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Education,
Not Proselytization -
Janam Da Firangee,
Sikhi Mai Mangee

FATEHPAL SINGH TARNEY

 

 

 

 

 

The other day, a dear Sikh friend wrote something to me conveying in a very kind way his concern that many of my columns stress my Western background too much.

My response was that I try very hard to be totally honest in my writing and often discuss my marginal situation given my religion of Eastern origin and my Western upbringing.

I must say that in my chats with Sikh young people who are part of my saadh sangat and were born in America of Punjabi parents, I find that they too have very similar feelings to mine. Despite the fact that I am often old enough to be their grandfather, we have much in common in terms of living astride two cultures.

A few weeks ago, I began writing a sikhchic.com column that was more historical than personal about the Mughal dynasty and its attitudes, pro and con, toward religious diversity on the subcontinent during their rule. This possible column evolved into more of a scholarly article and I decided to submit to a more academic medium.

I then happened upon a video that motivated me to write this particular column. This was a video on 100 famous Westerners who converted to Islam. I am a person with enormous respect for Islam … for Muslim individuals I have met at various interfaith programs. I have also read portions of the Qur'an in English translation and some Muslim histories that have impressed me.

As a Sikh, I have an unmistakable bias. I simply wonder what spiritual decisions these people, mostly Christians who have become Muslims, would have made had they been introduced to our Guru Granth Sahib.

The great Australian raagi, Dya Singh ji, once visited our Gurdwara Sahib in south Florida, and as part of his introduction prior to his wonderful kirtan, said that Sikhi is the world's best kept secret!

I suspect, given my own experience, that people coping with anxiety, worry, or depression, find prayer to be a good way of organizing their thoughts and they often look at religious material in faiths other than their own as a way of providing comfort. The advantage that Islam and Christianity have is that they actively proselytize whereas we Sikhs do not.

My recommendation, which is so obvious, is that we emphasize educating people about our faith and continue setting a good example in terms of our behavior, especially our family life and seva, yet continue to disavow trying to convert people.

However, distinguishing between educating and proselytizing is not always easy, and we must always be cognizant of the fine line if we are to honour the great principles of Sikhi that set us apart.


March 1, 2016
 

Conversation about this article

1: Ajit Singh Batra (Pennsville, New Jersey, USA), March 01, 2016, 2:52 PM.

Sikh history, doctrines and traditions, all relate to spiritual values. Every form of activity is based on truth and equality. That is why our Gurus made our places of worship a theo-political unit. Proselytization is abhorrent to Sikhi. However, a board which proclaims a gurdwara should be supplemented with: "All are welcome".

2: Bhai Harbans Lal (Dallas, Texas, USA), March 02, 2016, 12:03 AM.

Your emphasis on living the Sikhi values is the most powerful means of educating our neighbors about who we are. People do not pay attention to pamphlets and speeches, they only care what our daily life reflects. That is what our Guru Granth also teaches. Let's spread the fragrance of good deeds that Gurbani has taught us.

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Not Proselytization -
Janam Da Firangee,
Sikhi Mai Mangee "









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