At the Rep today...

[Singh_Shiromani]

Members of the Soho Rd gurdwara stood back and watched singhs get pushed about and have their paghs knocked off!!! they were standing about 40 meters away watching!!!

including Mr seva singh mandla chairman of council of sikh gurdwaras birmingham.

so singhs passed a gurmatta and approched mr mandla and again asked him to resign and said a JAIKARA!!

then mr mandla left while members of nishkam sevak jatha watched still, then singhs approached them again and said why are you standing there watching us??? help us?? then the remaining members left!

oh and "Bhai" mohinder singh's in india, even though he knew about it 4 months ago, along with mr mandla!!

[AK-47]

2 Words ... 'BIGGER PICTURE'

[Guest JSS]

i just read the article online....

explain one thing to me singh shromani....what were the singhs doing trying to get in to the play like that?....what's wrong with these people?....violence isn't the answer....so all of you get off your macho high horse.....giving sikhs a bad name....

making one thing clear...i totally agree that the play gives sikhs a bad name...but what you guys did doesn't help anything out.....that's pathetic....in fact it shows weakness on our part...the fact that we're trying to disrupt the play can be percieved that maybe the content has some truth to it...i'm not saying it's true... COME ON!!!!!!!!!! let's use our bibek buddi....Guru Hargobind sahib ji wore two kirpans for a reason MIRI and PIRI...miri refers to worldly smarts!!!....OBVIOUSLY the UK singhs are missing some....before taking any action...you should think about the consequences....ie...is it going to achieve the goal?????....if not...then it's probably not the best idea...

all i know is that article i read made sikhs look like a bunch of thugs....

thanks for that one guys....you did a real service to the panth

[Wutgwan]

JSS

Waheguru ji ka khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh ji

i don't want to turn this thread into a slagging match of the rights and wrongs of the protest as I am sure everyone else has their two cents to add, but JSS are u from UK?

just a few facts

as soon as this play came to light recently, sangat from UK have protested peaceful (on 3 occasions) written complaint letters in the right way, contacted polticians (both internally and externally), contacted senior management at the rep and police.

On Wednesday of last week, the police told the sangat that an injunction would be made the next day (this was a lie to get the crowd to leave the rep that day).

The sangat wasn't even asking the Rep to ban the play, they only asked for them to have it set in a community centre instead of Guru's house.

Alot of peaceful ways were sought by the sangat.

Even allowing for police heavy handiness on Thursday - (4 police men manhandling and arresting a young protestor for wearing a scarf!!! when has that been an offence, and for arresting 2 singhs for not moving)

all through this ther rep refused to listen to the Sikh community- blatently saying they woudl continue to show the play

JSS u talk about Guru Hargobind Sahib, but wut about Guru ji telling us when every other option as been looked at but to no success, then use the sword?

and on this occasion everything has been tried, but to no avail

also JSS - u say did the protest on saturday achieve the goal?

well to be honest if the sangat has stood their all night and did jakaira (like all protests normally) i strongly thing nothing would have ha

ppened, the sangat would have gone away with nothing and the rep would still be showing the play.

HOWEVER due to Guru's blessings and the faith of the Gursikhs who 'tried to storm' the rep, the play was cancelled for tonight and there's talk it will no longer go ahead for the rest of the week, however this will be confirmed tomorrow

So pls, while you might think the storming of the rep was not right, it worked and had the desired affect - the play was stopped.

there was no other solution to those Gurmukhs who were there (Someitmes just shouting is not enough only drastic action gets drastic results, so to all the sangat who were there trying to do the best they could, ignore any critism that might come your way because it was all done with Guru ji in mind

and on final note- before the storming of the rep took place, chaupaui Sahib paath was done asking Guru ji for protection, so anyone who has an issue with what the Singhs did, I suggest you take it up with the main man - Guru ji.

Waheguru ji ka khalsa Waheguru ji ki fateh jio

[Guest rsingh]

was just on National News,

that people got arressted, and fight, etc. Weve made national. Time to take action.

when i say national, i mean national, not panjabi Radio only! any radio that subscribes to the National Headline News in english.

[randip singh]

Lads we need to organise a petition on-line about this highlighting the most offensive parts of the play..........knowledge is power...........and we don't want to be seen as a bunch like Islamic funamentalists...........here's my take on it..........

http://www.sikh-history.com/cgi-bin/Ultima...c;f=10;t=000673

[AK-47]

Dont forget teh countless petitions and endless meetings!!

Well if the sikhs are thugs then i guess the christian church must be also!!

As one of thier guys seems to agree that the REP was terrible in the way it handled the situation! Hmmm makes you think doesnt it... but as iv sid b4, we dnt need anyone to shoot us, we got our own to mark out a spot on our backs!

[GuruManeyoGranth]

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa!

Waheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!!

This topic made 1st headline news on BBC News 24, and 1st news with Breakfast with Frost - major international programs in the UK. MASSIVE COVERAGE ON THE ISSUE. They reported that whilst the demonstration was peaceful, with several hundred protestors, the issue turned ugly when some youths tried to storm the play to stop it going ahead. 5 policemen were injured and there was criminal damage. 2 youths were arrested. The show got cancelled on Saturday, but is going ahead again on Monday.

In my humble opinion, whilst it is good that the event got major coverage and publicity within the UK, it is of utmost that the protests going ahead must remain peaceful, if us Sikhs are to maintain the moral high ground.

Benti to Admin, can u amalgamate all threads on this issue into one; its beginning to get annoying now :wub: .

Sikh Sangato, can we also pls make sure that we concentrate on the topic of the play, rather than looking at our elder leaders. It is of utmost importance the play issue is resolved first, and then perhaps afterwards we can reflect on how the Sikh community in the UK can take a united stand on issues such as this in the future.

Bhul Chuk Maaf

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa!

Waheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!!

[Nama Singh]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0...4682008,00.html

Sikhs try to storm sex abuse play

Press Association

Sunday December 19, 2004 12:48 PM

The leaders of a group of Sikh protesters who tried to storm a theatre showing a play which they say mocks their religion are expected to discuss the incident with police and theatre managers.

Up to 400 protesters demonstrating outside the Birmingham Repertory Theatre tried to storm the venue to stop Saturday's performance of Behzti - which depicts acts of sexual abuse and murder in a Sikh Gurdwara.

Theatre managers said they would continue to negotiate with the group and it is understood Sikh community leaders have asked to meet with West Midlands Police.

Five police officers were hurt in the struggle and two men have since been arrested for public order offences, said a West Midlands Police spokeswoman.

There have been no reports that any theatregoers were injured in the clashes.

The theatre has been targeted with a number of peaceful protests this week but Saturday's performance was cancelled when the "vast majority" of the protesters tried to storm the theatre.

Behzti (Dishonour), written by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti - herself a Sikh - has a scheduled run at the Rep until the end of December and explores issues of sexual abuse, manipulation and relationships in the setting of a Gurdwara.

Earl

ier this week, the local authority's three main political parties said they were worried about the effects of the play after being contacted by local Sikh community leaders. The faith leaders wanted the setting changed from a temple to a community centre.

Labour leader Albert Bore said The Rep should have known that by using a place of worship as the backdrop the play would cause offence to the Sikh community and others who respect religious beliefs.

Khalid Mahmood, MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, said the play had been written to cause maximum offence. But the theatre says the play is a work of fiction and makes no comment about Sikhism as a faith or its followers in general.

[Nama Singh]

on the front page of BBC news