Western Sikh Students' Association

Have Your Voice Heard

2007-03-02T15:06:00.000-08:00

The Western Sikh Students Association has been in contact with local MP Irene Mathyssen of the NDP, and this Sunday she will be addressing Sangat at the London Sikh Society Gurdwara.

In previous exchanges with Ms. Mathyssen she has expressed an interest in having some sort of dialogue with Sikh Youth. Therefore, this Sunday the London Sikh Society has asked us to meet with her briefly. If you are interested being a part of an organized group of youth for this occasion we ask that you contact us immediately

As executive of WesternSSA and Board Members of COSS (Canadian Organization of Sikh Students) we encourage our members and affiliates to attend Gurdwara this Sunday or provide us with what they feel are issues that should be addressed. These issues can focus on anything that you feel is important both inside and outside of the Sikh community. We anticipate that we will be in contact with Ms. Mathyssen in the future as well, and that this Sunday will merely establish formal contact with her office.

We look forward to hearing from you and remind you that if transportation to the Gurdwara is needed, that the "need a ride" application can be filled out at www.westernssa.com or you can simply reply to this email with your information.

WesternSSA Bowling Night - The Pins Be Rolling While We Be Bowling

2007-01-20T11:15:00.000-08:00

This Monday, January 22nd, WesternSSA will be holding its Annual Bowling Night. The weekly meeting for this Monday, will be replaced with Bowling. If you are interested in attending please let us know! For more details read below and view the flyer!

COST

$5 - 1 Game + Bowling Shoes
$8 - 2 Games + Bowling Shoes

There will also be Glo Golf (indoors).

TIME

We will be meeting up at the KRESGE BUILDING (beside Nat Sci) at 6:30 and taking the Bus (6 Richmond) from there. There also be some alternate transportation available which will be arranged on a first come, first serve basis.

The night is scheduled to go from 6:30 - 9:00pm

LOCATION

Fleetway Bowling Center

Manmohan Singh: The Sikh Solution or Problem?

2007-01-14T12:56:00.000-08:00

Ever since the introduction of Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister of India, socially conscious Sikhs have faced a fair amount of criticism. The most often comment thrown at revolutionary minded Sikhs is that "how can Sikhs be treated as second class citizens, when the Prime Minister himself is a Sikh". Howevever, what these invididuals fail to recognize is that one is not simply born a Sikh and is not a Sikh by default. Being a Sikh entails having a character or attempting to uphold the characters prescribed to us by the Guru.

The video below demonstrates how Manmohan Singh and Captian Amrinder Singh clearly do not uphold the values and basic teachings of the Guru. Please watch for further details.

The Return Of The House Keertans

2007-01-12T13:07:00.000-08:00

WesternSSA has always been fortunate enough to have families within the local sangat in London, Ontario that have been eager to help students in anyway possible. Last year, we were fortunate enough to be invited as a group to attend the monthly keertans at the residence of Ajeet Singh and Rajbir Kaur (son and daughter of Sardar Beant Singh). The keertans became a monthly event that all the students looked forward too.

The morning program including Keertan done by youth, followed by langar provided by local sangat to deprived and hungry students, topped off by video games and adding to the collage of Satwant Bhenji attempting to eat and put food in her mouth, only made it THAT much more exciting.

Check out previous posts of events at Sardar Ajeet Singh and Bibi Rajbir Kaur's and don't forget to read the comments!

To See Last Years Event Click Here

WesternSSA has again been invited to attend a Keertan this weekend and we encourage all to attend, below we have pasted the invitation.. So check them out! Oh and if you need a ride or transportation please email us at westernssa@gmail.com and transportation will be arranged!

Oh and in case you thought we forgot Ajeet, we still have some baby pictures we jacked from your house... its for the people to decide if you still look like a.... well you know ;-)

THE INVITATION

Waheguroo jee ka khalsa Waheguroo jee kee fateh

This weekend Verraich family from the Sikh Community would like to invite WSSA and its members to a keertan program at their house.

It will be held on Sunday January 14, 2007 at 641 Tennent Ave, for any directions please call (519) 667-2190 or (519) 859-2190.

The program will start at 5 p.m. were there will be keertan and rehras which will be followed by langar at 7:30.

If anybody needs a ride or has a question please don’t hesitate to ask just call (519) 667-2190, (519) 859-2190 or e-mail westernssa@gmail.com or ajeet_s_13@hotmail.com.

We hope to see you there!

Waheguroo jee ka khalsa Waheguroo jee kee fateh

2007 Toronto Sikh Retreat

2007-01-12T09:50:00.000-08:00

Educate, Enlighten, Engage

In his best-selling book, Thomas Friedman asks the provoking question “Does your society have more memories than dreams or more dreams than memories?“

How would the Sikh Panth answer this question today?

Are Sikhs focused on dreams or memories?

What are our dreams for a global Sikh community?

Find out at the Toronto Sikh Retreat and get EDUCATED, ENLIGHTENED AND ENGAGED.

www.torontosikhretreat.org

University Application Help For Western!

2007-01-04T11:53:00.001-08:00

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa!
Waheguroo Jee Ke Fateh!

All across Ontario, Grade 12 students are currently filling out their university applications. This time of the year can be very stressful and at times confusing. Therefore, The Western Sikh Students' Association from The University of Western Ontario would like to extend a helping hand to any students interested in applying to UWO or any of its affiliated colleges. Many students may not like the idea of applying to an affiliated college, however they are unfamiliar with the structure of UWO colleges.

