The Faith Communities Council of Victoria has released it's annual multifaith calendar outlining major holy days and festivals for Baha'i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism.
Signalling friendship, faith and collaboration the Australian, Aboriginal and Sikh flags were hoisted recently at a proposed site for a new Sikh place of worship.
The 20-acre property, earmarked for the planned Sri Guru Nanak Darbar temple, is located at Officer in Cardinia Shire Council region. The flag hoisting marked the grand foundation ceremony of the new temple as well as National Reconciliation Week. It came as a relief for the Sikh community of Cardinia Shire as the execution of the project was under strain due to initial objections from neighbours.
24 local residents had earlier approached the VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) and raised an objection against the proposed temple that was later withdrawn. The concerns were mainly around increased traffic on roads frequented by children, horses and bicyclists, noise pollution in a tranquil lifestyle and adverse impact on the green wedge zone environment.
The VCAT case against the temple development was withdrawn in May this year after the residents sought legal advice on the matter. According to community representative Harpreet Singh, “Mutual understanding is an ongoing process and we are grateful that the residents made the decision to withdraw their objection”.
Singh also thanked those who helped, guided and persevered in their efforts to support the community. According to him the Sikh society embarked on an outreach and public relations efforts to communicate their intentions. They shared knowledge of their faith and plans for the place of worship though mailbox drops and through community interactions.
Local land care groups, environmental and planning experts were consulted to ensure that the project met the best standards. The development will include organic food farming and other horticultural activities in line with the rural landscape.
During the flag-hoisting event, trees were planted and bird boxes installed at the property to celebrate the World Environment Day. All the special guests were presented with a memento of the famous Golden Temple in appreciation.
The 123-capacity place of worship will be designed as a place for prayer and spiritual energy. Devotee Avtar Singh reiterated, “Everyone, no matter which country or religion they belong to, is welcome to the Gurudwara and can be a part of our celebrations and service.”
The exalted Sikh flag (Nishan Sahib) symbolises the inherent values of the Sikh faith: one god, equality of all humans, love and respect for all, and a life of service and dedication.
Daniel Mulino, Member for Eastern Region & Parliamentary Secretary for Treasury and Finance stated, “It was a privilege to attend the opening of the Sikh temple at Officer. The Sikh community has worked collaboratively over a number of years to get to this point. I am confident that they will make a significant contribution to Officer and the broader region.”
Nina Springle MP, Deputy Leader of the Victorian Greens, observed, “Foundation Day Siri Guru Nanak Darbar marks an important milestone for the Sikh community as an established and contributing part of Cardinia Shire. It’s clear from the widespread support they have for their project that they will continue to play a valuable role in the growing diversity of the area.”
Central Ward Councillor Michael Schilling said, “It was a privilege to take part in the flag raising ceremony, and be able to witness the success of the Sikh community here in Cardinia. Cultural and religious diversity is so important in building a healthy community, and I very much look forward to following this group’s progress over the coming years.”
On 25 July, 2017 this blog carried a post regarding a Sikh child being refused enrolment in a Christian school because the traditional headcap the child wore did not conform with the school's dress code.
Readers of Beside The Creek will be pleased to know that the matter has now been resolved in favour of the child and his family.
A Christian school unlawfully discriminated against a five-year-old boy when it banned him from wearing a traditional Sikh patka, a child's version of a turban, a tribunal has ruled.
In a win for Melbourne father Sagardeep Singh Arora and his son Sidhak, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled that Melton Christian School breached the Equal Opportunity Act.
Sagardeep Singh Arora with his son Sidhak. Photo: Supplied
The decision, which was handed down on Tuesday, could have implications for the way schools set their uniform policies.
It also paves the way for Sidhak to attend the school of his choice.
____________________________________________________________"It is not reasonable to accept enrolment applications from students from non-Christian faiths only on condition that they do not look like they practise a non-Christian religion," VCAT member Julie Grainger said.
Mr Arora had hoped that his son would start prep at school this year, but the enrolment hit a roadblock when principal David Gleeson said Sidhak would have to comply with the school's uniform policy.
Sikh volunteers say they have begun handing out food and water to Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Burma.
