Reflections | | Page 6

Punjab Singh was severely wounded during the mass shooting at a Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, last August. He has been in a long-term care facility ever since. Six other Sikhs were killed and one police officer was also severely wounded. (Photo source: Sikh Coalition)

“I have never been in the presence of someone so holy in all of my life.”

May 30, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Holly Sennett, a speech-language pathologist, writes about her patient Punjab Singh, who was severely wounded during the mass shooting at a Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, last August. He has been in a long-term care facility ever since: Punjab Singh traveled all over the world to share spiritual truths. He has taught about the oneness of all of life and the need to love and forgive. He was a visiting congregational leader on this August 5th day at the Oak […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, Profiles, Reflections • Tags: Holly Sennett, Oak Creek, Punjab Singh, Sikh Coalition, Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Wisconsin

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Gilbert Garcia has been arrested in the assault on 82-year-old Piara Singh on May 5 in Fresno, California. (source: Crime Voice)

Rethinking the hate crime villain

May 14, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

After the attack on 82-year-old Piara Singh in Fresno, California, nine days ago, Preeti Kaur (on her blog The Longest There) considers the suspected perpetrator and delves into the meaning of “hate crime”: The term hate-crime is a peculiar term. Others have discussed the definition of hate-crimes and need for such a delineation, of course, but for me its peculiarity is that in the act of describing a hate-crime as a hate-crime, the biggest offense becomes the hate, and the crime […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, Reflections • Tags: California, Fresno, Gilbert Garcia, hate crimes, Piara Singh, Preeti Kaur, The Longest There

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The turban as a beacon of love

May 8, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

After learning of the attack on 82-year-old Piara Singh in Fresno, California, blogger Anita Singha shares her thoughts about the elder Sikhs in her life: Maybe their children have warned them to stay home. I hope not, I need to see their Sikh spirit, their courageous bravery rise to the occasion. Their morning constitutional in a busy city park, sitting on public transportation a silent protest against hatred and ignorance. Read more on Anita Singha’s blog Listening Hard.

Categories: Hate Crimes, Reflections • Tags: Anita Singha, California, Fresno, hate crime, Listening Hard, Piara Singh

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Why are certain faiths often excluded from world religions courses?

May 3, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In response to the California state legislature’s call for the state’s college systems to include Sikhism in world religion courses, a religious studies professor considers why certain communities have often been excluded from syllabi: I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the experiences of “Indians” convicted me to reflect on this matter. The founders of my academic discipline are partially responsible for the painful histories these peoples came to experience. And in my syllabi, I’ve had a tendency to continue […]

Categories: Reflections • Tags: ACR-20, Richard Newton, world religions courses

A young girl holds a sign: "Chardi Kala - High Spirits". (source: Just Sikh)

Examining the limits of “chardi kala”

April 30, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

On the blog Critical Mourning Project: Oak Creek & Beyond, Balbir Kaur Singh presents an examination the Sikh ethos of chardi kala — the maintenance of high spirits and optimism especially in difficult times — as a healing mechanism particularly after the mass murder of six Sikhs in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, last August: To continually evolve without grieving and reflection is to depoliticize the process of mourning, and is shortsighted in its sense of self-protection. I offer then the alternative […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, Reflections • Tags: Balbir Kaur Singh, chardi kala, Critical Mourning Project, hate crimes, Oak Creek, Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Wisconsin

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Sikh women wash their feet before entering Darbar Sahib. (source: http://hzimm.wordpress.com)

The feet of the devout

April 26, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Erasmus, the religion blog for The Economist, looks at the religious practices around shoes and feet among the Abrahamic faiths: …at the moment of his encounter with God, Moses was ordered to take off his shoes because he was treading on sacred ground…The fathers of the early Christian church were intrigued by the instruction to Moses. They thought shoes reflected decay and mortality, because they were made from the skin of dead animals, while God was calling Moses to a […]

Categories: Reflections, Sikhism • Tags: barefoot, Bhai Gurdas, feet, foot, Guru Arjun, Guru Granth Sahib, Guru Nanak, Vaaran

Cartoon: "Click here to save the world" (source: Gwangju Blog)

Social media as a tool for the movement, not as the movement

April 22, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

On the Amnesty International USA blog, Natalie Butz discusses the value of online/social media activism to their campaigns: Online actions aren’t promoting “slacktivism,” particularly when they complement and are reinforced by the power of Amnesty’s grassroots campaigning. They are just one of the tools we can use to help us in our fight for human rights. The promotion of causes through social media is often held to scrutiny because, beyond the click of a mouse, it is difficult to see […]

Categories: Reflections • Tags: Activism, Amnesty International, Be Proud Movement, Grassroots, Natalie Butz, Slacktivism

Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Temple in Jackson, Mississippi. (source: Google)

Celebrating Vaisakhi in Jackson, Mississippi

April 19, 2013 by American Turban Guest Contributor

Alex DiBlasi and Alexa Altman are a pair of writers who left their lives in NYC to go on a cross-country adventure to “see what it’s all about.” A friend and colleague, Alex is also a committed civil rights advocate with the Sikh Coalition. During their travels, Alex and Alexa recently visited the Gurdwara in Jackson, Mississippi, to join the local Sikh community in their commemoration of Vaisakhi (one of the most significant celebrations on the Sikh calendar). Below, Alex […]

Categories: Events, Profiles, Reflections • Tags: Alex DiBlasi, Alexa Altman, Baisakhi, Jackson, Mississippi, Sikh Coalition, Vaisakhi

Site of the Boston Marathon explosions: "The view down Boylston Street." (source: @PeterHambyCNN)

Thoughts and prayers to the victims of the Boston Marathon attack

April 15, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

One cannot fathom the nightmare that took place in Boston today. Let us offer our wishes and prayers for the victims and survivors of the explosions at the Boston Marathon. While my head spins with the news, its consequences, and other aspects, further commentary can wait for another time. While one of the things I look forward to after the weekend is the resumption of blogging, on this Monday there will be none further. Sri Rag, First Guru. Thou art […]

Categories: Reflections • Tags: Boston, Boston Marathon, explosion

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Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Category Archives: Reflections

“I have never been in the presence of someone so holy in all of my life.”

Rethinking the hate crime villain

The turban as a beacon of love

Why are certain faiths often excluded from world religions courses?

Examining the limits of “chardi kala”

The feet of the devout

Social media as a tool for the movement, not as the movement

Celebrating Vaisakhi in Jackson, Mississippi

Thoughts and prayers to the victims of the Boston Marathon attack