There are 3 affiliated colleges at the University of Western Ontario as well as main campus uwo.

1. Kings University College
2. Brescia University College (all girls)
3. Huron University College
4. Main Campus (uwo)

All 3 affiliated Colleges are basically branches of UWO and are located on campus so that you are not isolated or more than a 5 minute walk away from anything located on main campus. Brescia, Kings and Huron are all considered faculties of UWO. A great way to explain it, is by drawing a comparison between the two different faculties of Social Science and Health Sciences, the affiliated University/Colleges would essentially the samething. Also, affilated colleges, are not colleges but are a part of the university (UWO) and you will recieve a UWO degree and not a diploma. You will also be given the option of taking classes on main campus or any of the affiliated colleges. It is also easy to transfer to main campus at any time during your 4 years (this is beneficial for those who want to attend main campus but do not have the marks, as affiliated colleges entrance grades are often a few percent lower).

On a side note, UWO has consistently been named as one of the the top academic school in the nation and is known to have one of the nicest campus layouts in Canada.

Therefore, if anyone is interested in applying to UWO, Brescia, Kings or Huron and has any questions, The Western Sikh Students' Association will be glad to lend a helping hand. We can be reached via email at westernssa@gmail.com or our website www.westernssa.com

Your Sevadaars,
WSSA Exec

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa!
Waheguroo Jee Ke Fateh!

Happy New Years!

2007-01-03T14:50:00.000-08:00

WesternSSA would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and advance Happy Gurpurab (Celebration of the Birth of Siri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj). Below is a clip of New Year Celebrations and the Countdown from Ontario Khalsa Darbar, more famously known as Dixie Gurdwara.

Paramjit Singh - The Original Judgment

2006-12-29T18:30:00.000-08:00

In a nation that so proudly claims to be the "worlds largest democracy"; the true colours of corruption, oppression and abuse have again been revealed in the state of Punjab.

In a recent case, the Punjab Police have demonstrated their fear of an awakening. Admidst numerous reports it appears as though the Police have resorted to practices of torture, abuse and the ever so common practice of framing ordinary citizens for personal gains.

The police allegations state that 3 Sikh men have been detained on the grounds of carrying and hiding weapons in a conspiracy to carry out attacks during the upcoming elections. It has also been hinted that the Police believe that the attacks were part of a greater plan to revive the 1980's revolution.

Among those arrested, it has been revealed that one of the three men, Paramjit Singh, is a British citizen. In efforts to shed light on the current developments of the case and in an attempt to help truth prevail (in accordance to the spirit of the Khalsa Panth). WesternSSA has obtained documents of the original judgment against Paramjit Singh.

We encourage that these be distributed and published freely without permission, and that Sikh Youth spread awareness about the issue to the greater community through both a united stance and voice.

Below we have attached the original judgment.

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Exam Stress Relief!

2006-12-15T21:31:00.000-08:00

We all know exams can be stressful, so we thought that a little keertan might help calm those nerves.

Luckily there is currently a live broadcast occuring from Ludhiana, Punjab.

The broadcast is a live video feed of the...Annual Jawaddi Taksal Gurmat Sangeet Samagam with String Instruments. To listen you will need Windows Media Player. If you click on the picture below it should automatically open.

Weekly Discussion - Storming Of The Temple

2006-11-16T20:39:00.000-08:00

This week the WSSA was able to finally hold its long-awaited discussion. The first of three parts, it was concerned with the events that took place in a year Sikhs will never forget-1984. Here are some points- feel free to contribute- we all have much to learn from one another. Feel free to watch the documentary before you proceed to read the discussion.

The following are points that disagree with the actions taken by Sant ji and his fellow Sikhs in reference to attack on the Darbar Sahib in Amritsar:

• It is wrong to have weapons within a holy shrine- this group had no right to bring weapons in a place of worship
• What are the chances that this militant group had the same intentions as Guruji in his time?
• It is wrong to answer violence with violence
• These individuals had different intentions when they held “weapons” in their hands- it gave them a sense of power and that was all.
• The militants were very forceful in their actions They would go to randomhouses in the middle of the night and demand food and shelter leaving families who provided this to have to deal with questions from the localpolice in the morning.

General statements made to bring about further discussion:

• Individuals who joined the Khalistan movement had personal motives

The following are points that support the actions taken by Sant ji and his fellow Sikhs:

In reference to having firearms/weapons in the Akaal Takht:

• As Sikhs, we should have no problem carrying fire arms anyways- it is the right of every Sikh to do so.
• At Hazoor Sahib- Guru Gobind Singh Sahib’s Bandookhs are present

In reference to the Khalistan Movement and the emergence of Militants:

• These militants probably became militants out of anger Their families were destroyed, they were thrown into jail, their genitals were burnt
• It did not have anything to do with personal motives because as a Sikh youare a universal fighter. Raising a weapon in defence, for a greater cause is not considered wrongful in Sikhi.

General statements made to bring about further discussion:

• Punjab was further divided by Indira Gandhi…Invites conflict
• The Government admitted that they trained people to discredit the Sikhs
• All Sikhs do not deny that they were responsible for killing theNirankaris-however they were justified in their actions.
o (This is revolving around the issue in 1978 where an individual claimed to be the living Guru of the Sikhs- he disrespected the Holy Guru Granth Sahib ji and claimed that their were “Sat Sitaaray” ( 7 stars) instead of the Panj Pyarey (5 beloved ones). As a result of showing such disrespect, this individual was shot.
• However, there was also violence against the Sikhs when they were carrying out a peaceful protest- not having any weapons and were still attacked- how is this fair?