The Khalsa Aid charity said volunteers from its India arm were "working in tough conditions on the border areas" in Bangladesh to provide aid.
The group, which is registered within the UK, had reportedly reached the village of Teknaf in the Cox's Bazar area, which has become a crossing point for tens of thousands of Rohingya.
Dozens of Rohingya villages now lie empty after their residents fled violence in Rakhine state, according to Burma's government. One hundred and seventy-six of 471 villages were abandoned, spokesman Zaw Htay said.
Amarpreet Singh, managing director of Khalsa Aid India, told The Indian Express: "We had come prepared for providing relief to some 50,000 people, but there are more than three lakh [300,000] refugees here. They are living without water, food, clothes and shelter. They are sitting wherever they can find a corner."
Refugee camps had become overcrowded, he added.
Rohingya Muslims face widespread persecution in Buddhist-majority Burma, where the recent violence has driven hundreds of thousands to seek refuge overseas.
Zaw Htay did not use the name Rohingya. Members of the ethnic group are commonly referred to as "Bengalis" by many in Burma who insist they migrated illegally from Bangladesh.
He also said Burma would not allow all people who fled to return. He said: "We have to verify them. We can only accept them after they are verified."
The government blames the Rohingya for the violence, but journalists who visited the region found evidence that raises doubts about its claims that Rohingya set fire to their own homes.
Many of the Rohingya who flooded into refugee camps in Bangladesh told of Burmese soldiers shooting indiscriminately, burning their homes and warning them to leave or die. Others said they were attacked by Buddhist mobs.
To read more about the Sikhs and the turban
and its importance to them, please go here.
The editor of Beside The Creek wonders if any of the decision-makers at this school
know any Sikhs or know anything about their faith.
Their decision is sure to bring the school and its Christian faith
into disrepute in interfaith circles in Victoria.
For those who are not aware,
Sikh men do not cut their hair - and that goes for beards as well.
Having said that though, there are many Sikh men who do.
However, the standard and traditional practice is
to let the hair, face and head, grow.
The editor once had a doctor who was a Sikh.
As well as the turban, he had a sort of little pouch which
hooked behind his ears, and that kept his beard tidy.
All this to-do makes me wonder how this Christian school
might have treated an orthodox Jewish male wearing
a skull-cap or that stand-out black hat head-gear?
After all, Jesus was a Jew and, if he was back in
this modern world, what would he be wearing?
But then in this Christian school, maybe they would not allow
the skull-cap either.
Seems to this editor, that what these very particular Christians at Melton have done
is the usual discriminatory thing.
When all else fails and you don't want to say someone is not
welcome because ..... impose an arbitrary dress code.
From the Christian viewpoint, all are welcome in the Kingdom of God, REGARDLESS
but at this school at Melton they have higher standards than that
and it can get down to what you put on your head.
Sacred Pilgrimage and Devotional Meditation Retreat with Babaji Baldev Singh
Bulandpuri (Spiritual Light House), Punjab, India.
March 29 through April 14, 2016
Free
Babaji Baldev Singh welcomes anyone who comes with a true and sincere desire to merge with the Divine, manifest his/her destiny and flower into our true potential to celebrate Life and serve Creation. The most magnificent sweet, loving divine presence flows abundantly here to melt our hearts and tenderly touch each of our cells to blossom into truth and manifest their Destiny.
Come share with us this precious opportunity to visit the Spiritual Light House, Bulandpuri in Punjab, India and sit in meditation and receive teachings from Babaji Baldev Singh who will guide us back to our truth and help us attune ourselves to the Divine so that we may serve others.
Babaji Baldev Singh is the present embodiedment of a long line of Saints going back to the original teachings of Guru Nanak.
He speaks perfect English, since he lived and studied in Canada in his youth. His humility and selfless service are truly immaculate. He spends all his time in service to countless people in many countries who come to him for help, healing and above all, a safe, loving, sweet path to merge with G-D and fulfill their life's purpose.
You may visit him at Bulandpuri Spiritual-Light-House, an ashram-like complex with Temple, school, comfortable and safe lodging facilities, kitchen, etc, in the Punjab, India.
Babaji speaks perfect English. Bulandpuri has all the conveniences to make your stay comfortable, clean and safe. Miguel Kavlin & Carmen Castañeda will be there to host and accompany and take care of you and will also translate into Spanish.
