Sikh Solidarity with Palestine Statement
January 12, 2009
Kal kaati raaje kaasaa-ee dharma pankh kar udriaa.
Koorh amaavas sach chandramaa deesai naahee kah charhiaa.
(This age is a knife, kings are butchers; justice hath taken wings and fled.
In this completely dark night of falsehood the truth is never seen to rise.)
- Guru Nanak Sahib, *Sri Guru Granth Sahib*, p. 145
After two weeks of relentless attacks and an ongoing siege, the results are sobering: over 880 people dead, 30% of whom are children, and more than 4000 injured; hospitals, schools, universities, local markets, streets, homes and communities crushed to rubble; a blockade on humanitarian relief including food and life-saving medical supplies; a ban on foreign journalists and media entering the area; and a sealed border rendering 1.5 million people imprisoned within the boundaries of a siege. Hundreds of thousands of lives are being destroyed as they are marked dispensable for one reason only: they are Palestinian. The death toll is rising, and Israel has hinted to no end in sight as it continues to expand its offensive by air, land, and sea. The
above words of Guru Nanak Sahib, the first Guru and founder of the Sikh faith, ring painfully true today, 500 years after he wrote them.
According to Sikhism, all human lives are equal and should be cherished. Right now in Gaza , the lives of an entire people are being deemed worthless. We mourn the recent loss of over 880 Palestinian lives taken by the Israeli military. We also mourn the loss of the 9 Israeli lives taken by Hamas rockets.
We are Sikhs who stand against the brutality of Israeli occupation and the ongoing siege, blockade, and massacre of Gaza . Now more than ever, we call on our Sikh sisters and brothers to think about what our faith and our Sikh identity really means. Why did Guru Nanak Sahib seek to abolish the caste system in South Asia ? Why did Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib sacrifice his life for the sake of others’ (non-Sikhs) right to freely practice their religion and live free of persecution? Why did Guru Gobind Singh, our tenth Guru, give birth to the Khalsa – an armed body of full-time revolutionaries – in 1699?
*Because for Sikhs, fighting against all forms of tyranny and oppression is
a spiritual obligation.*
We are inspired by this Sikh tradition of fighting not only for our own rights and our own sovereignty as Sikhs, but for the freedom and rights of all people – *sarbat da bhala. Historically, Sikhs have known all too well what state repression and violent hatred look like. Sikhs too, like Palestinians, have faced campaigns of ethnic cleansing by emperors and prime ministers, dictators and elected leaders. Without a doubt, we have struggled and we must continue to struggle for our right to exist and our right to be Sikhs. But we must bring to the forefront our responsibility to fight for the liberation and freedom of all people. When we end ardas with, “Nanak naam chardi kala, tere bane sarbat da bhala,” we must pay attention to the power and weight of these words, take them to heart, and put the concept of sarbat da bhala into practice.
What that means for us now, as Sikhs and as people of conscience, is to stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza , the Palestinians around the world fighting for their right to return home, and the thousands of Jewish and Israeli activists calling for an immediate end to the siege and an end to Israeli apartheid. Together, we must all demand peace and justice.
We encourage all Sikhs to learn more about what is going on in Gaza and about the history of Israeli occupation of Palestine . We encourage you to organize discussions about this issue amongst your sangat, in and outside of the gurdwara, in your Sikh Student Associations, and in your families. Below are a few articles and resources that provide perspectives usually left out of the mainstream media:
http://electronicintifada.net
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/opinion/08khalidi.html
http://gazasiege.org
http://ajjp.org
http://stopthewall.org
Most importantly, we encourage you to take action. Get together with others in your community, Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike, and attend a local demonstration against the siege of Gaza . Make a donation to send medical supplies and other humanitarian relief to Gaza (http://www.freegaza.org;*http://www.mecaforpeace.org*). For those in the United States, call on the Obama administration to make his promise of “change” a reality by stopping the spending of U.S. tax dollars on bombs that kill Palestinians. * *For those in Canada , call on Harper to condemn Israel ‘s crimes against humanity and demand an immediate stop to the siege. Pressure both governments to urgently support the global movement for boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel —a strategy that helped to end apartheid in South Africa 15 years ago (http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/09-0).