In response to the well known question who is to blame?

• The majority of innocents who were killed in this massacre were killed by the government, not these alleged militants.
• Blame cannot just be put upon the few bad apples (from the group involved in the movement against the Indian government). A lot of the blame should also be placed upon the breakdown of Sikh Organizations. For example Babbar Khalsa changed its requirements - initially they were very strict in who could become a member during the early stages of the violence, however
shortly thereafter, they broke down by loosening requirements, thus making way for “bad apples” to come into the picture.

Questions raised:

• How did this become a Sikh-Hindu conflict? Who instigated this idea?
• Why did these individuals become militants/freedom fighters in the first place? What drove them to make this decision?
• Why not fight for the cause?
• Why is it that there is such a divide in reference to the occurrences of 1984 among the Sikhs? How come it is so difficult to reach a general consensus especially since they were the victimized group?
• It is difficult to understand why ‘Sant’ Bhindranwale was looked down upon and is continuously put in such a negative light- what makes him this so called terrorist?
• Although there has been an apology issued to the Sikhs from the government, this was done by a fellow sikh who previously lied to the UN and stated no Human Rights Abuses occurred in Punjab. Consequently, can this even be regarded as a valid apology?
• What can be done now? How can we correct this situation or at least do something to achieve some level of peace?

To be discussed/considered next week:

• Should the individuals directly involved with Sant Bhinderawale’s group during 1984 be considered militants or freedom fighters?
• The difference between a terrorist and a Saint Soldier
• How this has become a Sikh- Hindu conflict and who has instigated this idea.
• Anything else members choose to discuss

Waterloo + Laurier Youth Keertan Darbaar

2006-11-15T15:00:00.000-08:00

If you attended The WesternSSA Rainsbhayee Keertan earlier this year and enjoyed yourself, you definitely don't want to miss out this weekend. This weekend Waterloo and Laurier Sikh Student Associations will be holding their Bi-Annual Youth Keertan Darbar. If you are interested in attending and need a ride please contact westernssa via email and we will make arrangements. Depending on the number of responses we get, we may rent a car or a 15 seater. We ask for your response by Thursday evening at 6pm so that there is sufficient time for transportation to be arranged. We look forward to hearing from you and joining you on a roadtrip!

For More Details Please View The Flyer

Paintball Madness Update

2006-11-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

WesternSSA Presents...

PAINTBALL MADNESS!!!!

THE MUCH ANTICIPATED...

MULTI-UNI...

MULTI-CLUB..

EVENT OF THE YEAR

If You Are Interested In Attending Please Email westernssa@gmail.com or your respective club and payments will be arranged. Seating and spaces are limited, and will go run on a first-come, first-serve basis.

WHO?

Western Students From Various Clubs on Campus Will Be Taking Part In This Years Tourney Representing UWO... Against A Challange By Waterloo and Laurier Universities...Soo Lets Show Them How We Ride...

Clubs That Are Officially Holding It Down...

Waterloo Sikh Students Association
Laurier Sikh Students Assocation

Western Sikh Students Association (WesternSSA)
Hindu Students' Association (HSA)
Tamil Students' Association (TSA)
Black Students Association (BSA)
Bhangra Giddha Club
WICSA

Are you interested in adding a club? Email us at westernssa@gmail.com

WHEN

This Sunday, November 12th

11am - 3pm

Bus will be leaving from Alumni Hall at 9:30am

COST

$25 for WesternSSA Members, $26 Non-Members

If you are interested email us and we will make arrangments to pick-up for the payment

IINCLUDES...

Bus Transportation
Camouflage Jacket
Paintball Gun
100 Paintballs
Unlimited CO2
Face Mask

4 Hours of Paintball Madness

WHERE?

Flagswipe, for more details visit www.Flagswipepaintball.com

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES FROM LAST YEAR

PAINTBALLLLLLLLLL MADNESSSSS!!!!

2006-11-07T09:13:00.000-08:00

WesternSSA goes paintballing... AGAINNNN!!!
..."best event of the year..."
why ?
"best turn out ever..."
and what does that mean ?
MORE PEOPLE FOR YOU TO SHOOT !!!!

PROTEST - DEFENDING JUSTICE

2006-11-05T14:03:00.000-08:00

Throughout history, whenever there has been a calling, the Sikhs have been quick to the defend the honour of those oppressed and with the grace of Waheguroo justice has prevailed. These teachings have been instilled in the Sikh Faith by the Guru's themselves, and we are again reminded of our history with the anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Maharaj Ji's Shaheedi Purab slowly approaching.

WesternSSA Members, we ask you to join in a silent protest being held this Monday and take part in the traditions and teachings of Sikhi, by defending the rights, honour and dignity of our brothers and sisters. Please read the following message from our friends for more details regarding the protest to be held this Monday.

PROTEST DETAILS

On Monday, November 6, from 12-2 p.m., the UWO chapter of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) will join with other groups such as the NDP club, Oxfam, and Pride Western in holding a silent protest at the concrete beach (area in front of the UCC). Participants are asked to wear black, and place duct tape or something similar across their mouths to visually show the USC's policy of gagging and censoring groups on campus.