There will be visits to the Golden Temple, Anandpur Sahib and other sacred sites of the Sikh Gurus and Saints. You may also extend and visit, on your own, other sites in North India, Rajastan, Taj Mahal, etc.
Americans attack Sikhs because they think they're Muslims
December 29, 2015 - 12:42PM
Peter Holley
Members of the Sikh community gather for a news conference at the Sikh Association of Fresno Temple in California in 2012, in response of the shooting in Wisconsin at a Sikh temple when six people were killed by an unidentified gunman. Photo: AP/File
Washington: The bearded man in the blue turban was attacked before dawn on Saturday morning, while waiting for a ride to work.
Two white males in their 20s pulled up and began to curse at Amrik Singh Bal, according to police in Fresno, California.
Fearing for his safety, police said, the 68-year-old Sikh man attempted to cross the street – but "the subjects in the vehicle backed up and struck the victim with their rear bumper". The car stopped, and the two men "got out and assaulted the victim, striking him in the face and upper body".
US Army Captain Simratpal Singh, who was recently granted a temporary religious accommodation that allows him to grow his beard and wrap his hair in a turban, at home in Auburn, Washington, this month.
US Army Captain Simratpal Singh, who was recently granted a temporary religious accommodation that allows him to grow his beard and wrap his hair in a turban, at home in Auburn, Washington, this month. Photo: NYT
During the assault, police said, one of the suspects yelled: "Why are you here?"
Mr Bal fell to the ground, striking his head.
He also suffered a broken collarbone in the attack – the latest in a string of incidents targeting US Sikhs, who are frequently conflated with Muslims and often wind up absorbing the backlash against Islamist extremists.
US Army Captain Simratpal Singh, who was recently granted a temporary religious accommodation that allows him to grow his beard and wrap his hair in a turban, at home in Auburn, Washington, this month. Photo: NYT
US Army Captain Simratpal Singh says his two worlds have finally come back together.
Photo: NYT
This month, just days after a married Muslim couple opened fire at a social services centre in San Bernardino, California, a Sikh house of worship in nearby Orange County was vandalised with hateful graffiti, according to the Sikh Coalition. A truck parked outside the Gurdwara Singh Sabha was also vandalised, with graffiti that included the phrase "F--- ISIS," the coalition said. ISIS is an acronym for Islamic State.
In September, Inderjit Singh Mukker, a father of two on his way to the grocery store, was savagely assaulted in a Chicago suburb after being called "bin Laden".
History of xenophobia
There's nothing new about Sikhs being the targets of violence and intimidation in the United States: Followers of the monotheistic faith, which originated in Punjab in the 15th century, have been on the receiving end of xenophobic intolerance since they began arriving in the Pacific north-west to fill logging jobs in the early 20th century, according to Simran Jeet Singh, a senior religion fellow at the Sikh Coalition, a non-profit advocacy group.
"Pretty immediately after our arrival in this country, we became targets of xenophobia," Dr Singh said in a recent interview. "Hate violence has ebbed and flowed throughout our history in America, but being targets of racism is nothing new. It's part of our history here."
That intimidation intensified in the months after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when a wave of anti-Muslim sentiment washed over the country, leading some to confuse the long beards and turbans worn by many Sikh men as a representation of Islam. Others viewed it simply as an opportunity to attack individuals they perceived as being "un-American".
Sikh achievement: Harjit Singh Sajjan reacts after being sworn in as Canada's defence minister in Ottawa in November. Seated in the red turban is Navdeep Singh Bains, who was sworn in as science and innovation minister on the same day. Photo: The Canadian Press via AP
According to the Sikh Coalition, there were more than 300 cases of violence and discrimination against US Sikhs in the first month after the 2001 attacks.
The hatred peaked more than a decade later, when an army veteran and white supremacist named Wade Michael Page walked into a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and opened fire on a crowd of worshippers, killing six and wounding three before taking his own life.
Renewed fears
Now, the United States is again grappling with fears of terrorism after recent attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, which have shaken Western governments and collectively resulted in about 150 deaths.
And again, Sikhs say, their community is bearing the brunt of those fears.
