It is really good article because it gives me so much information that I never knew. I thank Vicky who always send me good stuff that helps me know who I am.
Thanks again Vicky.
Rupinder Kaur.
Is the author as listed at...
-J. R. (Harsev) Thiara, USA
Below are comments on article
Sikhs In Canada from Harsev S. Thiara, JR
Place: Yuba City, USA
Email Address: jr@jrthiara.com
Is the author as listed at the top of this article the same person as the
traveler in the story?
My father, who is written about in this article, asked me to try and find
a way to make contact with the traveler/author.
Any help in this regard is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
J. R. (Harsev) Thiara.
Editor- Indeed this is an article written by Bradshaw. We believe H.L. Bradshaw is no longer with us. If anyone has more information please let us know and we will forward it to J.R. Thiara.
Firstly cheers to the author for the interesting article. But I would like to elaborate on one thing - regarding the following paragraph that he wrote.
"The Sikhs also had to get rid of a possibly awkward matter: while the Vaisakhi in Ypres was announced as 'a celebration of peace', the Sikhs are considered as a people with a strong martial tradition, and also are proud of their tradition of 'warrior saints'. While the initiation in the Khalsa also implies a military duty and there should be no opposition between sanctity and military prowess, to non-Sikhs this could seem quite a contradiction. "
I would like to point out that there is no contradiction in the Sikh belief in PEACE and being a warrior. For the concept of saint-soldier itself speaks loud about maintaining peace. How one might ask?
If one thinks for a moment then SAINT is a person who concentrates on the name of God and has the knowledge of truth and peace. Whereas a SOLDIER is someone who is well equipped in the use of arms and fights for a purpose.
So a saint soldier is: a person who has the right knowledge (about truth/right/wrong) and has the ability to defend and fight for it first by diplomatic ways and “if and only if required” by using force as a last resort to fight injustice and in defence of the less powerful as said by the 10th Guru of the Sikhs.
Regards
Charanpal Singh
Johan Meire responds.
First of all, many thanks for reading my article on SikhSpectrum.com, and for your comment.
I would just like to make clear that this paragraph was not intended as a 'critique' on Sikhism or Sikh warrior saints; also, although I'm not a student of Sikh religion or Sikh history, I am well aware of the Sikh views regarding war and peace and warrior saints.
The only thing I wanted to point out in the paragraph was that in Ypres, the town where the Vaisakhi I described was held, a celebration of 'warrior-saints', a concept unknown to the local
people there, could be 'risky', certainly because Ypres calls itself "town of peace", after having suffered so much in the war.
Therefore, I wrote that *to Sikhs* there is no opposition between warriors (or: warrior-saints) and peace (as you point out very well); but *to non-Sikhs* this could be the case, precisely because they do not know this background. As the celebration of the Vaisakhi in Ypres was a celebration held by *both* Sikhs and non-Sikhs, the warrior-saints were only mentioned marginally during this particular Vaisakhi - at least not in English; maybe it was more in the Punjabi sermons etc.
Well done for writing some things that really need saying. I only wish your messages could be read by all before they are mentally and spiritually polluted by the misinformation and ambitions of their fame seeking Gatka Jathedars.
As a member of the Friends of the Ypres-based In Flanders Fields Museum, I should like to extend warm regards to you and express my appreciation for your website.
What a relief it is that your ancestors' contribution to the Great War is finally being valued in its true scope. I am aware that, in the eyes of our forebears, it must have looked so strange to see soldiers in turbans in their countryside villages.
As you will know, many Sikh soldiers died in the early days and months of the war. Many are mentioned only by name on the Menin Gate memorial.
Anyway, the erection of the memorial on the city ramparts and along the battlefield testifies to the sacrifice of your people, which finally earns the merit it most rightly deserves.
For your information it may be interesting to know that during a 4-day excursion around the Ypres Salient and Somme battlefields in which I participated, the contribution of the Lahore soldiers attached to the British side has been mentioned several times.
I hope your initiative with this website will contribute to fostering the memory and enhancing friendships and understanding worldwide. This, if anything, might well be the one and only thing that wars have ever been good for. The notion of a "war to end wars", as H.G. Wells had it, is such a bad misconception.
Could you please send me K.P.Singhs' address. I am interested in a pen and ink montage of the buildings of Purdue University that I believe he produced.
I think that Baltej winning his freedom is great and all, but this article seems a little biased. "This proud Sikh, a true warrior" quoted from your article makes him out to be practically a god. Okay he did good but give it a rest. Did he actually do anything to be called a warrior. I mean he probably called a god-damn lawyer and the lawyer probably did everything for him.
Also I respect him greatly but really do you need to know about
how great of a father he is. All he did was be allowed to wear a turban in the RCMP not win the father of the year award.
Don't get me wrong I think he is a great guy for what he did, but maybe the bias needs to be brought down a notch.
Editor-
In Baltej Singh we find a person who had the courage to
stand up for his rights on being denied the right to freely
practice his beliefs in the profession of his choice. As the
article suggested there was a great deal of animosity
directed against him. To stand up tall under such
circumstances is nothing short of being a warrior.
More importantly, let us not limit the definition of the word
"warrior." A warrior not only fights "righteous/just" wars but
also protests injustice in all its forms.
To be denied a job - a means of livelihood - and to continue
"fighting" for a just cause, so that others are not denied
their rights is indeed a quality of a warrior. Many among us
would have succumbed under the pressure.