The aim of this protest is to draw attention to the actions taken by the University Student Council against freedom of speech on campus. Unfortunately, the USC has a history of silencing student groups over issues seen as controversial, and this trend continues into the present day. The amount of bureaucracy and control exerted by the USC has also risen frighteningly in the past few years, severely limiting the ability of full-time students to achieve anything beyond the superficial. A few examples:

SPHR was banned from USC properties after a 2004 event in which a mock
apartheid wall was erected in the UCC. The event had the approval of both the USC and the London Police's hate crime division, and was meant to draw attention to the illegal apartheid wall currently snaking its way across the West Bank. Each year, the USC has found new, increasingly ridiculous reasons to silence SPHR, and the full story can be found here: http://sphr-uwo.2y.net.

Oxfam Western recently ran into trouble, when they were refused permission to print posters detailing the epidemic of world hunger. They were silenced because the images of starving children were deemed unrefined for the tastes of Western students.

Pride Western has also been affected by the actions of the USC. During Pride Week, chalk slogans on the walls of several buildings on campus with pro-equality messages were erased on the order of the USC because they made some students feel "uncomfortable". Many other clubs, sports, and even Student Council candidates have used chalked slogans to spread their messages, yet it is only Pride Western who has seen theirs officially erased. Strange indeed.

So please, come support freedom of speech at one of Canada’s largest universities. Show your disapproval of the USC’s policies, which have limited the views on campus to those deemed safe, and kept student organizations from achieving their full potential.

Snatam Kaur In Concert

2006-10-24T11:59:00.001-07:00

Snatam Kaur's world-tour concert blends the musical traditions of East and
West. Her heart-opening music and enchanting voice will bring you an
experience of peace to cherish.

Join in an evening of uplifting music that truly inspires Peace:

CELEBRATE PEACE CONCERT WITH SNATAM KAUR:
Friday, November 3, 2006 at 7:30 pm
Wolf Performance Hall, Central Library
251 Dundas Street, London
FREE ADMISSION!

Snatam resonates with the words “celebrate peace” because she believes that
peace already exists within each of us, and it is a matter of recognizing it
and celebrating it. Celebration comes from a place of courage and inner
strength. The Celebrate Peace Tour is dedicated to inspiring people of all
walks of life to celebrate the peace that is within themselves, their
families, and communities and, from that place of strength, to reach out to
others as neighbors and nations in the spirit of peace.

Snatam Kaur was introduced to music and spiritual practice at an early age,
as well as studies in Gurmukhi and Kundalini Yoga. She studied with the
accomplished master of Sikh-style devotional music, Bhai Hari Singh, in
Amritsar, India.

In September, she released her 5th solo album titled 'Anand' (Bliss) that is
a celebration of the joy and happiness that resides within each individual.
Like her previous best-selling albums, 'Prem' (Love), 'Shanti' (Peace) and
'Grace', 'Anand' is a collection of devotional chants grounded in the Sikh
tradition, reflecting a universal sensibility that embraces many faiths.

SNATAM KAUR MUSIC FACTS:

More than 50,000 CD's sold world-wide in 2005.
Her music is sold across North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific.
Snatam Kaur was on the list to be nominated for a Grammy Award in 2002.
She is the only artist to have 3 albums on the New Age Retailers Top 20 List in 2005.
Her Celebrate Peace Tour visits over 100 venues each year.

Below is a short video clip of Snatam Kaur courtesy of mrsikhnet.com:

Download: Video

To hear samples of her music, visit www.spiritvoyage.com and click on her
albums to hear clips.

To learn more about Snatam Kaur, visit www.snatamkaur.com

First France...then Belgium...now Denmark

2006-10-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

Danish court confirms ban on Sikh carrying ceremonial knife

"Amritdhaarees please beware, do not enter Denmark or a painful "death" follows..."
Understanding the above statement might be a little difficult but it makes perfect sense to an Amritdhaaree Sikh. Kirpaan being one of the vital 5s of an Amritdhaaree Singh/Kaur it is like saying that if you were to step into Denmark your heart or kidneys or liver or any other vital organ would not be allowed in Denmark. The title carries history along with it referring back to the recent ban of Turbans and any other articles of faith, first in France and then Belgium followed the lead. There lies an irony in the France situation thought... look at the pic below and be the judge...

Read Why Carry a Dagger? for an interesting answer to the question posed...

No War Rally

2006-10-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

This October 28th an anti war rally is being held downtown Toronto. It will also focus around Canadian troops in Afghanistan. Here are some quick facts that some may or may not know:

“Our demand is a simple one: “Support our troops and bring them home now!” Right now, the Stephen Harper government continues to support a NATO-led mission in Afghanistan that has made the situation in the country worse than it was in 2001. Fewer people have access to clean water and electricity than five years ago, reconstruction is at a standstill, opium production generates twice the amount of income than international aid, and Canadian troops are keeping in power a government that is dominated by war lords and drug lords - people who continue to commit war crimes and human rights abuses on a massive scale.

And as Stephen Harper pours billions of dollars more into George Bush’s war in Afghanistan, he continues to cut billions from social programs here in Canada. Money that is badly needed for health care, childcare, education, the environment, social programs and other services is being diverted to war and militarism. For every dollar the Canadian government spends on the Afghan mission, fully 90 cents goes towards the military operation. Only ten cents goes to aid.”
(www.nowar.ca)

Once again we are trying to organize Sikh involvement with this protest. Please view the attached flyer for details

In Celebration of Bandi Chor Divas...

