User talk:BS

Welcome to Sikhiwiki. Appreciated your perspective on the Sarika Singh/kara issue.

In your sentence ( That each of us should be able to wear apparel which denotes our faith is a more complex argument.) your use of the word apparel in place of jewelry (or jewelery sis-atlantic) or kara will of course become the issue.

I can see both sides of the issue, the 5 k's are held to be Holy items of the religion and not jewelry or apparel by many. Someone has argued, "if it's jewelery then why does my Gurdwara hand them out".

Guru Nanak had refused to wear the twice born string of the higher castes of the religion that he was raised in, seeing it as an empty and meaningless ritual or piece of apparel. Yet his Purohit, who pleaded with him to wear it, thought that it was a Holy Symbol of the religion. Before Guru Gobind Singh ji's edict was a kara more than a steel bangle?

As to Sarika Singh calling herself Singh instead of Kaur it seems she is avoiding the problem that some of my former students (a brother and sister from Iceland) had --the sister's last name was Gisladaughter her brother's was Gislason. I had not thought about Sikhs and the problems that must exist over Singh vs. Kaur and driver's licenses, ect.

Some ridicule has been aimed at Sikhs whi use only S. or K. and go by their tribal or village name, saying that lessens their being a Sikh. I thought she was just using her father's name--western style as Singh.

Of course, as you say, it would be good if anyone was able to wear an Item associated with their religion. What is behind the school's policy, are they trying to stop violence?

Is a cross (not a symbol Jesus would have worn) less of a symbol of the Christian religion. There was no single man like Guru Gobind Singh to give an edict requiring its adoption. Yet many Christians feel its part of their religion and Jews often wear the Magen David.

How about the Swastika, a sacred or respected symbol for Hindus and Budhists--if a skinhead student at Sarika Singh's school wants to wear one is that o.k.?

I can only guess that the Kara, Cross, Magen David are prohibited so that some skinhead can't wear a swastikka. That is the best reason i can find for the policy.Allenwalla 20:45, 19 June 2008 (UTC)