Rupinder Mohan Singh |

EcoSikh has announced that over 1,500 organizations across the globe are celebrating Sikh Environment Day in 2013. (source: EcoSikh)

Happy Sikh Environment Day 2013!

March 14, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Today is the official date of Sikh Environment Day, a commemoration of our connection to the natural world on the anniversary celebrating when Guru Har Rai became the seventh Guru of the Sikhs in 1644. In that spirit, happy Gurpurab and happy Sikh Environment Day! I have been fortunate to join members of my local community in celebrating the event by planting trees across our community. EcoSikh, the organizers of this event in its third year, have announced that over […]

Categories: Events, Sikhism • Tags: EcoSikh, Guru Har Rai, Sikh Environment Day

Appear for the Disappeared 5K Walk -- April 6, 2013. (source: Ensaaf Facebook page)

Support Ensaaf’s “Appear for the Disappeared” Fundraiser on April 6

March 14, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Ensaaf (meaning “justice”) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to “end impunity and achieve justice for mass state crimes in India, with a focus on Punjab, by documenting abuses, bringing perpetrators to justice, and organizing survivors.” The organization’s work has been mentioned on this blog several times. On Saturday, April 6, Ensaaf is holding a fundraising event in Fremont, California, called “Appear for the Disappeared 5K Walk” in memory of the men and women who disappeared in Punjab, India […]

Categories: 1984, Events • Tags: Amritsar, Appear for the Disappeared, California, Ensaaf, Fremont, India, Jaila, Jarnail Singh, Punjab

A child takes notice of the camera during the interfaith evening at the Sikh Temple of Utah, March 6 (source: Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable Facebook page)

Picture of the Day: Interfaith Roundtable event in Salt Lake City, UT

March 14, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Last week, the Sikh Temple of Utah (in Salt Lake City) and the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable hosted an interfaith evening of kirtan and prayer. Today, I was happy to hear from Colleen M. Scott, one of the organizers, who described the evening and shared photos of the event: Dear Mr. Singh, Thank you for featuring the March 6 Utah Sikh Temple service on your website. The Salt Lake Sikh community held the evening service specially for Interfaith Month and […]

Categories: Events, Interfaith • Tags: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable, Sikh Temple of Utah, Utah

A boy in a turban during the Sikh Turban Showdown at the Sikh Foundation of Virginia in January. (source: PBS)

Sikh Foundation of Virginia holds “Turban Showdown”

March 13, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

A recent piece by PBS’ Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly featured an event at a Gurdwara in northern Virginia in January called the “turban showdown”: In January, the Sikh Foundation of Virginia held a “Turban Showdown” for the pre-school children and older youth of its gurdwara in Northern Virginia. Parents helped the children wrap their turban or keski and then watched them walk down a runway. Youth and education coordinator Surinder Singh explained the meaning of the turban and why it […]

Categories: Sikhism, TV/Movies • Tags: Fairfax Station, PBS, Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly, Sikh Foundation of Virginia, Turban, Virginia

Arsonist in Green Bay, WI, charged with hate crime against Sikh man

March 12, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

On March 5, a man walked into a small retail store owned by a Sikh man in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and then set fire to the cash register using gasoline. According to the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the county district attorney is now charging the perpetrator with a hate crime based on his comments that were recorded in the police report: [James] Parrish stated that he was going to “burn [the] place down.” He also stated […]

Categories: Hate Crimes • Tags: Green Bay, hate crimes, Oak Creek, SALDEF, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Wisconsin

Kanwaljit Singh, from Port Orange, Florida, reportedly forgives those who shot him in a drive-by shooting two weeks ago. The suspects have still not been identified. (source: WFTV)

Kanwaljit Singh, victim of FL drive-by shooting, forgives his attacker

March 8, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Family and friends of Kanwaljit Singh, who is recovering at home after being shot twice while driving with his son two weeks ago, have provided an update on his condition: “He doesn’t have any anger towards the person that shot him. He’s just shocked why he chose him,” said Harvinder Chadda, a family friend. Kanwaljit Singh is also reportedly in too much pain to speak and his recovery will take several months. Read more at WFTV. Police are looking for […]

Categories: Hate Crimes • Tags: Drive-by shooting, Florida, hate crime, Kanwaljit Singh, Port Orange

Painting of Mata Khivi serving langar (source: sikhcd.com)

A reflection for International Women’s Day

March 8, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

When the legacy of the second Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Angad (1504-1552), is discussed, the building of institutions and infrastructure for the Sikh community is often mentioned. In particular, he is renowned for developing the Gurmukhi script (the basis of the Sikh scriptures) to make the Guru’s hymns more accessible, for furthering the cause of women’s rights, and for strengthening the institution of langar, the community kitchen started by Guru Nanak (his predecessor) that is open to all and […]

Categories: Events, Sikhism • Tags: Guru Angad, International Women's Day, Langar, Mata Khivi

The Aerogram’s interview with Preeti Kaur, Part II

March 7, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The Aerogram has followed up last week’s interview with writer Preeti Kaur (a talented writer from California) with a second installment in which she talks about the back-story of her poems “Letters Home” and “You Bring Out the Punjabi in Me,” the Oak Creek tragedy, and struggles of Sikh Americans: It’s very fashionable amongst Sikh men these days to celebrate their turbans and flaunt their turbans as an accessory representing a resilient attitude (more power to them), to reverse the […]

Categories: Art, Literature, Profiles • Tags: Preeti Kaur, The Aerogram

Identifying and challenging our invisible prejudices

March 7, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Psychologists Mahzarin Banaji of Harvard University and Anthony Greenwald of the University of Washington are authors of the book The Blind Spot, which examines the existence of implicit biases and prejudices that we often carry, of which we are not even aware: “Blindspot” is a metaphor to capture that portion of the mind that houses hidden biases. The authors use it to ask about the extent to which social groups – without our awareness or conscious control – shape our […]

Categories: Reports/Studies • Tags: Anthony Greenwald, Blindspot, Implicit Association Test, Mahzarin Banaji, Prejudice, stereotypes

Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Author Archives: Rupinder Mohan Singh

Happy Sikh Environment Day 2013!

Support Ensaaf’s “Appear for the Disappeared” Fundraiser on April 6

Picture of the Day: Interfaith Roundtable event in Salt Lake City, UT

Sikh Foundation of Virginia holds “Turban Showdown”

Arsonist in Green Bay, WI, charged with hate crime against Sikh man

Kanwaljit Singh, victim of FL drive-by shooting, forgives his attacker

A reflection for International Women’s Day

The Aerogram’s interview with Preeti Kaur, Part II

Identifying and challenging our invisible prejudices