2006-10-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

We Bring to You...

U of T / Ryerson Kirtan Darbar!

on Saturday, October 21, 2006
10am to 12pm

at Weston Road Gurdwara
Sri Guru Singh Sabha
331 Old Weston Road
416-656-5699

Volunteers are needed Friday night to help with food preparations and Saturday morning for langar seva. Contact ssautsg@gmail for more info and see flyer for details!! Anyone interested in doing kirtan let us know!
Let us celebrate together!!!

BANDI CHOR DIVAS (literally means the day of release of the prisoner)

This day commemorates the return of the sixth Guru, Sri Hargobind Ji, to the holy city of Amristar after his release from detention. Guru Hargobind Singh ji was imprisoned by Emperor Jahangir because he seem to be afraid of the Guru's growing power. Guru ji had agreed to his own release on the condition that the other fifty-two detainees would also be released. He was therefore known as the " Bandi Chorrh". He arrived at Amritsar on the day of Diwali and the Golden Temple was also was lit with hundreds of lamps. Thereafter day came to be known as the "Bandi Chhor Divas" (the day of freedom).

SADH SANGAT BEWARE

2006-10-19T12:46:00.000-07:00

Peaceful protest by Saadh Sangat

It is with folded hands that we request your presence on Sunday,
October 22nd at Premier Banquet Hall (11am-3pm) for a collective
boycott of the scheduled seminar being held by Inder Singh Ghugga and
participation in a peaceful protest. Inder Singh Ghugga is an avid
supporter of the notorious panthic enemy known as Kala Afgana who has
been excommunicated by the Akhaal Takhat for his anti-Sikhi
activities. His presence in Toronto, Ontario of the last few weeks has
left a bad taste in the mouths of many Sikhs in the Greater Toronto
Area and worldwide as well. He is known to ferociously attack and
manipulate basic Sikhi principles. Below are just a few of his many
extensive attacks on the Panth.

Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was pressured by Muslims when travelling to
Mecca and voluntarily consumed Halal meat. When asked about evidence
supporting this, Ghugga replied that this was a part of his
imagination.
During the martyrdom of Guru Arjun Dev Ji, he was unable to retain
consciousness during the torture and therefore became unconscious.
These words indicate his desire to portray Guru Sahib as an ordinary
human being. When challenged in regards to this, he was once again
quick to admit it was a figment of his imagination
The usage of words such as "Badmaash" and derogratory slurs in
reference to Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
In his own literature he has deemed the very pillar of Sikhi, Naam
Simran as unnecessary along with Mool Mantar and Gurmantar.
The importance and power of Naam Simran which is stressed within each
word of Gurbani is completely dismissed by Ghugga in his literature
Even the importance of Ardaas is undermined within writings by Ghugga
Publicly challenges the authenticity of Banis contained in the morning
Nitnem such as Jaap Sahib and Chaupayee Sahib, whereby undermining the
entire Amrit Sanchar ceremony.
The core fundamentals of Sikhi and those who lived by the word of the
Guru have been attacked shamelessly by Ghugga
Being oblivious to the correct pronunciation and lacking grammatical
knowledge of Gurbani, Ghugga fails to recognize the importance of
vowels when translating Gurbani.

In addition to the concerns raised above, there are many other
discrepancies and anti-Gurmat statements contained within literature
published by Ghugga, some of which we hope to highlight in the coming
days. It should be noted that it is his anti-panthic actions that have
resulted in him not being allotted time to speak at any Gurdwara.

Sincerely,

All Sikh Sangat & Panthic Jathebandees

Contacts:
Bhai Hardeep Singh 416-858-1596
Bhai Jaspreet Singh 416-689-9409
Bhai Tarlochan Singh 416-891-9957
Bhai Jasdev Singh 416-835-1909
Bhai Gurjeet Singh 416-560-6326

Supporting Jathebandees:
Ontario Gurdwara Committee and all Gurdwara Sahibs
Ontario Gurdwara Sikh Council and Gurdwara Sahibs below:
1) Gurdwara Shaheed Ghar (Hamilton)
2) Gurdwara Baba Budha Ji
3) Gurdwara Sikh Association of Brantford
Sikh Spiritual Centre, Rexdale
Shromani Sikh Sangat, Missisauga
Gurdwara Jot Parkash
Gurdwara Tapoban Sahib
Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Malton
Shromani Sikh Sangat Mississauga
Shromani Akali Dal Amritsar, Ontario
Canadian Organization of Sikh Students
Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji Gatka Akhara
Damdami Taksal International
Akhand Kirtanee Jatha, Toronto

Hukamnama from the rainsabayee ....

2006-10-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

Download

View Hukamnama with meanings

Brothers in France still holding up the fight...

2006-10-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

"We didn't have a single young girl showing up veiled this year for the rentree [start of the school year] which was very satisfying," government education spokesman Samira Bonvoisin told The First Post. "The only ongoing problem is with four Sikh schoolboys who still refuse to remove their turbans."

Read the whole article here

2005 Rainsabayee & Exhibit Flashback...

2006-10-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

Meeri-Peeri Exhibit & Rainsabayee

2006-10-10T14:26:00.000-07:00

A free bus service has been arranged and will be leaving from Ontario Khalsa Darbar (Derry and Dixie Rd.) Mississauga to London Gurdwara at 5 pm... Call 519 694 6147 to book your seats as they are limited...