"Over the last few weeks, the level of intimidation is worse than it was after September 11th," Harsimran Kaur, the Sikh Coalition's legal director, told The Washington Post. "Then, people were angry at the terrorists and now they're angry at Muslims, anyone who is seen as Muslim, or anyone who is perceived as being 'other'.
"It's not just a case of mistaken identity. It's beyond that."
Although estimates vary because of a lack of census data, the coalition believes 500,000 to 750,000 Sikhs live in the United States, with about half of that population residing in California.
The 2014 US Religious Landscape Study, released by the Pew Research Centre, shows that less than three-tenths of a per cent of the US population identify as Sikhs. In a 2012 Q&A, Conrad Hackett, a demographer at Pew and an expert on international religious demography, put the number far lower, at about 200,000.
"This estimate is based on the assumption that the vast majority of Sikhs in the US are of Asian origin – an assumption supported by various studies, including Princeton University's New Immigrant Survey," he wrote. "However, given the difficulty of surveying both small religious groups and new immigrants, the 200,000 figure should be considered a rough estimate and more likely a floor than a ceiling."
Male followers of the Sikh faith frequently cover their heads with turbans – which are considered sacred – and forgo shaving their beards.
They are also highly misunderstood by a majority of Americans, according to a 2013 report called Turban Myths published by the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund and Stanford University.
According to the report's findings, half of the American public associates the turban with Islam and believes that Sikhism is a sect of the religion.
An even larger chunk of the public – 70 per cent – remains unable to identify a a Sikh when looking at a picture of one.
Dr Singh told The Post that portraying hate crimes against US Sikhs as mere cases of mistaken identity is problematic. Not only is an attacker's motivation often hard to discern, he said, but such categorisations have a way of legitimising the perceived original intent and diminishing the brutality of the crime.
The FBI began tracking hate crimes against Sikhs only last year, according to the coalition.
"For Sikh Americans, the unique markers of religious identity – the turban, the beard – these markers are associated with the markers of terrorism," Dr Singh told The Post's Sarah Kaplan in September, after Mr Mukker, was viciously beaten.
In other words: "People see a Sikh and construe them as the enemy."
Fuelled by politics
Ms Kaur said the backlash against people who are perceived as being non-American has been exacerbated by anti-Islamic statements made by Republican presidential candidates such as Ben Carson and Donald Trump. Dr Carson has said that the United States should not elect a Muslim president, citing concerns about "different loyalties". Mr Trump has called for a "total and complete" ban on Muslims entering the United States.
"Trump's statements legitimise nativist impulses," Ms Kaur said. "It's why we're seeing more profiling and vandalism and intimidating incidents. We've been speaking to the family of an elderly man who was hit in the head with an apple a few days ago. These are the kind of things that you start to see as the political rhetoric escalates."
In his recent address from the Oval Office, US President Barack Obama urged Americans to "reject discrimination" and to avoid defining the US war against extremism as "a war between America and Islam".
"It's our responsibility to reject proposals that Muslim Americans should somehow be treated differently," he said. "Because when we travel down that road, we lose.
"Muslim Americans are our friends and our neighbours, our co-workers, our sports heroes, and, yes, they are our men and women in uniform who are willing to die in the defence of our country," he added. "We have to remember that."
Long list of incidents
Sikhs have been the targets of several incidents since Mr Mukker was attacked in September.
According to the Associated Press, a Sikh woman said she was forced to show her breast pump before taking her seat on an airplane "because another passenger thought she might be an extremist".
A group of Sikh football fans said they were initially barred from entering Qualcomm Stadium to watch the San Diego Chargers play the Denver Broncos because they were wearing turbans, according to the news service. They were finally allowed inside, but Verinder Malhi told ABC affiliate KGTV that a security supervisor informed the group that if they ever returned to the stadium, they couldn't wear turbans.
"Three of my buddies, they had turbans on, and it was like, 'You guys got to take the turbans off'," Mr Malhi said. "It's bad, I mean, this is embarrassing for me, because we are Americans at the end of the day. And we are not supposed to be afraid of fellow Americans."
A Sikh store clerk in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was shot in the face during a robbery this month. The victim reported that the assailant called him a "terrorist", according to the Grand Rapids Press; before he was shot, the suspect told the clerk that he used to kill people like him in Iraq, the newspaper reported.
