Shere Panjab - Bbc Tv 'network East' - 1988

[eduardo]

Well I will tell you what I think on the subject, feel free to shoot me down if you disagree.

Punjabi Sikhs and Punjabi Muslims are the same ethnic people, eat pretty much the same food and speak in languages they can both understand (Halal being an issue here).

I should imagine your temperaments and views towards family and honour are both very similar.

You feel comfortable in each others company because you both know where you are with each other and can probably get along with all living in the same area without too many problems.

Unfortunately due to religious and historical differences there is a deep scar and still fresh wound that can be poked and prodded to inflame passions and tensions and cause great divisions again.

Some people will exploit your sensitive spots for their own agenda and try to ignite this fire causing mayhem and destruction, divide and rule mentality all over again.

But from my own personal perspective, Sikhs have a far better religion is all I'm saying.

Now a Somali from work approached me one day and started to say things along the lines of "these guys with funny hats they all share their wives around".

To which I replied they have a fabulous religion, he didn't really say any more to me on the subject after that.

The Somali in question assumed that because I am a Christian I would feel more empathy to him because we are both Abrahamic, but he kind of that that wrong.

Somali's are part of a much wider clan based system and indeed the long and very nasty civil war in Somalia was based along clan differences.

If you put two clans of Somali's together after a few hours there may well be trouble.

Most of the Somali's that live around Southall are from Somaliland which is a bit more moderate and used to be a British protectorate.

The reason we are seeing so many is because large oil reserves have been discovered under the ground in their country and I think the deal with the establishment of the UK and Somaliland is:

"well if you want our oil you had better give us access to your Uk labour markets"

I used to visit the Khat chewing bars in Southall before they were banned just out of curiosity and chew Khat with these guys and one thing one of the guys said was:

"There are only 250,000 of us in the whole country"

Why so many have moved to Southall and the surrounding areas I just don't know.

And Balkaar I am sorry to hear about your Grandfather.

[eduardo]

Edit:

But don't forget they cut their women to ensure that these women are still virgins when married off and thus ensure these women are worth more money.

Kind of sounds a bit like slavery to me and also when we as Christians pray girls and boys all mix together and sing, when they pray (the Somali's) the women have to sit outside the prayer room until the guys have finished and only then are they allowed to go in and pray on their own.

[kamc]

Broadway School was where panthers went not sure in your time or when sp were around. Sp never harassed girls they helped them. I'm sure sp would helped you, did you ask.? As for drinking, pubs n booze was sp sub culture, most sp were monay given it was a large punjabi group standing up for Sikhs there was hardly any singhs.

The Panthers mainly went to Holte school in Aston, i know because i grew up in the midst of it, the SP only helped when they wanted, we used to ask Desi (big dude, pagh and beard) for help all the time, the dude would just laugh at us, in the end we had to sort out our own "issues", contrary to what you said, their were a fair few "Singhs" with them, those could be seen drinking and living it up as well.

As difficult as it is to believe, they used to harass girls all the time, i know because my elder sister was on of them, like i've already said, rose tinted glasses and all.

[Hammertime007]

The Panthers mainly went to Holte school in Aston, i know because i grew up in the midst of it, the SP only helped when they wanted, we used to ask Desi (big dude, pagh and beard) for help all the time, the dude would just laugh at us, in the end we had to sort out our own "issues", contrary to what you said, their were a fair few "Singhs" with them, those could be seen drinking and living it up as well.

As difficult as it is to believe, they used to harass girls all the time, i know because my elder sister was on of them, like i've already said, rose tinted glasses and all.

aston manor, holte Broadway was were they went. Bevington rd, witton rd birchfeild rd, perry barr broad way rdis is where you would find them. Surprised you never went handsworth wood boys? alot of white lads lived in Witton them days, they were villa boys 'the witton firm' twf. They had bit of trouble with panthers too.as for the desis there were 2 or 3 of them.