Celebrating the 300th Anniversary of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib’s guruship is no small matter. The Sikh Community in the United States has reached a level that warrants a grand-scale celebration. We need something big. Something real, real big. How about a National Kirtan Darbar and Convention? Here’s how it would work.

• WSC and partner organizations rent out the largest venue possible, like a convention center or stadium.
• On Saturday, October 18, 2008 from 6pm – 12am, Ragi Jatha’s from all over the world perform amazing Kirtan and inspire the Sangat in attendance, over 50,000 strong.
• The event is a grand affair—Sikhs fly in from around the country and world to attend. The following Sunday would feature a gurdwara program and convention—where exhibitors and Sikh organizations could show off their work and build support for Sikh American and international causes. We’d make a weekend of it.

We need an event like this to really put the Khalsa on the map. It’s actually not very different from events we’ve already organized. There was the Khalsa March in Washington DC in 1999 which drew thousands, and there are the yearly festivities in Los Angeles that feature the Guru Granth Sahib being transported by helicopter. Vancouver has a two nagar kirtans that draw about 70,000 people each–so I think we should have no problem organizing an absolutely grand event in the States.

I say it’s grand, but we need to remember that other communities organize events like this all the time. You’ve seen many a packed concert hall on television—and many times these events are religious concerts organized by other faiths. There’s no reason we can’t do this—it’s just a matter of getting the sangat excited about the idea.

As a community we have reached a point where resources should no longer be a problem. It’s time to graduate from regional events and create a truly national celebration for the weekend of October 18 next year. What do you think?

WSC is looking for suggestions on how to celebrate the upcoming 300th anniversary of the Guru Granth Sahib. It’s really great that such a prominent Sikh organization is seeking feedback from the Sangat. That’s how all Sikh organizations should work. Thanks for asking, WSC. My response is forthcoming!

SALDEF and CAIR condemn senseless act of violence

Washington, DC - July 16, 2007 - The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) and the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) are saddened about the death last week of Mr. Satendar Singh, a 26 year-old Sikh American victim of a vicious hate crime, as he was removed from life-support at a local hospital.On Sunday July 1, 2007, Mr. Singh was beaten unconscious while enjoying a picnic with some friends at Lake
Natoma in Folsom, CA. His attackers reportedly yelled xenophobic, anti-religious and homophobic remarks to him and his friends. After being taken to the hospital, Mr. Singh clang to life for four days before family members agreed to remove him from life-support after seeing he was registering little to no brain activity.SALDEF and CAIR are concerned with this senseless murder of a promising young man. Hate crimes are designed to create fear amongst particular communities. Mr. Singh was targeted due to the color of skin, his national origin, and because he was the only one in his group without a female friend present. This attack was intended to create fear in the Fijian, South Asian, Arab, Muslim, Sikh and LGBT communities.”We strongly condemn this act of violence. Such hate has no place in this country,” said SALDEF Volunteer Attorney Neilinder Singh. “Sadder still, Satendar Singh had lived peacefully in the US since he was 19, only to have his life ended around the Fourth of July, when we celebrate the freedoms and principles of inclusion that this country was founded upon.”

I’ve seen the Sojhi Curriculum and I know the people that put it together. It’s great and I hope every gurudwara in the US can pick up a copy of it. I’ve updated this post with more info — I had previously spelled the title incorrectly as “Sohji.”
Read the Full Program Details
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From the BC Sikh Youth:

Vaheguru ji ka khalsa, Vaheguru ji ki fatheh!

Yesterday, on the National on CBC, Terry Milewski presented a careful threaded web of lies, inconsistencies, and prejudiced statements to effectively shut down the annual Vaisakhi celebrations, prevent Sikhs in Canada from having a political voice, stereotype the Sikh community as a violent and hate-filled group, and put the blame for terrorist acts on innocent Sikhs.

Please view this disgusting mockery of journalism below:
http://www.cbc.ca/national /blog/video/politicseconomy/samosa_politics.html

More relevant links:

http://www.japnaamsingh.com/2007/06/baseless-fear-mongering-by-cbc.html
http://www.bcsikhyouth.com/2007/cbcs-most-defamatory-fraudulent-innaccurate-report-on-sikhs-ever/
http://roadtokhalistan.blogspot.com/2007/06/cbc-hatchet-job.html

PLEASE SEND YOUR COMMENTS, CLEARLY AND CAREFULLY WORDED TO ombudsman@cbc.ca .

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU E-MAIL THE CBC OMBUDSMAN WITH YOUR THOUGHTS.

Please express your opinion in an intelligent and peaceful manner, but be very clear that the Sikh community has no involvement in terrorism, and has the right to peacefully celebrate Vaisakhi and campaign for freedom from oppression.

Vaheguru ji ka khalsa,
Vaheguru ji ki fatheh !

Preeti Kaur writes:

please take note of this service oriented ngo: http://www.sikhorphanfund.org/html/home.php

Seems like a decent organization from the website.

Monty has created some buzz around himself and Sikhi, making the sports world a bit more aware, at the very least. He’s also leaner and taller than his older brother. Go Monty! Sports Illustrated and the Washington Post have taken notice. Sports Illustrated article. Washington Post article.

Make sure you submit your essay to this year’s contest. It’s great to see lots of folks excited about the topic–they’re looking for both sides of the issue and have more information about the contest online here. First place is $1000!

Inni Kaur writes:

Dear Sangat:

The film AMU needs our help. The community has not come out and shown its support and the opening of AMU in other cities is in jeopardy.

A way to show your support - even if you are not in Manhattan.

Please go to the net to the Cinema Village link and buy a one 10 dollar ticket to the
film. Just one.

This would be your contribution in internationalizing the issue of ‘84.

The link is:
http://www.readyticket.net/webticket/htmlshowtimes/27/ShowTimes39238.html

The success of AMU in NY affects the opening in the rest of the US.

If you feel 1984s story needs to be heard and the silence to be broken please buy 1 ticket and show your support. This week in crucial - please show your support.

Gur Fateh
Inni Kaur

Kirpal Singh Nijjhar, a long-standing pioneer of the east coast Sikh Youth Camp scene, notifies us of a youth camp from June 30 - July 7, 2006. It’s called MiriPiri camp–and you can find more information on it at their website: http://miripiricamp.com. Sikh camps are a great way to engage and “recharge your Sikhi battery.” I had the opportunity to be part of the organizing team of the Seattle Sikh Retreat this past weekend, and it was totally amazing. Coincidentally, we picked a similar theme — Miri Piri: Life where two swords meet.