Why Do.....?

[anush]

Why do some amrithdhari sikhs prefer to become mona sikh. I can understand those who go to gulf for work since its radical islamic union.

I find it very strange since abroad people fight lawsuits to protect their distinct identity(Turban).

Why such phenomenon in India then....?

Pls some member throw some light on this?

[desikharkoo]

this is just kiddish excuse, u think the hindus have taken us at sword points and make us remove our dastaars ? first look into yorself and then pinpoint others, a vaddi dastaar waale nihang major singh ji exists only in india so think twice before thinking in such a immature way

[Gupt1984]

I think anush may have confused amritdhari's with non amritdhari guys in india who wear a dastaar. We can't deny that there is a growing number of guys in india cutting there kes. I know when I've gone to india kids who i saw with joora now have cut there hair.

We were in india earlier this year and my son has only just started to keep his kes, and I had several women say to me why are you keeping his kes he will only grow up to cut it so don't bother in the first place.

I might be wrong and can only go by what I saw myself but I didn't see sikhi being taught to the kids, not at home or the gurdwaras. Kids go to english speaking schools, tuition and then no time for anything else. Weddings everyone stays in the palace, and people are hired to do seva at an akhand path. Mums are watching all the drama serials and being influenced by them and following karma chauth and other such like rituals.

At least in the west kids have sikhi camps in the holidays and other weekly events to encourage and inspire them into sikhi.

[Mehtab Singh]

Who told you Sikhs have to cut their hair to go to the Middle East? Islamic countries (except Saudi Arabia because they are screwed up) have NO such rule. In fact Iran and Oman respect Sikhs, and so does UAE where I grew up and also lived as a Singh for 3 years. This is false info.

[gurdssingh]

Who told you Sikhs have to cut their hair to go to the Middle East? Islamic countries (except Saudi Arabia because they are screwed up) have NO such rule. In fact Iran and Oman respect Sikhs, and so does UAE where I grew up and also lived as a Singh for 3 years. This is false info.

Really? i been to dubai. Generally Arabs look down upon immigrants from the sub continent sikhs, hindus even fellow muslims from pak, india, bangladesh etc. Thats what i seen with my eyes and by talking to people there. Maybe i spoke to wrong people, im refering to the average person from sub continent so labourers or guys in low status jobs.

There are sardars in UAE, sikhs do not have to cut hair to get a job. But i was told in dubai only mosques are allowed other places of worship have to be on the outskirts of town out of view from general publicc, is that true? That was by some british expats i spoke to in dubai, i had no reason not to believe them.

[Mehtab Singh]

Here is what I wrote some 4-5 years ago based on my life long living experience in UAE both as a Hindu and then a Singh.

Sikhs in the Middle East

What I am going to write is based on what I have heard and read fromother fellow Sikhs. Since Sikhs in the Middle East have no media of their own, I have to rely on this information as the final word and don't have any solid back up as evidence. Also, most of this is my own personal experience living as a Sikh in the Middle East.The country I am going to focus primarily on is the United Arab Emirates, which is where I am currently residing.

Sikhs have been here even before this country became a federation, which was in December 1971. Not just Sikhs, but basically Indians from different parts of India are known to have come and settled here as early as the 1940s. There are a number of Gurdwaras here, some of them are authorized and legal, while the others are not. In my initial 18 years of stay here before I left for the US in 1998, I came across 3 Gurdwaras getting closed down. I must point out that the Muslims or Arabs are not solely responsible for the Gurdwaras being closed down. As sad as it is to say this, rather than the Muslims it was few of our own power hungry fellow Sikhs who caused this to happen. Even false complaints were made to the concerned authorities by such so-called Sikhs who got the Gurdwaras closed down only because they were unable to gain power by other means.

What impresses me, however, is that a good number of Sikh families have very well enshrined basic Sikh values in their kids. Most of the Sikh girls in my college always dress up in the traditional salwar-kameez. As for the guys, they gel and tie their beards rather than trimming them. I have come across only one Sikh in my college who trims his beard, and even smokes, and another who is haircut and clean shaven.

A good number of Singhs here are construction laborers and truck drivers. They are the ones you will usually see with open beards and orange turbans, with Khandas on their trucks, making your day early in the morning when you get going to your daily destination. The Singhs do loads of sewa in the Gurdwaras. A good number of jathas also visit this country. Keertan, kathas and even Amrit Sanchaars take place I heard. The Prakash Utsav of Guru Nanak Dev Jee as well as Vasakhi are celebrated with great zeal, although we don't have the freedom to have a Nagar Keertan.

