Being a Sikh adds a very important and unique element to my identity. What makes me a Sikh: is clearly defined in the article of 'The man in Blue' quoted that 'I am not a gora (white) Sikh or a kala (black) Sikh - I am a Sikh' (Cornelis Harjinder Singh, 2012), which gives a Sikh a very important identity because being a Sikh is not only defined by wearing the five Ks, which are Kesh: uncut hair, Kangha: a wooden comb , Kara: a metal bracelet ,Kachera: a specific style of cotton undergarments and Kirpan: a strapped curved sword, but it defined by the fact and an idea that every Sikh is mediating on the name of God. I do not wear all the five Ks, but I proudly have always worn a Kara ( metal bracelet), which naturally does draw a lot of …show more content…
This stresses the change in people's thinking because so many converts are taking place, and in some situations my element of being a Sikh sometimes gets misunderstood or lost. Furthermore, many people acts and behave differently because I am a Sikh. However, as a Sikh and a very independent woman, I proudly do believe that Sikh is an identity that makes me who I am and in certain situations it gives me the chance to represent my religion amongst so many other religions. If you were to ask me what makes me who I am: I will clearly say being an Indian, being British, being a Sikh and most importantly being a woman all these elements ' on a scale' ( Ansari, H, 2004) are all equal and important to me and all these elements identifies me, because when I am out in the public, I would be seen as Asian/ British woman , when I visit the Sikh temples, I am seen as British Sikh woman , when I am at home I behave like an Asian woman, this is truly because ' identity can't be compartmentalised' ( Lawler,S, 2007) , it cannot be split in halves or thirds not because I have several identities, but all these elements in equal proportions shapes who I am. This further makes me always stand up and be tolerant and respectful to many other identities that may be very different
The Muslim Sikh community in the United States have been facing violence and discrimination against their people increasingly since 9/11. FBI: Dramatic Spike in Hate Crimes Targeting Muslims. (2012) . Retrieved from http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2012/spring/fbi-dramatic-spike-in-hate-crimes-targetin. According to the FBI, Anti-Muslim has soared by 50% in 2010 since the September 11th attacks. The groups of people who encourage these types of hate crimes are misinformed and prejudice against a whole religion, instead of focusing in a humane way on a group of terrorists that caused so much turmoil in the United States.
Sikhism is free from any claims and dogmas. To attain salvation, Sikhism rejects all rites, rituals, and fasts. It rejects the claims of mortification of body, self-torture, penance or renunciation. It does not believe in worship of gods and goddesses, stones, statues, idols, pictures, tombs or crematoriums. Devotees are supposed to desist from working miracles, uttering blessings and curses, and believing in omens. They wear God's name as a necklace and try to practice Nam (remembrance of God's name), Dan (charity) and Ishnan (purity), truthfulness and openness, self-restraint in temper, labor for the purpose of mutual benefit, profitable and edifying speech, humility and forbearance.
Reading Chapter four of Ethnic Studies Issues and Approaches, by Philip Q. Yang, one receives a profound understanding of ethnic stratification. First of all, Yang describes ethnic stratification as a “institutionalized ethnic inequality” (61). This definition means the system of ethnic/social rules allowing certain ethnic groups to have access to more wealth and resources, which is unfair to the minority groups. There is a division between majority and minority groups, this is based on who is given more power, wealth and resources not because of a larger number of an ethnicity group. According to Yang, White people are the majority in the United States, but they are called majority for their share of wealth/power unlike the minority group.
In addition, Sikhs were sworn to wear the five symbols of their faith, also known as the “Five K’s”: “kes or kesh (uncut hair), kangha (comb), kachha (short trousers), kara (steel bracelet), and kirpan (ceremonial sword)” (Britannica, 2016), as symbols of power and equalitarianism. Also conflicting with the Muslim tradition that allows polygamy for those who can afford more than one wife, and doesn’t have strict rules against tobacco, Sikhs are required to abstain from tobacco, adultery, cutting their hair, and the meat of animals slowly bled to death specific to Islam. Influenced by the Hindu traditions, Sikhs believe in karma and reincarnation- elements not found in the Islamic
Despite being one of the world's largest world religions, Sikhism remains one of the most unknowledgeable and misunderstood traditions in America now. It is overseen and viewed in a lens based off assumptions of events that have occurred over the years. The lack of understanding has brought up too many serious consequences for their community including discriminatory policies, prejudiced stereotypes, shocking school bullying and violent hate crimes. To begin, Sikhism is a religion originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent about the end of the 15th century. It is known as one of the youngest of the major world religions! The vital beliefs of
Ethnicity significantly influences the formation of an individuals identity and experiences of belonging. Every cultural background has its own guide of morals and values which places expectations on each individual to follow. The various elements of a certain background influence family life and general structure, greatly influencing a persons formation of identity, and ways an individual may experience belonging. Other impacts that may have an effect on ethnicity for various people today include globalisation, increased mobility and migration.
