Browsing Tag: Identity

It's this sort of optimism that makes me believe that "looking different" has played a significant role in my way of "looking differently."

Though coming back has offered challenge and inspiration both. the most obvious cause is my adoption of dastaar. very morning before i wear it, i feel stirrings of terror. but once it’s on, absolute certainty. this is right. and i am me now. fully.

An honest, frank and uncensored account of one woman's decision to stop removing her hairs and her ensuing experiences. (note: contains raw language)

A memory which I still have very vividly in my mind, the first time I was truly scared. It was the day before the last day of school, I was in 3rd grade and just like with great movies, the memory starts with an action sequence.

Here is Hari Karam Singh's story of how and why he began wearing the Guru's Bana. He was not born into a Sikh family, but was born and raised in the USA to a non-Punjabi family.

My friends and followers of Nanak, we may not agree on many things and have varying opinions about most every subject but as Sikhs we can agree on one fact, the truth. The truth was held in high regard by Guru Nanak, and therefore I ask you, as Sikhs to walk with me two steps in regards to the truth.

So, if we want to be proud of being Sikh, feel passionate about it, let us strive to work on the understanding of Naam. As we understand what Guru Ji is trying to give us, there will be a paradigm shift in our lives and with that understanding we will be creating a new state of mind.

Recognizing the lack of knowledge about Sikhs & Sikhism in the western world including the United States, and the need for educating the masses about Sikh identity, it is very important to include information about Sikhs in school textbooks and Supplemental Instructional Materials (SIM).

On Friday March 16th, the University of Waterloo and the cities of Kitchener-Waterloo were transformed into a sea of colourful turbans in support of Sikh Awareness Day.

The title to this article might have conjured up images of a cowboy-style shoot ‘em up between turban-donning, mounted riders, and whilst I would welcome development of such an idea into a film, sadly that’s not what i’m writing about.

So when I see Sikhs giving up their identities, or failing to adopt them even if they are stern believers of everything else of Sikhism, I am not sure what to think. I honestly have become opinion less about the topic, to each their own, all I know is what value and richness it has provided me.

If you want royal treatment at nightclubs in Argentina, maybe you should consider investing in a turban!

Our Gurus gave us this gift for a reason and as we grow older we wait for the day we get that full dhari; it’s a Singh’s childhood goal.

You could argue that for all religious traditions their scriptures are a source of pride, but Sikhs' ennoblement of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Living Guru, along with the performative aspects of their relationship with the Guru Granth Sahib, add much deeper dimensions to this pride.

Bollywood often made caricatures out of Sikh characters, invariably portraying them as loud people with little insight and depth. However, winds of change are blowing with the Sikhs being treated with respect and sensitivity on screen. The list of movies showing them as having real and credible personas has been growing.

Following the success of the Arts Council England exhibition “Turbanology: Sikhs Unwrapped” comes a new book highlighting the importance of the Sikh Turban (or Dastaar). The book, on general release now, catalogues the story of the Turban through art and photography.

I'm proud to be American, but not at the expense of dehumanizing others.

He watched in disbelief as the guard asked the elder ahead of him to remove his turban and lay it on the table. Mr. Niaz, who had journeyed more than eight hours on rugged roads, shuddered. “That made us so embarrassed, and it made me so sad,” he said. “I felt dishonored

If you are a Sikh youth and wavering on this issue, I humbly suggest you really explore your reasons for not wearing the Five K’s. Go to your parents, find older Sikhs who’ve gone through the same issue, read the example of other Sikhs, and go to Waheguru–that wonderful light which dispels all darkness–for guidance.

It was about this time last year that I was impelled to share a very difficult, uniquely Sikh challenge for me. I am a woman with a very fuzzy chin. It’s not an exaggeration at all to say I have a beard. Since my hair is dark brown, I can’t even pretend people don’t notice it, even if that’s what they like to pretend.

I wish I didn't have to explain. There is a great deal about Sikhism that I wish Americans understood. I wish they knew how much of my religious practice is consumed with my chosen academic discipline – conflict resolution and peacemaking. Americans don't realize that on 9/11, I felt miserable.

He further said that he was aware of the problems faced by the students coming from India and assured that all issues would be taken care of. Dr. Pritpal Singh told Asian News International that such events could become a part of resolving Sikh identity issues. He further informed that still many countries including the developed ones need to educate about Sikhism and its code of conducts.

Today, I was thinking how I should wish everyone I know a Happy Vasakhi, but instead, I did what I never did. I thanked Guru Gobind Singh for these gifts which have given me so much! Vaho Vaho Gobind Singh! Thank you for not making me ‘normal’!

I went to cut my hair and add some color. Must say I had some mixed feelings about the cutting of hair, I had a pretty big discussion with myself about the kesh-thing, but then I thought why try to be someone you are not?

When we follow in the footsteps of Bibi Bhani Ji, we become the true daughters of The Khalsa. We learn to live a life where we put Guru Ji before ourselves, the importance of Gurbani and the value of Parents.

The element on my mind the most right now is - "outsidership." An uncertainty about how to enter in. I just recently began wearing the kara, and even that makes me feel so vulnerable...

This is an inspiring story. Every time we read it, we get new emotions. This true story motivates the reader to be a true Sikh.

The Indian The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a petition requesting a separate religious identity for Sikhs.

Although Sikhi is such a large part of my life, truth is…I really don’t think about kesh much.

Sonu and Manjinder embody a larger tension within the Sikh community – the internal dilemma among children to remain true to their faith while still fitting in with their peers.