One of my Sikh friend's father is a professor in a university in Oman, another country in the Middle East. I met him twice when I was in the US. He told me that Oman is by far the most liberal country in terms of religious freedom, the other I guess is Bahrain. In Oman, Hindus and Sikhs have their places of worship without any kind of legal obstructions. I myself saw on TV several years ago the king of Bahrain gifting a golden potlined with pearls to Swami Narayan, a prominent Hindu saint hailing from the western Indian state of Gujarat when he visited Bahrain. Another story I came across from this gentleman is about how the Sikhs saved the life of one of the kings of Omanwhen he had a tussle for the throne with his own brother. After he came topower, he offered the Sikhs citizenship of Oman, something totally unheard of in other Arab countries as non-Muslims cannot be citizens. But the Sikhs politely refused the offer. This further makes it clear as to how much the Sikhs are respected over here.

Even in the UAE, Sikhs are respected as hard working, honest and peaceful people. There are wealthy Sikh businessmen as well as construction workers and truck drivers. One thing pretty interesting is that there isn't a single Sikh cab driver in this part of the world. The reason remains unknown tome. Another thing I heard is that Sikhs are not allowed in Saudi Arabia, and even if they are, it is only in limited and controlled numbers. No non-Muslim is allowed within a radius of some specified kilometers around the holy Kaabaa in Mecca.There are close to 500 Sikh families in Iran and there also they enjoy the respect of the local population.

Punjab's former chief minister Capt. Amrinder Singh had a tie-up with one of UAE's leading property builders who were to construct complexes in Chandigarh, but the Singhs in Dubai told him that the government doesn't allow constructing Gurdwaras, so how could he being a Sikh have them make money from Punjab? Captain took the matter with the Dubai authorities, and Sikhs were allowed a Gurdwara. I have visited this place myself in November 2006 on the occasion of Sahib Sri Guru Nanak Dev Jee's parkash utsav. This is going to be the UAE's very first licensed as well as registered Gurdwara. There are other licensed ones but this is the very first one that is registered. It will have ground floor for parking, 1^stfloor for langar hall, and second floor will be Gurdwara. They plan on making it based on the design of the new Gurdwara in Southall, UK. What delighted me the most was the sign boards on the roads, having a Khanda sign with Gurdwara written under it, and an arrow pointing to the direction. I asked myself "Is this real the Middle East?"

In the end, I would like to conclude by saying that Sikhs are a very respected lot over here. Those who disagree will only have to come here and see as wellas experience for themselves. I myself have personally come across a number of Arabs and Pakistanis who were total strangers to me, yet who showered me with respect and affection only because I am a Sikh.

~ Mehtab Singh

And to add to that, Iran is the only Islamic country where the Nishan Sahib is allowed to be hoisted outside the Gurdwara Sahib building. Here is an old video of the above mentioned Gurdwara coming up in Dubai. For some reason it still isn't completed yet: http://www.youtube.c...h?v=ibaI0VmHV3E

Don't be fooled by the 17 unfortunate Punjabis who are sentenced to death. They killed another man (Pakistani) who was selling alcohol just like these guys were, something forbidden in an Islamic country. Although death penalty to 17 guys for killing 1 man is a bit too much, as per law they were not totally innocent as they willingly sold alcohol in a Muslim country, knowing that its banned. I feel bad for their families for whom they needed to earn that money to feed them in Punjab.

[anush]

I'm really amazed. So easily one can misunderstand what I'm saying. I never told that in Dubai there is ban on turban.

The 14 odd men who are on death row in Saudi Arab are sardars. Not one sports a Turban.

[Mehtab Singh]

I'm really amazed. So easily one can misunderstand what I'm saying. I never told that in Dubai there is ban on turban.

The 14 odd men who are on death row in Saudi Arab are sardars. Not one sports a Turban.

Its 17 men in UAE on death row my friend. Saudi Arabia would have executed them and only then it would have made it to the headlines. I just highlighted all this because of your statement "Why do some amrithdhari sikhs prefer to become mona sikh. I can understand those who go to gulf for work since its radical islamic union." Also, I don't think a genuine Amritdhari Sikh would become baymukh just to go abroad. Those who do have lost the plot anyways.

[anush]

hmmm......

Not just in abroad but also in India. Thanks for reply sir.

[anush]

Hi moderators,

Pls delete this thread. I don't think its relevant.