Canadian identity indicates distinctive ethnicity, individualities and condition of being Canadians, including the diverse symbols and expressions that divide Canada and Canadians apart from other nations and cultures of the world (The Canadian Encyclopedia). It is difficult to identify the real Canadian identity due to differentiated opinions from the beginning of the Canadian settlement. Canada is a multicultural country, which welcomes all individuals and cultures, celebrating diversity rather than assimilation. As a result, the way person perceives his or her own Canadian identity differ from one person to the next. Different settlers have varied customs and traditions assimilated into Canadian identity, which is I believe that there is
Sikhs must not drink alcohol, smoke or gamble. They have one wife or husband. They must pray every morning. They must read the holy book everyday. The Ten Gurus (teachers) of the Sikh told the people what God wanted; how they should live their lives; and how peace and tranquility could be obtained. Sikhs must wear the 5Ks – Uncut Hair Kesh, Small Comb Kanga, Bangle Kara, Special Shorts Kacha and Sword Kirpan.
Who am I; my beliefs, values, morals, and views on society have assisted in molding me into the person that I am considered to be today. I was raced with specifics values, traditions, and norms. Being raised in a small town made being socially aware very easy. I was raised under the southern Baptist Christian religion. Church was always the same and it had a majority of women in attendance although the men and elderly people ran the church overall. It was always the same, repetitive habits and events that occurred in my town but after a while I became accustomed to always being near or known by others.
Is it possible to be a Muslim without believing the validity of the prophecies of Mohammed? Is it possible to be a Christian without believing in the resurrection of Jesus? My definition of religion transformed greatly during my studies the past few months. Even as a religion major at St. Olaf College I thought of religion very narrowly, as a construct of metaphysical beliefs. But I've come to realize that religion runs far deeper than my Lutheran mind previously conceived.
Being able to identify with a certain group has been an issue that individuals hesitate with daily. Am I Black, are you a girl, what religion do you practice? These are all common questions that society has forced individuals to concentrate on. Should an individual have to pick a side or is it relevant to the human race to identify with any group? One may believe not, but for others having and knowing one’s own identity is important, because it is something that they have been developing their entire life. Along with how their identity influenced their life chances and their self-esteem. This can also affect how society interact with whatever identity an individual chooses to live. Which is why it was important to recognize how identifying
There is five symbol of Sikhism , where it shows the true identity of a sikh, and how faith is shown spiritually , the great power of faith in them, Most Sikh Follow the rite of the khalsa , 5 ks are the 5 items a Sikh individual must have , by the the guru Gobind Singh
Sikhism is monotheistic worship of God, the term Sikh comes from the word "disciple". Sikhs are adherents who are followers of disciples to the Guru. Sikhism borrowed beliefs of Hinduism and Islamic Sufism to develop into a religion that is known as Sikhism today (Ellwood & McGraw; “Many People, Many Faith pg. 104). Sikhism is a religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, by Guru Nanak and continued to progress through the ten successive Sikh gurus. Sikhism religion was founded by Guru Nanak, was born on April 15, 1469 in the Western Punjab village of Talwandi (The First Master Guru Nanak).
Sikhism suits the needs of modern life since it is open to everyone who is willing to embrace its practices and doctrines. Sikhism, one of the most scientific and modern religions in the world, is the fifth largest religion. One distinctive characteristic of the Sikh religious practice in comparison to other faiths is the vibrant Sikh identity, which is culturally, spiritually, and visually, able to be noticeable within the crowd. Sikhism has become principally and identifiably a way of appearance, which is the decisive threshold between being a “Sikh” or not, between being someone and being anyone. A Sikh’s identity is known as the “Khalsa”, which means the “community of the pure” (Takhar, 2005). The Khalsa is an example of a transnational religious community, which its sole purpose was to institute a military charge of “saint soldiers.” The Khalsa refers to the baptized Sikhs, who have taken “amrit paul” (Nesbitt, 2002). The Khalsa was responsible for both protection and administration of the community. According to Sikhism, a Sikh should be a scholar, saint, and soldier for God, who must live by an example as the Guru Granth Sahib outlines. Sikhs have their own real identity, which is vividly growing substantially since it possesses its separate religion, institutions, martial traditions, history, and territory. The Khalsa Sikhs could be recognized by the given five articles of Sikhism, the Five Ks (McLeod, 2008). However, how is it possible that a turbaned and bearded portrait of a Sikh comes to embody a religion whose antipathy to the worship of a sacred idol image is the character of its difference from Hinduism? This research paper, argues that the theoretical accounts of the role of the outer appearance relative to the rel...
Today, Hinduism stands as India’s primary religion. In fact, India houses 90% of the world’s Hindi population and 79.8% of India’s population follows the Hindu religion, according to the 2011 census. It is thought by some to be the oldest religion in the world and the “eternal law” (Fowler). This culture is truly one as defined by Edward Taylor: “A complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other capability and habit acquired by man as a member of society.” In order to have somewhat of an understanding about what the Hindu religion entails, one must study the Hindu conception of God, its basic concepts and key beliefs, as well as symbolism.