WesternSSA IceBreaker 2006

2006-09-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

The Western Sikh Students' Association will be running its first meeting this Monday October 2nd, 2006. The meeting will be held in Kresgie 208 and will start at 7:00pm. The meeting will be a short introduction of The Executive Committee, along with some announcements and mixers to get everyone acquainted with one another. If you are aware of anybody that is still interested in signing up, membership WILL still be available. Lastly, we look forward to seeing you all out on Monday night! Oh, and YES there will be free food for Members.

WSSA HOME PAGE

2006-09-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

We have had some complaint from some individual who are unable to click on any of the links in the flash intro!

There are TWO reasons!

either you have been using IE 7.0 which is still a RC1 and not the Final Release.
or, you have had IE 7.0 and have uninstalled it. Now you are unable to access the flash links from both Firefox and IE 7.0

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you! You are welcome to comment on any other obscure phenomenon you encounter regarding the flash intro. We are students in the learning process. Any mistakes we make, please let us know and we will try to fix them ASAP!

Cheers
Webmaster

Spinning Wheel Film Festival

2006-09-24T16:15:00.000-07:00

As you all know, the Spinning Wheel Films Festival is coming up fast next week. The Canadian Organization of Sikh Students has been able to work alongside SWFF to bring to you, students, a great package in order to attend the event.

SWFF comittee has offered a discount on Student (Weekend) Passes only, for $55, with a valid Student ID. Please take this opportunity and attend the festival as its always a great event, and a worthwhile cause. The original price for Student Passes are $75 - saving $20 for students is definitely worth while.

Please contact WesternSSA and we will be able to provide further details for Pass Pick-up and Payment. The deadline is Wednesday Sept 27, so you need to contact us... NOW!

The 4th Annual
2006 Spinning Wheel Film Festival
A Celebration of Sikh Films

September 29th - October 1st 2006

Isabel Bader Theatre
93 Charles St. West
Toronto, Canada

For tickets, schedules or more information:

Visit: www.spinningwheelfestival.com

Email: info@spinningwheelfestival.com

Call: 416-879-SPIN (7746)

ClubsWeek Summary

2006-09-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

As Clubsweek comes to an end, WesternSSA can yet again make claim to another successful year. Each day of the week we were able to sign up atleast 20 members, leading to a 100 member sign-up in just one week.

Looking over the membership list, the Executive Committee is excited to see increased membership amongst first years. We again welcome all first years and encourage you to stay involved while helping to carry on the tradition of a strong SSA at The University of Western Ontario.

For those that are still interesting in signing up, membership is still available at weekly meetings which are scheduled to start on October 1st, 2006.

CLUBS WEEK

2006-09-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

WesternSSA will kick off the year with clubsweek begginning next week! This will be a chance for any new or returning students to become members. The following are details about ClubsWeek so make sure you come check us out!

What Is It?

Clubsweek is an oppertunity for students to join clubs and get involved in clubs that interest them. WesternSSA will be taking part in clubsweek and will be giving out SSA Memberships. Shirts and Shaheedi 400 cd's will also be

When Is It?

September 18th - September 22nd
Monday - Friday
10am-4pm

Where Is It?

UCC Gym

WesternSSA... Still Flying High!

2006-09-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

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DETAILS FOR WESTERN FROSH TO COME SOON

A Fateh to all and a Welcome Back! Its been a long 4 months since the last school year ended and although WesternSSA has appeared to be inactive that is definitely far from the truth! WesternSSA spent their summer working underground to bring their members and the online community some more of that goodstuff! WesternSSA over the next few weeks will be introducing...

WesternSSA Overseas

-We will be releasing details and material from a recent trip to Kashmir and the State of Sikhi in that region.

Upcoming Events

- ClubsWeek Dates will be announced
- Annual Rainsbhayee has been confirmed for October 14th - more details are still to come

New Alliances

- The announcement and official launch of new partnerships.

Brand new online resources - westernssa.com

- new pictures
- new videos
- new audio

2006-06-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

Stop Genocide Save Darfur
"We Should Feel Sad If Someone Dies of Injustice" - Guru Arjan Dev Ji

Sunday June 25
2:30pm – 5:30pm

Sikh Spiritual Center9 Carrier Dr., Rexdale, Ontario

Program Includes:
Raag Keertan, Eye Witness Accounts,
Recently filmed video from Darfur,
Presentation by Amnesty International and C.A.S.T.S.
and Human Rights Booths

Website: www.SikhsAgainstGenocide.com Email: SikhsAgainstGenocide@Gmail.com

Genocide has been defined as the "Deliberate and systematic destruction of a Racial, Political, or cultural group". The Sikhs have experienced three major genocidal massacres from 1764 to 1984. In India, there is a history of major human rights violations against Dalits ("untouchables"), Tribals, Women, Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians. With this in mind, let us stand up to injustice and 'Rekindle The Spirit' of our Guru's. On June 25, 2006, @ Sikh Spiritual Center, Rexdale from 2:30 – 5:30pm the Sikh community along with Amnesty International and C.A.S.T.S. (Canadians Against Slavery and Torture in Sudan) will come together to show our support to the people of Darfur.

