatum -- leave the land of your forefathers or pay an Islamic tax in protection money -- Singh packed up and left his native Tirah valley for Peshawar.

"We were living under fear. Fear of militants, fear of Lashkar-e-Islam and fear of other armed groups," said Singh, his hair swept up in a turban, a long beard touching his abdomen and thick moustache covering his upper lip.

He swapped a general store in the mountains for unemployment in the northwest capital, where he struggles to feed the nine members of his family. Aman Deep is a fake name. He wants his real name hidden for his security.

As light fades to dusk, Sikhs gather for evening prayers at the Joga Singh gurdwara (temple) in a narrow street of Peshawar's Dabgari bazaar. Each man removes his shoes, washes his feet in a small pool of water and covers his head.

"I am not the only one. About 400 Sikh and 57 Hindu families migrated from (the town of) Bara and Tirah," said Singh.

Sikhs and Hindus are tiny communities in Pakistan. In the last year, hundreds have fled their homes after receiving death threats from the Taliban and other militant groups in an increasingly unstable northwest.

After US troops invaded Afghanistan in 2001, Taliban and Al-Qaeda ideologues fled to Pakistan, where they have increasingly focused their campaign and where 2,000 people have perished in bomb attacks over the past two years.

Pakistan launched a major offensive in the northwest this summer, under pressure from the United States, after Taliban fighters made deep territorial inroads.

Militants need an endless supply of funds for their weapons, communications and training.

Kidnapping, drugs and extortion are typical sources of income. Taxation and protection scams are others, and vulnerable non-Muslims are easy prey.

Local Sikhs mostly trade in cloth, and also run grocer, garment and herbal medicine shops. They are people who can afford the 1,000 rupees (12 dollars) per man, per year "jizya" tax.

In the region of Orakzai, the Taliban demanded the tax of adult male Sikhs, forcibly occupying Sikh-owned shops and houses. After two months, the tax spread to Khyber, the legendary tribal region on the main supply line to Afghanistan.

It was there that Lashkar-e-Islam, a Pakistani Islamist group headed by Mangal Bagh, announced Sikhs and Hindus would be free to live anywhere -- as long as they paid jizya.

But threats made the situation increasing tense. Hundreds of Sikh and Hindu families fled to nearby areas, especially Peshawar.

"Minorities in Orakzai and Khyber were warned by some militant groups to become Muslims or leave the area. This was a real threat," Singh said.

"They're running a parallel government. Hindu and Sikh families did not feel safe, in Orakzai, in Bara and in Tirah. We preferred to migrate, at least here we can breathe in peace and feel safe," he said.

The same sentiment was echoed by other shopkeepers from Bara.

"No female Muslim or non-Muslim is allowed out without a male relative. All women, even the elderly, have to wear a burka," said Gulab Khan Afridi, a 38-year-old Muslim.

Gulab Khan said growing a beard and wearing a cap had become compulsory, otherwise Lashkar extremists would dole out beatings or a 200 to 500-rupee fine.

"Can you believe it? A man cannot wear a ring in Bara," he added.

Much like the Taliban, Lashkar-e-Islam acts like police, enforces prayers five times a day and punishes people accused of prostitution and other vices.

Sardar Sahib Singh, a Sikh leader in the district assembly in Peshawar, said his community paid 150,000 rupees (1,825 dollars) a year to Lashkar-e-Islam in protection money.

"Our community is better off. We only pay tax, while Muslims have to work, like being guards in Lashkar trenches," he said. But families are dwindling.

"At first there were 500 Sikh families in Bara, now only 150," he said.

Scholars say only a true Islamic government, no one else, can collect jizya and on condition that those who pay feel safe, but Lashkar-e-Islam insisted the tax was proper payment for services rendered.

"Women, children and the handicapped have been exempted," Misri Gul, a spokesman for the group, told AFP.

"Jizya is according to Islamic sharia. We will provide them protection in exchange for this," he said.