Kids Corner

Current Events

A Betrayal Of The Legacy of Guru Nanak

by SONNY SINGH

 

 

 

This week, I join my fellow Sikhs around the world in celebrating the birth of Guru Nanak, a mystic poet, saint and revolutionary who was born in Punjab in 1469 and went on to found our faith.

Our history tells us that when he was about 30 years old, Guru Nanak disappeared for three days while bathing in a river. When he emerged, he stated, na koi Hindu, na koi Mussalman - There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim.

This provocative statement wasn't intended to be a critique of Hinduism or Islam. As Sikh scholar Nikki Guninder Kaur Singh states, "Guru Nanak was not making a value judgment about, nor refuting, the religious life of the Hindus and Muslims of his day. He was pointing to the oneness of the Transcendent that translates into the oneness and equality of humanity."

Guru Nanak saw religious divisions and rigidity as obstacles to the Divine. South Asia at the time was under the rule of the Mughal Empire, which was often at odds with the Hindu population. He saw a society brimming with hypocrisy, intolerance, caste oppression and sexism, all in the name of God. Guru Nanak traveled around Asia and the Middle East engaging the people he met about questions of God, religion, injustice and love, while singing his devotional poetry, accompanied by a Muslim musician, Bhai Mardana.

Five hundred and forty-two years after his birth, Guru Nanak's message is more important than ever, as we as human beings grapple with rampant discrimination in its many forms. We Sikhs pride ourselves on being champions of equality and justice, inspired by the legacy of Guru Nanak.

Earlier this year, I was quite disappointed when the World Sikh Council, a "representative and elected body of Sikh Gurdwaras  and institutions in the U.S.," joined with other faith-based institutions to essentially champion injustice instead of equality.

The organization lobbied President Obama to uphold the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA), a federal law that defines marriage as only between a man and woman. After the Obama Administration took a principled stance against DOMA in February, the World Sikh Council went so far as to co-sign a letter of protest to House Speaker John Boehner denouncing his decision.

While I take issue with the state having a role in defining what is and isn't a legitimate relationship in general (and one's romantic relationship defining whether or not they have access to certain legal protections and social services), it is nevertheless disheartening to see a Sikh institution - representing the legacy of Guru Nanak -- aligning itself with such reactionary and anti-gay ideology, when Sikhism itself is a freedom-seeking, loving, open-minded philosophy and way of life.

Ik Oankar are the first words (written by Guru Nanak himself) in the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scriptures, and the center of what it means to be a Sikh: Oneness of the Divine, Oneness of the Divine's creation, Oneness of humanity.

Our Gurus and our ancestors put everything on the line to establish a world that is inclusive of all people, religions and ways of life - a world in which all people were equal.

The World Sikh Council appears, in this case, to be fighting for a world quite contrary to this vision. As I reflect on the fact that the Senate Judiciary Committee began debating the bill to repeal DOMA one week before Guru Nanak's birthday, I find myself frustrated by the discriminatory actions of some who claim to speak for my community.

In some ways, the World Sikh Council reflects the homophobia I've witnessed in some segments of the Sikh community, which sometimes takes the form of someone saying, "This is not our issue," as if to imply that all Sikhs are heterosexual or that we're only concerned about some people's oppression and suffering, but not all.

To the first point, sadly, just as in other religious communities, we have sometimes forced LGBT Sikhs to choose between their religion and their hearts. Clearly, this is not a dichotomy that should ever exist in Sikhism (or any religion for that matter).

To the second point, there's an important concept in Sikhism called Sarbat da Bhalla, which means working for the welfare and well-being of all people. This is a spiritual obligation for us Sikhs. We recite these words countless times, as they conclude one of the central Sikh prayers, Ardaas (meaning "petition").

Fortunately, many Sikhs are indeed embodying these words we say so often.

A few months after the shooting and killing of two elderly Sikh men in Sacramento, California, in March, the Sacramento Sikh Temple offered a reward of $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrator of a violent anti-gay hate attack in the same neighborhood. Twenty-six-year-old Seth Parker was punched in the face, suffering multiple facial fractures, while the attackers directed anti-gay slurs at him.

A spokesperson for the Gurdwara stated: "The Sikh Community condemns this disgusting attack motivated by ignorance and hate. In light of the recent murders of two Sikhs in Elk Grove and the hate crime conviction in Yolo County (of two men who attacked a Sikh taxi driver), we are especially sensitive to such crimes. We hope that our reward will help bring these criminals to justice."

Now this is the kind of solidarity that is at the heart of what it means to be a Sikh.