Muta pecora, prona et ventri oboedientia
(The herd is silent, docile and obeys its stomach)
For all of us who are fortunate to live in Western
democracies it is a privilege to have opportunities available
to us despite our perceived differences. In some cases
when basic human rights are denied a recourse is
available through the legal system that is a hallmark of any any
functioning democracy.
In Baltej's victory we see a victory of the Canadian
democracy. This is the reason many Canadians and
Sikh-Canadians in particular rejoiced.
Your article is interesting...
-Zaffar, Chandigarh, India
Below are comments on article
Sikhism and Islam
from Zaffar
Place: Chandigarh, India
Your article is interesting. However, in all the bush beating you mention that 'Guru Nanak was a Prophet...' Let me remind you that Nanak never proclaimed to be a prophet.
Now, if you THINK that he was a prophet then kindly enlighten us with what miracles did he perform during his lifetime.
Editor-
Zaffar,
A common definition of Prophet is a person who is the recipient of divine revelation. Since you are familiar with Islamic philosophy maybe I can post a brief account on how these two religions define the role and scope of Prophethood.
Muslims believe:
"O people ! Muhammad has no sons among ye men, but verily, he is the Apostle of God and the last in the line of Prophets." (Surah Al Ahzab: 40)
As you must be aware the word Khatam-al-Nabiyyin means Finality of Prophethood. In fact, prophet Mohammad is said to have proclaimed his status as the final prophet of mankind.
"The tribe of Israel was guided by prophets. When a prophet passed away, another prophet succeeded him. But no prophet will come after me; only caliphs will succeed me." (Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Manaqib).
Then there are important events like angel Gabriel who informed Prophet Mohammad of his choice as the chosen one, "..from all the sides whereof he heard the voice crying out loud, Mohammad thou art the apostle of God, the most high and I am the angel Gabriel."
Similarly Christians also believe that resurrection of Jesus confirms his status as the chosen Son of God (1 Corinthians, Chapter 15). The Church also claimed itself as the only source of salvation. In the words of Saint Cyprian's: Nulla salus extra ecclesiam – outside the church there is no salvation.
Muslims divide the world into Umma (believers) who live in Dar al-Islam (Land of Islam) and Harbi (non-believers) living in Dar al-Harb (Land of the unbeliever, lit. warfare). Perhaps this division is a consequence of the finality of revelation of God to prophet Mohammad as believed by devout Muslims.
Unfortunately, over the centuries, the claim to finality and the only “true revelation” has been the source of religious persecution and fanaticism. Expressing his frustration Friedrich Nietzsche wrote in Beyond Good and Evil: "Love of one [self] is a piece of barbarism: for it is practiced at the expense of all others. Love of God is likewise."
Sikhism does not believe in a final revelation. Sikh faith insist on One Creator as a source of all creation and that the attributes and wonders of this Creator are infinite. The concept of a final revelation (i.e. Infinite made finite) does not find acceptance. Sikhs accept the presence of all Prophets, past and future. Says Guru Nanak,
Numerous are the seasons emanating from the sun,
Numerous are the guises in which the Creator appears [i.e. makes Himself/His attributes known through divine people].
Accordingly, the Sikh definition of prophethood encourages religious pluralism by rejecting the doctrine of finality of Divine revelation. Sikh Gurus never considered themselves prophets, only “lowest of the low.” To them all divine people are elated souls.
Truth is the panacea for all ills,
It washes off all sins;
Nanak bows to those that have truth within them. (Guru Nanak, Rag Asa)
There is no emphasis on miracles and neither are they used to further any claim to prophethood. Moreover, Sikh philosophy argues that humans don't need any intermediary between humans and the Creator. Consequently there is no priesthood in the religion.
Man can and should experience the divine through good actions and godly living: "Goodness, righteousness, virtue and the giving up of vice are the ways to realize the essence of the Creator" [SGGS: p. 418]. "Destroy evil and you become a perfect man" [SGGS: p. 404].
You may also find it interesting that Sikh Gurus bestowed upon the Khalsa (an elevated/perfect human) the status of the Guru. ”The Khalsa is my determinate form; I am immanent in the Khalsa.” (Guru Gobind Singh)
In the company of these God-oriented people, who live in the service of humanity, lies the abode of the Creator.
“This verily is the phenomenal form of the Timeless Who manifests Himself in the corporate body of the Khalsa.” (Prehlad Rai)
In the presence of ordinary men and women living extraordinary lives as humble, truthful, loving and kind humans, Sikhs believe, we can feel the presence of the Divine.
Since Sikhism promotes only one race –the human race – there was never any emphasis on conversions. Sikh Gurus wanted people to live truthful lives without the pressures of religious conversions.
Guru Nanak's message to his Muslim audience was to become better Muslims.
“Through false talk one gathereth nothing but falsehood. Thou sayest thy prayers five times and giveth them five names. But let truth be thy first prayer, honest living the second and working for the good of all, the third. Let good intentions of the mind, be the fourth prayer, and the praises of the lord, the fifth. Say thou the prayer of good deeds and thus become a true believer [Muslim].”
The article is interesting, but W.H. McLeod has written that the
inscription on the shrine is not authentic, and thus the shrine does not commemorate a visit from Guru Nanak. Has anyone responded to this
conclusion?
Below are comments on Jetty Singh's Poems
from Ravinder Sandhu
Dear Mr Jetty Singh
I came across your poems and found them very inspirational. My husband is a counselor with a school board, I would like your permission to reproduce your poems for the school newspaper. I think the youth require role models in fields other than just the usual doctors/engineers.
It is really good article because ...