Regarding recent events in the Sikh community

Sikhs have been in the news a lot lately, but sadly, it has been for all the wrong reasons; fist- fights at places of worship, thinly veiled threats, and some rather serious political gaffes. Now I regularly talk about Sikhism with my friends – whether it’s in the context of social justice, spirituality or just philosophy in general. Being in law school, the political elements of the faith also come up – whether it’s due to certain political ideologies or because of requirements of the faith (like the kirpan or turban).

Sikhism is a relatively young religion. It’s only 500 years old and it’s still experiencing some growing pains. Lucky for us, we’re in a society and a time when violence is something that is fiercely opposed, making it less likely that these growing pains will translate into problems as grand and unfortunate as many other faiths have. Yes we have some internal squabbles, and yes we have arguments and even fights about religious dogma. As much as I wish it weren’t so, it is. We’re working on it, of that I can assure you. But know this: no one is more angered and offended by the recent violence and problems than the Sikh community itself. We’re used to being thought of as “those hard working people with turbans, beards, and big orange parades”, even sometimes as “those people with all those Charter challenges”, but we certainly don’t like being thought of as “those people with all those fights”.

As a friend pointed out, these unfortunate events put me in the rather unenviable position of being my community’s apologist. Here’s the thing though – I’m not going to apologize. You see, we live in a country known for its tolerance of minorities, and indeed even its acceptance of those from different cultures. While it’s not hard to find latent racism (keep your community problems in your own country!), for the most part even hard right-leaning groups will have something positive to say about the Sikh community. The thing is, this is our country, whether some folks like it or not. And when you accept Sikhs into your country, you accept any internal community issues that may come along with them. The same goes for any group that immigrates to Canada. People who think otherwise need to brush up on the Orangeman’s day parade in Toronto, or the Israel and Palestine issue that flairs up not too infrequently.

And yet, I think it’s a good thing these community problems are in the news (though its not particularly hard for Sikhs, as they really tend to put the “visible” in visible minority). And hopefully the media can report the news and try not to sensationalize the stories in an unhelpful way. The way that some of the reporting has gone on, one can’t help but wonder sometimes. With all that in mind, we as a community need to be transparent about these issues we are facing – and knowing that we are being watched serves as good reason to take care when dealing with our community problems. It’s important to remember, though, that we not only have the watchful Canadian eye to be thankful for, but also the Canadian community’s support. Today I read an op-ed piece in The StarPhoenix, a Saskatchewan newspaper which talked about the recent series of unhappy events taking place in the Sikh community. The piece ended on a great sentiment that really brought out my pride in being a Canadian Sikh.

“Sikhs have a long and positive history of contributing to Canada's society and cultural mosaic. Those who have stood fast against the violence need to know they have the support of all Canadians.”

Though I had no doubts, it certainly felt good to be reassured.