In Darfur over 2 million people are homeless and some estimate 10,000 people are dying each month. Women are being raped, people abducted, families savagely killed, and villages burnt to the ground. Those who escape these atrocities are forced to congregate in overcrowded disease ridden camps. It is up to us to help those in need.

Stop Genocide, Save Darfur!

2006-06-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

Genocide has been defined as the "Deliberate and systematic destruction of a Racial, Political, or cultural group". The Sikhs have experienced three major genocidal killings from 1764 to 1984. In India, there is a history of major human rights violations against Dalits ("untouchables"), Tribals, Women, Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians.

With this in mind, let us stand up to injustice and 'Rekindle The Spirit' of our Guru's. On June 25, 2006, @ Sikh Spiritual Center, Rexdale from 2:30 – 5:30pm the Sikh community along with Amnesty International and C.A.S.T.S (Canadians Against Slavery and Torture in Sudan) will come together to show our support to the people of Darfur. In Darfur over 2 million people are homeless and some estimate 10,000 people are dying each month. Women are being raped, people abducted, families savagely killed, and villages burnt to the ground. Those who escape these atrocities are forced to congregate in overcrowded disease ridden camps. It is up to us to help those in need.

Program Includes: Eye Witness Accounts, Recently filmed video from Darfur, Presentation by Amnesty International and C.A.S.T.S., Human Rights Booths, and Raag Keertan.

For More information contact : sikhsagainstgenocide@gmail.com
or visit: www.sikhsagainstgenocide.com

Hoodies and Shirts

2006-05-14T21:51:00.000-07:00

Please click on the link in the top menu bar, or below

http://www.sikhstudents.ca/tshirts-and-hoodies-for-sale/

Immortal Shaheedi - still available - $10.00. Please Contact Parm Singh parmsc@yahoo.com, or Parminder Singh parminder.j@gmail.com

A Message To WesternSSA Alumni

2006-05-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

Schools done and the summer is finally here!! We hope everyones exams and classes went well and we wish you a fun and safe summer. For those of you returning in the fall we look forward to having you join WesternSSA again. However, every year there are numerous valued members that finish their time at Western and move on, essentially becoming Western and WesternSSA Alumni. This year we would like to maintain contact with those that have over the years done a great amount of seva. Therefore, we ask that if you are not returning to Western next year and would like to stay in touch with WesternSSA as a member and an individual who future generations can look too for guidance, to please submit your contact information for next year. It is asked that you provide your name, number, email and address.

WesternSSA is also looking to keep track of its history starting from the very first exec, nearly a decade ago. Therefore, if you are in contact with any previous execs or members that may be interested in keeping in touch, please forward this message to them.

All information can be sent to us via westernssa@gmail.com

Yours Truly, Your Sevadaars
WesternSSA Exec

The Rise of Khalsa

2006-05-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

While Sikh Media appears to be growing and increasing in popularity a new frontier has been ventured into by "Vismaad Animated Movies" who have utilized a key tool in the preservation of Sikh History. We encourage everyone to take a helping hand in the sales of the second movie released by Vismaad Productions as it important to preserve the history of the Sikhs, and what better way then to present it to children of all ages through an animated series. For more information please view the press release attached below.

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AN ENTHRALLING TRIBUTE TO A GREAT SIKH GENERAL...

Animated movie “The Rise of Khalsa” has the distinction of being the first ever movie made on legendary Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. The movie is produced by Vismaad; who brought “Sahibzadey: A Saga of Valor & Sacrifice”; the first ever animated movie on Sikh history. When reminded about these firsts Director, Sukhwinder Singh said: “Sewa first. It is Waheguru ji’s grace and Sikh Sangat’s blessings that we are bestowed this great sewa to bring forth our remarkable history”.

Vismaad is an IT SOLUTIONS & CONSULTING COMPANY promoted by three Gursikh IT professionals. Singapore based Bakhtawar Singh says “we realized that contemporary Sikh generations know very little about Sikh history and what better way than animation to meet this objective“. “Sahibzadey” was highly appreciated by Sikh Sangat and gave us courage to embark on our second project “The Rise of Khalsa”.

“The Rise of Khalsa” takes you along Baba Banda Singh ji’s journey from his first meeting with Guru Gobind singh ji at Nanded to conquering of Sirhind. Guruji ordained Babaji to reach Punjab and reorganize the Khalsa forces to put an end to tyranny and injustice.

Recently a Movie preview was shown at Mohali to a select audience comprising Military Generals, Industrialists, Educationists and representatives of various Sikh organizations.

After watching the movie Major General M.S. Kandal (retd) said “An enthralling tribute to a great Sikh General. It’s amazing to watch Baba Banda Singh ji’s military acumen portrayed so well through animation. Well done boys! Keep the good works going!!”

According to Navnit Singh animation is the most effective medium when it comes to teaching History to today’s kids. Why kids? We had even adults calling us to tell how “Sahibzadey” made them ponder over their ignorance about a vibrant Sikh History.

“The Rise of Khalsa” is due for worldwide release on 21-May-06. Premier shows are planned at major cities including Toronto, Vancouver, Fremont, Los Angeles, New York, London and Singapore.