Guru Nanak states: jaano jot na puuchho jaati aagai jaat na hai - Recognize the Divine light within all, and do not consider social class or status; there are no classes or castes in the world hereafter.

The oppression of LGBT people is one of the most pervasive and accepted forms of subjugation today. Indeed, many individuals and institutions deem LGBT people a lower class or caste, justifying their discrimination with dogmatic rhetoric of what's "natural," "normal" and, in the case of the World Sikh Council's letter to Speaker Boehner, what are true "American values."

This is no different than saying turbans are not truly American, so Sikhs should not be allowed to wear them in public. Oppression is oppression. Our struggles are intertwined.

Just as Guru Nanak said hundreds of years ago, "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim," perhaps today we can also say, "There is no straight, there is no gay." Indeed, his message was utimately that we are all One.

 

[Courtesy: The Huffington Post]

November 11, 2011

Conversation about this article

1: Karam Singh (Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.), November 11, 2011, 9:17 AM.

Surely, this World Sikh Council must have done an extensive and thorough study of the issue of gay rights within Sikh teachings, BEFORE going public and claiming to put forth a position on behalf of the entire Sikh community? Please share the same with us, preferably via sikhchic.com - ASAP! Thanks.

2: Rani Kaur (North Carolina, U.S.A.), November 11, 2011, 9:23 AM.

I am afraid I have no time for a group which calls itself a "World" body, but doesn't even have a single proper office ANYWHERE in the world. A bunch of clowns, if you ask me, who do nothing but produce bombast from time to time for personal aggrandisement. Who are they? Where did they come from? Who gave them standing? World?

3: Didar Singh (New York, U.S.A.), November 11, 2011, 10:21 AM.

I too would like to see that internal report, and in the meantime withold my judgment until I get a chance to review it. Surely it must be handy, the issue being such a current one. Can we have it posted today, please, Messrs World Councillors?

4: R. Singh (Canada), November 11, 2011, 10:57 AM.

Rehats are guidelines to minimize the risk of going astray while on a path. They are or were never intended to be anvils of dogma to beat, maginalize or ostracize people. Any organization that represents the Sikhs should keep in mind that "dhaul dharam daya ka poot", the foundation of any dharma has to be compassion.

5: Gurmeet Kaur (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.), November 11, 2011, 1:14 PM.

That is truly sad. What kind of Sikhs would put their time, money and energy in an effort that is clearly oppressive of a community that is already subject to inequality by the mainstream? I have a few gay friends in education and it is truly distressful that they work in a constant fear that a student, parent, or a colleague will discover their orientation. The consequences for gay teachers who are "out" or "outed" are serious. The teacher's health is at risk as a result of both emotional and physical harassment. In most school districts including ours, the teacher's career is also at risk. Gay teachers who remain "closeted" also experience stress, anxiety and depression as they attempt to hide their orientation or family life from those in their work environment. Can you imagine having to choose between your way of life and your passion of teaching? This is just one example. Same extends to gays in other walks of life. No wonder, the world doesn't get the concept of equality; when we Sikhs who have been taught about it generation over generation now seem to be missing it as well.

6: Harman Singh (California, U.S.A.), November 11, 2011, 1:19 PM.

The Council reached the wrong conclusion, something that is antithetical to the principles of Sikhism. There is no shame in acknowledging that one is wrong. I hope the WSC reverses its position soon in a written statement.

7: I.J. Singh (New York, U.S.A.), November 11, 2011, 8:05 PM.

I would agree with the many views above. The World Sikh Council, as I see it, is a small parochial organization with a self-styled large mandate. An organizational structure is necessary but it has to start from the bottom up, not top down. There have to be regional organizations at the local level that can then arrive at common agenda and morph into a national and even supranational institution. As presently constituted, it smacks of hubris and dreams with little reality or plan. It can be done but not like this. And heaven knows we need it.

8: Baldev Singh (Bradford, United Kingdom), November 11, 2011, 10:52 PM.

We need to leave prejudices based on sexuality, caste, sexism, party politics and hatred out of Sikhi.

9: Simarjeet Kaur (U.S.A.), November 13, 2011, 8:57 PM.

Thanks for bringing this to our notice. WSC does not represent me as a Sikh. I represent me. WSC or any other organization that uses Sikhism to propagate discrimination against a person, group or community is not representative of Sikhs ... that should be the bottom line and that is what we need to teach our children. WaheGuru Sahai.

Comment on "A Betrayal Of The Legacy of Guru Nanak"









To help us distinguish between comments submitted by individuals and those automatically entered by software robots, please complete the following.

Please note: your email address will not be shown on the site, this is for contact and follow-up purposes only. All information will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Sikhchic reserves the right to edit or remove content at any time.