Who Are They?

Who Are They?

You may look at picture with awe.. surprise.. fear.. thinking who are these people.. Where are they from, are they terrorists.. Arabs..? Perhaps you have seen similar people living in your neighborhood, working at your office or even crossing the street. Remember?

Many people come across similar faces in their everyday lives. Without any knowledge of the faith, some just ignore these people, and continue with their day. Others though, have mistaken them with the people associated with the September 11 attacks. These biased and uneducated perceptions pave hatred, prejudice, and racism. Many Sikhs have been severely injured, taunted with slurs, and some have even been killed in the process.

The people in this picture are Sikhs! They are in no way related to the cruel September 11 attacks as many mistake them to be. Instead the Sikhs are a peace loving community who reside in most parts of this world in large number.

Sikhism - The word Sikh (pronounced seek) means ‘disciple’ or ‘learner.’ The Sikh religion was founded in Northern India in the fifteenth century by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Sikhism is monotheistic and stresses the equality of all men and women. Sikhs believe in three basic principles; meditating on the name of God (praying), earning a living by honest means as well as sharing the fruits of one’s labor with others. Sikhism rejects caste and class systems and emphasizes service to humanity. The Sikhs link themselves to the Guru, who is always in direct consciousness of God, experiencing no separation. Through words and example, the Guru demonstrates to followers how to experience God within themselves.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Guru of the Sikh faith, was a humble bearer of the Light. He opposed superstition, injustice, hypocrisy and inspired seekers by singing divine songs which touched the hearts of the most callous listeners. These songs were recorded, and formed the beginnings of the Sikhs' sacred writings, later to become the Guru Granth Sahib. The Guru Granth Sahib, which now embodies divine inspirations from the 10 living Gurus, is considered the 11th and final Guru of the Sikh faith. Most Sikhs elect to wear a turban and keep unshorn hair as mandated by the 10th Guru. Sikhism recognizes the universal truths that underlie all human endeavors, religions and belief systems. The universal nature of the Sikh way of life reaches out to people of all faiths and cultural backgrounds, encouraging us to see beyond our differences and to work together for world peace and harmony.

London Metropolitan University Sikh Society

"Recognise All Mankind As One.” Tenth Sikh Master Guru Gobind Singh Ji
SikhSociety@gmail.com
http://LondonMetSikhSoc.blogspot.com