Transcript Sikhism in Brief - The Sikh Coalition

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Sikhism in Brief
• Sikhism is the fifth largest World religion
• Sikhism is an independent religion with no
connection with Hinduism or Islam
• 23 million Sikhs worldwide
– 500,000 Sikhs reside in the United States and
500,000 Sikhs live in Canada
• Sikhs came to North America in late
1800s, more than a hundred years ago
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Sikh Beliefs
• There is One God for all of creation, a
loving Creator attainable through Grace.
• Loving remembrance of the One God.
• All human beings are created equal.
Women have complete equality with men.
• Living a moral, truthful and hardworking
existence.
• Selfless service towards the entire Creation.
• Defending the rights of the downtrodden
and oppressed.
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Articles of Faith
Mandatory articles of faith
for all initiated Sikhs
• Kesh – Uncut hair
• Kirpan – Religious sword
• Karra – Steel bracelet
• Kangha – Wooden comb
• Kachehra – Boxer shorts
Kirpan
Karra
Kangha
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Kirpan (Religious Sword)
• Mandatory article of faith revealed to
tenth Sikh Prophet by God.
• Sikhs wearing it since the year 1699.
• Not a weapon and not a mere symbol.
• Generally worn under clothing.
• Reminds Sikhs to fight against injustice
and oppression at all times.
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Dastaar – the Turban
• A mandatory article of faith for
Sikhs.
• Symbolic of sovereignty bestowed
by God.
• Sikhs wearing it for the last 500
years.
• Under no circumstances can the
turban be forcibly removed.
• Removal of turban in public is
tantamount to a strip search.
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Bhagat Singh Thind,
USArmy 1912
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Royal Canadian
Mounted Policeman
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President Bush meets with Sikhs in the White House
September 26, 2001
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“An American Sikh has been
killed, unjustly so. These citizens
bring their hearts with them, and
I can assure them that our
government will do everything
we can to not only bring those
people to justice, but also to treat
every human life as dear, and to
respect the values that made our
country so different and so
unique. We're all Americans,
bound together by common
ideals and common values.”
-- President Bush
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Common Misconception
Fiction: Sikhs are Muslim because they
wear a turban and have a beard
Fact: The turban is worn in many
countries as a cultural dress however
the turban is required to be worn by a
Sikh in order to cover their uncut hair
and is a religious article of faith. 99%
of people wearing turbans in the United
States and Canada are Sikhs.
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September 11, 2001
• Sikhs in America and around the world
strongly condemn the recent acts of
terrorism and stand united with the
American people.
• Sikhs have no connection with Osama
bin Laden.
• Sikhs have been donating blood,
providing resources and holding prayers
for victims of the attacks.
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FAA Guidelines on Turbans
• If a Sikh successfully passes through a metal
detector, a security personnel cannot ask him
to remove his or her turban.
• If a metal detector triggers an alarm and a
security personnel confirms using a handheld
detector that a metal is present in the turban,
the person should be taken to a private area
for further inspection. If removal of turban
becomes warranted, the Sikh must be
provided with a private area and a mirror to
retie the turban.
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For more information, visit
www.sikhcoalition.org
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