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I Want To Wear A Pagh


Shamshere
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Hi all,

I'm a UK born mona Sikh and I am considering wearing a pagh.

I know this will be a big change in my life and affect other people's reactions towards me.

I would like to know from other UK Sikhs if they have ever faced any discrimination, violence or racism because of their pagh.

I would also like to hear the opinions of former mona sikhs who went on to wear a pagh.

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Yer just do it if you want, there are times I have regrets about it, think to all the missed opportunities due to being marginalized due to it and think I shouldn't have worn a pagh but you gotta do it for yourself it made me feel whole again. But it brought me so much, got me respect from a crowd I wouldn't have previously, which makes me think would they have respected me on my own merits- you can see your answers when you represent yourself as an anonymous person on the internet.

Although I remember taking part in the survey of thesis on this topic and the conclusion was most do it either they are forced to or do it for self esteem reasons, meaning that they are guilted into it or shamed into it. Discrimination will occur nonetheless with or without the pagh the kinds you may face can manifest themselves in many ways, but if you're going to do something like that you might as well take on the adversity that comes with it, it does impact your career and love life but the pagh is a part of you.

So if they can't accept you like that then you should have enough self respect to realize they don't deserve you. In reality to those who don't believe in the significance of a turban they seem to really attach a significance when they discriminate on it, perhaps a negative stake but is it worth taking the world on it for it? I don't think it's for everyone's personality you need alot of character and will power to overcome the obstacles, hurdles that come with it socially but it does alot for you too, amazing with meteres of cotton on your head can do to your life.

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Yer just do it if you want, there are times I have regrets about it, think to all the missed opportunities due to being marginalized due to it and think I shouldn't have worn a pagh but you gotta do it for yourself it made me feel whole again. But it brought me so much, got me respect from a crowd I wouldn't have previously, which makes me think would they have respected me on my own merits- you can see your answers when you represent yourself as an anonymous person on the internet.

Although I remember taking part in the survey of thesis on this topic and the conclusion was most do it either they are forced to or do it for self esteem reasons, meaning that they are guilted into it or shamed into it. Discrimination will occur nonetheless with or without the pagh the kinds you may face can manifest themselves in many ways, but if you're going to do something like that you might as well take on the adversity that comes with it, it does impact your career and love life but the pagh is a part of you.

So if they can't accept you like that then you should have enough self respect to realize they don't deserve you. In reality to those who don't believe in the significance of a turban they seem to really attach a significance when they discriminate on it, perhaps a negative stake but is it worth taking the world on it for it? I don't think it's for everyone's personality you need alot of character and will power to overcome the obstacles, hurdles that come with it socially but it does alot for you too, amazing with meteres of cotton on your head can do to your life.

You make it sound like life is a lot harder as a turbaned Sikh. I know many successful turbaned Sikhs who have fantastic careers.

Is it that bad?

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It depends what careers you want to enter like if it's acting or modeling you have less chance as a turbaned sikh or in sports if you want to be a footballer, but it's still possible there is a small chance and there are underdogs in those industries who do take to the top. Life does regardlessly throw adversity at you. With or without a turban life is going to be hard anyway. If you want a job where you travel alot then airport's security checks can cause inconvenience to your mindset there are people in many industries who rigidly hate the sikh appearance. Some sikhs in great professions have great smarts and all of us have to accept sometimes for our self our own IQ and where we stand in a career aswell when it comes to equal competition you can be less favoured but it's life, you lose out on several social groups, friends, girls and so on. Sometimes it's not a great lose or you can find something better elsewhere. In the past sikhs had to prove their worth with their life for their faith. I don't want to make it sound sweet but it all comes down to you if you have what it takes to go through some social adversity for your faith, not everyone is cut out for it.

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, you lose out on several social groups, friends, girls and so on. Sometimes it's not a great lose or you can find something better elsewhere.

They aren't "friends" then are they. A friend wouldn't care how you look like, or what faith you choose to follow. Not much of a loss if that friend leaves you. If you are ready, go for it. People will make jokes and try to discourage you. But stand tall, if you get rid of your pagh then people will see you're weak and then take the piss over other things. Some people may avoid you, but at the same time other people will approach you. I advise that you learn how to defend youself (everyone pagh or no pagh should know how to), there are ignorant, vile people in this world. Wearing a pagh isn't bad at all. I once considered cutting my hair, but I couldn't do it (was going through an athiest phase). The pagh shapes me, it is me. Without it I'm just another face in the crowd. I have had bad experiences, but they have made me into a better person. It has made me stronger and more determined, to be the best that I can. Remember that the pagh is the stamp of your guru. You become a representive of Sikhi, so it makes you always have to be the best person you can be. If you are ready then go for it.
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Friendships are created upon common bonds, for some people the dastar is the mid point they won't associate with you and some will after you wear it. The kind of friends you have also says something about you in society, some people are stringent in their dislike for sikhi saroop and you just got to live with that. Also sometimes you got to distinguish between that form of discrimination and dislike for your own personality or something else you do or don't do. You can't have it all, so you really got to do it for yourself and no one else.

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Well most of my friends are Sikh anyway, so they will not disown me :).

I'm not trying to be an actor, model or footballer (how many non turbaned asians make it as footballers anyway), I work in IT so that's fine and I know many successful Sikhs in the same industry. I also live in an area that has a big sikh population so will not face any physical attacks.

I'm going to be 30 soon so I have little interest in making petty friends or going to bars and clubs. I am not one to socialise a whole lot with work colleagues either, I have a good professional relationship with them but I don't want make my best friends there. Maybe DalbirSingh is a lot younger, I'm guessing teenager or early 20s.

We shouldn't be ashamed of the pagh.

I have decided to go for it. It will bring me closer to the Sikh community and make me more family orientated.

Regarding the girls, I'm only going to miss out on the clubbing/drinking types, so no big loss there. I can filter out some of the bad ones.

Yes maybe people will look at me a bit differently when abroad, but how often do I go abroad? Twice a year maximum. Wearing a pagh will benefit me more than a few stares from Italians/Americans when abroad.

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Well most of my friends are Sikh anyway, so they will not disown me :).

I'm not trying to be an actor, model or footballer (how many non turbaned asians make it as footballers anyway), I work in IT so that's fine and I know many successful Sikhs in the same industry. I also live in an area that has a big sikh population so will not face any physical attacks.

I'm going to be 30 soon so I have little interest in making petty friends or going to bars and clubs. I am not one to socialise a whole lot with work colleagues either, I have a good professional relationship with them but I don't want make my best friends there. Maybe DalbirSingh is a lot younger, I'm guessing teenager or early 20s.

We shouldn't be ashamed of the pagh.

I have decided to go for it. It will bring me closer to the Sikh community and make me more family orientated.

Regarding the girls, I'm only going to miss out on the clubbing/drinking types, so no big loss there. I can filter out some of the bad ones.

Yes maybe people will look at me a bit differently when abroad, but how often do I go abroad? Twice a year maximum. Wearing a pagh will benefit me more than a few stares from Italians/Americans when abroad.

Good on you, be a leader not a follower

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