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!
*Sikh Solidarity with Palestine*
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=43087839454&ref;=mf
To sign on to this statement, send an email with your name and city to:
sikhsolidarity@gmail.com.
Ajeet Singh Matharu, Brooklyn , NY
Amneet Singh Bali, Toronto , ON
Anoop Kaur, Vancouver , BC
Bandana Kaur, New Haven , CT
Dalsher Singh, Lewisburg , PA
Gurpreet Singh Johal, Toronto , ON
Gurratan Singh, Toronto , ON
Harjit Singh Gill, Oakland , CA
Kamal Arora, Vancouver , BC
Kanwar Anit Singh, Toronto , ON
Kirpa Kaur, Vancouver , BC
Manmeet Kaur Bindra, Brooklyn , NY
Nrinder Kaur Nann, Toronto , ON
Parmi Singh Suchdev, Atlanta , GA
Preeti Kaur, Minneapolis , MN
Sonny Singh Suchdev , Brooklyn , NY
Sujot Kaur, Seattle , WA
Tejpreet Kaur Nakai, Boston , MA
Tejpreet Kaur Saini, Brooklyn , NY
As a Sikh, I can tell you that me and all of my friends support israel 100% fully. I don’t know what dream world you live in to think otherwise. Thanks you and have a nice day.
As a Sikh, I can tell you that me and all of my friends support the Palestinian struggle 100% fully. Thanks you and have a nice day.
I don’t want to start any blasphemous rumors,
But I think that God’s got a Sikh sense of humor
Sir, this is Ingish. You should know that the second commentator is obliged to apoligize for dispelling rumors that are not characterized by the truth. In reality, sir, Sikhs have joined with israels to protest the muslim threat to our lives and lifebeing. Very thanks and good to you for allowing this blog.
Ingish – Are you the self appointed representative of all Sikhs?
Actually, I’m very glad you are not. I work hard to resolve Sikh Muslim relations, especially in cases where incendiary remarks and actions are made/carried out by small minded people like yourself.
And, this is a war of ideology, NOT religion. So please, keep your simple minded opinion as your own, and stop dismissing others.
Muslim threats to Sikhs during the partition and Sikh threats to Muslims were all part of a horrendous situation. Please move on.
Sir, you are very misguided. All Sikhs support Israel, and yes I do indeed speak for them as I know them they are my friends and family. We understand the muselmen quite well, thanks you for your attention.
You know every single Sikh in the entire world? Wow!
More self-hating, embarrassed Israeli sympathizers now disguising themselves as…Sikhs! Gotta laugh! Keep it coming– your inane, self-incriminating comments are making this too easy. I mean really now, just look at the recent encounters we’ve had with morons who support Israel on this site…you’ve got Joe the Plumber, our regular Joe the Dumber, Craig the Programmer, Ariel Lang, and “Ingish”. I couldn’t write this kind of comedy if I tried! Does it not speak volumes that Israel has no better representatives than these clowns?
Golly, how could I forget to add our dear Roy to that list! He’s the topper!
More self-hating, embarrassed Israeli sympathizers now disguising themselves as…Sikhs!
haha excatly…couldnt have said it better.
and wow Ingish you actually know every sigle Sikh out there….daayuuuummmm
i cant even say i know every israelie out there.
I felt that the war in Gaza was indeed heavy handed in this particular instance. However, as a Sikh (not a Disguised Sikh), my support as well as countless relatives, lies with Israel and the Jewish people. Sikh history as well as the life’s of the gurus were unfortunately severely impacted by the Muslims and cannot be ignored nor taken lightly.
http://www.pbase.com/dflynch/image/75609995
I felt that the war in Gaza was indeed heavy handed in this particular instance. However, as a Sikh (not a Disguised Sikh), my support as well as countless relatives, lies with Israel and the Jewish people. Sikh history as well as the life’s of the gurus were unfortunately severely impacted by the Muslims and cannot be ignored nor taken lightly.
http://www.pbase.com/dflynch/image/75609995
XolGEb
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