The robber also suggested that the 34-year-old clerk was a member of IS, Gurleen Kaur, a relative of the store's owner, told the Press.
"It could've happened to anyone that looks like us," she said. "We're Americans. We're trying to live normal lives, be Americans."
The backlash against Sikhs has resulted in several hopeful stories.
A photo of a former Trinity University basketball player spread across social media this month with the caption: "Nobody wants to guard Muhammad, he's too explosive." The photo was actually of Punjabi American Darsh Singh, the first turbaned Sikh to play in the NCAA.
Greg Worthington, a friend of Singh's, was outraged by the meme and penned a powerful rebuttal on Facebook that went viral.
"I know this guy and his name's not 'Muhammad'. He's not Arab, he's Punjabi. He's not even Muslim, he's a Sikh. His name is Darsh Singh and he's a US citizen, born and bred. That jersey he's wearing in this pic, it currently sits in a Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC, because he made US history as the NCAA's first turbaned Sikh American basketball player for Trinity University in my hometown of San Antonio. He was co-captain of that team when he played there. He's worked in US Intelligence with the National Security Agency in the past and currently manages financial portfolios and hedge funds for some of the most compassionate companies in the US. Above all those things, he's a really nice guy, very funny, and he's a great friend of my younger brother whom I was more than happy to befriend myself."
The story spawned a #BeLikeDarsh hashtag on Twitter, as well.
During an appearance on NBC News, Singh said he was inspired by the response.
"In the Sikh tradition, we believe that every individual has the potential to embody divine love," he said. "What this showed me was, I think, people are recognising there are no bystanders when you see hate violence.
"When you reach out to people and connect with them, it means something. Silence in the face of prejudice is an act of hate."
In a second victory for Sikh affirmation, the US Army this month announced that a 27-year-old Sikh captain who served in Afghanistan may keep his beard and turban when he reports for a new post.
The Hill and the New York Times reported that the exception to the army's strict grooming standards was only the fourth one issued in more than three decades. Now, the publication noted, the army has to determine whether the exception should permanently apply to others.
"My Sikh faith and military service are two core parts of who I am," Captain Simratpal Singh said in a statement.
"I am proud to serve my country as an officer and I look forward to being able to continue serving without having to give up my religious beliefs."
Beside The Creek editorial comment: Reckon the Sikhs could feed the world no trouble at all.
A story from Aljazeera:
Two hundred thousand rotis (Indian flat bread), 1.5 tonnes of dal (lentil soup) and free food served to 100,000 people everyday are what makes the free kitchen run at the Golden Temple in the western Indian city of Amritsar stand apart.
By all measures, the kitchen (called langar in Punjabi ) is one of the largest free kitchens to be run anywhere in the world. The concept of langars was initiated centuries ago by Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh religion.
Sunday, November 17, was his 545th birth anniversary.
At the Langar, no one goes hungry - and everybody gets a hot meal regardless of caste, creed and religion. All Sikh Gurudwaras (places of worship) have langars, but the one at Golden Temple - Sikhs' holiest shrine - has little parallel.
“Anyone can eat for free here and on an average we serve food to 100,000 people. On weekends and special occasions double the numbers of people visit the langar. The langar never stops and on an average 7,000 kg of wheat flour, 1,200 kg of rice, 1,300 kg of lentils, 500 kg of ghee (clarified butter) is used in preparing the meal every day,” says Harpreet Singh, manager of this huge kitchen.
“The free kitchen uses firewood, LPG gas and electronic bread makers for the cooking and we use around 100 LPG cylinders and 5,000 kilograms of firewood every day,” he adds.
The kitchen is run by 450 staff, helped by hundreds of other volunteers.
Sanjay Arora, 46, from New Delhi, comes to volunteer at the langar two days a month. “This is seva (service) for me. I feel happy after doing this service. This is not just free food because here you forget all the differences that separate humans from each other,” he says.
Volunteers also wash the 300,000 plates, spoons and bowls used in feeding the people. The food is vegetarian and the expenses are managed through donations from all over the world. The yearly budget of the langar runs into hundreds of millions.
