Can sikhi be criticised?

[puzzled]

Can people criticise Sikhi?

Recently some woman in Austria was fined and jailed for calling the muslim prophet a pedo. Now obviously different people will have different opinions on this, some will agree some won't. In European countries this is a very touchy subject and we now live in a politically correct culture where most people hesitate to voice their opinions in case they offend someone. With people being jailed for criticising religion, political correctness it makes you wonder if freedom of speech really exists.

But what about sikhi, let's say khalistan was created, would the Hindus, Christians, dalits and whatever be allowed to criticise Sikhi? Would they be allowed to question the divinity of the gurus, guru granth sahib ji, miracles, sikh ithias, question and criticise the lives of the gurus and other sikh figures.  Would they be allowed to give their own interpretation of guru granth sahib ji?

If not, but one of them decides to, how would we deal with it? 

In most middle eastern countries you have you head chopped off for questioning Islam, what would happen in a sikh country? 

Not a trick question, just interested in knowing what others think of this ...

[Wicked Warrior]

We should show compassion to others, even if we don’t believe in their religions. Freedom of speech should be allowed as long as it’s speech and not action. I’d be okay with others not following Sikhi so long as they don’t start attacking Sikhs or Gurdwaras. I’d have no problems with peaceful protests. But Khalistan should have a pro-Sikhi stance rather than be secular. 

[jkvlondon]

10 hours ago, puzzled said:

Can people criticise Sikhi?

Recently some woman in Austria was fined and jailed for calling the muslim prophet a pedo. Now obviously different people will have different opinions on this, some will agree some won't. In European countries this is a very touchy subject and we now live in a politically correct culture where most people hesitate to voice their opinions in case they offend someone. With people being jailed for criticising religion, political correctness it makes you wonder if freedom of speech really exists.

But what about sikhi, let's say khalistan was created, would the Hindus, Christians, dalits and whatever be allowed to criticise Sikhi? Would they be allowed to question the divinity of the gurus, guru granth sahib ji, miracles, sikh ithias, question and criticise the lives of the gurus and other sikh figures.  Would they be allowed to give their own interpretation of guru granth sahib ji?

If not, but one of them decides to, how would we deal with it? 

In most middle eastern countries you have you head chopped off for questioning Islam, what would happen in a sikh country? 

Not a trick question, just interested in knowing what others think of this ...

don't they already? Why do you think that the situation will be any different in Khalistan , are we the Musley who kill anyone and everyone on the say so of their sharia? Are we the pandits who would condemn the lowly to be punished because they spoke of our beliefs? Are we the fundamentalist christians? If no then what are told to do by Gurbani ? Keep our path, our counsel with Gurmukhs even our Guru ji tells us that to have understanding for all but keep to our path .

No non sikh should be given a platform to give their own 'interpretation' of Guru ji because we have seen what they have done in the past : distorted and disemminated  to support their own religions. Those  who criticise would be criticising what ? the message which is of one humanity under Akal Purakh? Of seeing others as equals ? Of living an honest and hardworking life? Of not criticising or abusing women? Of staying true to one wife/husband? Of doing swas gras simran? Of being compassionate to the people and the planet around us? of Appreciating the Bismad inducing gifts Akal Purakhs give us? Of not fearing death but lack of conscience, integrity, naam? Of simplifying the path ? of removing the power of priestly classes? Of making the path about action and not just words?

[puzzled]

Asia bibi is a Pakistani Christian woman who was sent to jail for saying something like "what has the muslim prophet done for humanity" after the local paki women called jesus a b@st@rd, because he didn't know his father. The whole row started when she used water from the muslim well which angered the muslim ladies because a "filthy christian" used their well.   she was jailed for 8 years.

 

[Big_Tera]

What a peculiar question. 

[puzzled]

23 minutes ago, Big_Tera said:

What a peculiar question. 

well people are thrown into jails and fined around the world for questioning other peoples faiths so i was just wondering what Sikhs think of this.   Yes its a odd question lol    but this stuff is happening ...   

[puzzled]

There's a difference between questioning/criticizing someones faith because you don't agree with it and, on the other hand there is deliberately trying to offend/hurt someone.  I guess it depends on the persons intentions.    its a touchy subject.

The gurus were questioned and criticized for what they said and taught, but never did they fine or kill the individuals that did question Sikhi.  

[jkvlondon]

1 hour ago, puzzled said:

well people are thrown into jails and fined around the world for questioning other peoples faiths so i was just wondering what Sikhs think of this.   Yes its a odd question lol    but this stuff is happening ...   

usually it's only one particular faith that has major issues like that ... rest of the world seems to be able to handle healthy debate

[dallysingh101]

23 hours ago, puzzled said:

well people are thrown into jails and fined around the world for questioning other peoples faiths so i was just wondering what Sikhs think of this.   Yes its a odd question lol    but this stuff is happening ...   

It's not an odd question, like you said, it implies reality. 

From what I've read over the years in historical sources, Sikhs or Sikhi has always been criticised. Be it by Moghuls or later the British (directly or through sponsored stooges). Read Ernest Trumpp's 'work' for a really scathing attack on Sikhs for example (written shortly after the 'annexation'). I've read pre colonial accounts by Moghuls attacking the keeping of kesh as making one no different from animals for another example.   Dabistan also records criticisms of Sikhs. Arya Samaj also criticised. 

Sikhs seem to have rebutted these things, or outright ignored them, probably seeing them (rightfully in my eyes) as obvious attacks by outsiders on a threat to their objectives.

Maybe we can go further and say that Sikhi itself seems to have an inbuilt/internal critical mechanism? Kukas criticised the state of Sikhi around them. Others too, like Bhagat Singh in his earlier days seems to have moved away from Sikhi (presumably) for his view that many apnay had compromised themselves to the imperialist agenda prevalent at the time. 

Criticism of Sikhs and Sikhi has always occurred from what I've seen. It's natural for foes to attack perceived adversaries. What's so shocking about that? 

[jkvlondon]

17 minutes ago, dallysingh101 said:

It's not an odd question, like you said, it implies reality. 

From what I've read over the years in historical sources, Sikhs or Sikhi has always been criticised. Be it by Moghuls or later the British (directly or through sponsored stooges). Read Ernest Trumpp's 'work' for a really scathing attack on Sikhs for example (written shortly after the 'annexation'). I've read pre colonial accounts by Moghuls attacking the keeping of kesh as making one no different from animals for another example.   Dabistan also records criticisms of Sikhs. Arya Samaj also criticised. 

Sikhs seem to have rebutted these things, or outright ignored them, probably seeing them (rightfully in my eyes) as obvious attacks by outsiders on a threat to their objectives.

Maybe we can go further and say that Sikhi itself seems to have an inbuilt/internal critical mechanism? Kukas criticised the state of Sikhi around them. Others too, like Bhagat Singh in his earlier days seems to have moved away from Sikhi (presumably) for his view that many apnay had compromised themselves to the imperialist agenda prevalent at the time. 

Criticism of Sikhs and Sikhi has always occurred from what I've seen. It's natural for foes to attack perceived adversaries. What's so shocking about that? 

just reminds me of those pathetic guys who've been bested then shout out behind the person's back pointless jibes whilst choking their dust. We are going to be us no matter what the world says , you want to learn about us fine , we teach you , you want to be rude and nasty well we have a solution for that too ' mohale de kuttey nu bhokan di aadat hundia , koi parva karan di lodd nahin'