For More Details Please Visit www.riseofkhalsa.com

Sant Ji's Message To Monas (cut hair)

2006-05-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

Baba Jarnail Singh Bhindraanvale's Message to Monas (cut hair)

From Baba jee's lecture in Singh Garj compiled by Bh. NaraiN Singh
Translated by Admin www.tapoban.org

So, I have a request for all of you who have cut their kesh and beards and have the name "Singh". I put my hands together and ask, 'Please, become my brothers'. And only become my brothers if you think I'm good. If you think I'm a low-life then don't at all become my brothers. If you call me good, then you'll have to keep your kesh and beards, give up liquor and if you call me a low-life, I'll be quiet and sit down and leave you alone.

Ok, those of you who have cut your kesh and beards, am I good or am I a low-life??

No, it won't do to remain quiet like that. Say it out loud.

No, No, just those who have cut beards….

If I'm good, then why don't you listen to me? If you keep your kesh and then I tell you to call me a Sant, or bow to me, then you can get rid of all your hair. Also, you can cut your hair too if I tell you to oppose the Panth.

It was an old Sikh cry, "Sir Jaavay taa(n) jaavey mayraa Sikhee sidak naa javai" meaning, "If my head goes, then so be it, may my Sikhi faith never leave me."

But now there are two cries: Dharam jaavay taa(n) jaavay, saaDee kursee kitay naa jaavay meaning "Our Faith can go if it must, but our political seat should go nowhere. "

Or those youth who cut their hair and beards also have a cry:

Dharam jaavay taa(n) jaavay, daaRee saaDay moo(n)h tay naa aavay. Meaning, "Our faith can go if it must, but please let no beard come on our faces".

Tell me, if a son does not look like his father, what do you call him? Those of you sitting here with cut beards, do we believe in Dasam Paatshaah? Tell me, do we?

Sangat: Yes, we believe in him.

Well if we believe in him, then are we joining with him? Our Dasam Paatshaah had a kacherra, kirpan in a gatra, a beautiful dastaar, a beautiful Sree Saahib and Sarbloh kaRaa. We have a string type of thing around our necks, what do they call it? RakhRee? I don’t' know what it is. We have a baandar kachee (monkey panties i.e. briefs) and we have no dastaar on our head or beard on our face. How will we call ourselves Guru's Sikhs? How will people call us the sons of our father??

If you want to be sons of your father and my brothers, those of you with cut hair have to keep it after today. And those of you who don't want to be their father's sons, then it's up to you if you want to stay a man or become like women. If you want to be men, then keep it uncut, and if you don’t' want to be men, go to Darbaar Saahib and do ardaas, "Sachay Paatshah! Kill us and make us women. And make the women men." Trade off like this. Then, you'll have no beard on your face, nor will the barber have to sharpen his knife on a worn out leather shoe and rub it on your faces. And then neither would I have to have the headache of saying all this and neither would you feel angry after hearing it.

Oi! Now tell me, are you going to become your father's sons or not?? Why aren't you answering?? Those of you with cut beards, why are you sitting there with your heads down? And it's not going to work out if you don't speak…

Taken From: www.tapoban.org

Essay Marathon

2006-05-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

Send your essays in to westernssa@gmail.com

All essays will be appearing Sikh Sangat Youth Forum
www.sikhsangat.com

Please indicate whether you would like to remain 'anonymous' or we may use your name.

The prize for this Essay Marathon?

Having the honour of being an inspiration to millions of individuals around the world and spreading the awareness for Sikhi as Seva.
There is no greater prize for a Sikh.

Spread the Love Jio ... It's in us to Give

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa
Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh

ON SALE!

2006-05-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

Summer is here!...And so are the Brand New WesternSSA and COSS T-Shirts, as well as the new Shaheedi 400 Album...Hurry and place your order, before they are sold out!

Below are some samples, if you are interested in making a purchase please email us at westernssa@gmail.com

WESTERNSSA SHIRTS

WesternSSA Shirts are still available...

Mens Singh Shirts are Available in Baby Blue and Womens Kaur Baby-T's are available in Pink. The cost is $20

COSS SHIRTS

The first in a series of gear offered by COSS is now available...

The cost of the shirt is currently $10, if you are interested in making a purchase please email your name, address and size to westernssa@gmail.com

SHAHEEDI 400 ALBUM

The new Shaheedi 400 is now available for $15 Canadian. Again, if you are interested please email us via westernssa@gmail.com

SAMPLE TRACKS/TEASERS
Mukhon Satnaam Bolda
Reet Khalsay Di
Chamakde Taare
The Legend of Jinda Sukha
Azaad Sherni Bibi Deep Kaur

Nagar Keertan Update

2006-04-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

GTA:
Malton - Rexdale Nagar kirtan will take place April 23rd departing Malton at 12pm. So those interested in volunteering or helping out. Please arrive at Malton by the main Khalsa School entrance no later then 10:30 am on Sunday April 23rd.

TORONTO:
COSS will have a float at the downtown nagar kirtan. We are requesting all volunteers to contact us. We will also require kirtanees so please book your time ASAP. Toronto Volunteers are requested to meet at CNE location for 8:30 sharp on Sunday April 30th (day of the nagar kirtan)

IF INTERESTED PLEASE EMAIL:
WesternSSA Exec: westernssa@gmail.com
COSS Exec: parmsc@yahoo.com or parminder.j@gmail.com

GTA Nagar Keertan!

2006-04-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

MALTON - REXDALE: Sunday April 23rd
Malton - Rexdale Nagar kirtan will take place April 23rd departing Malton at 12pm. So those interested in volunteering or helping out. Please arrive at Malton by the main Khalsa School entrance no later then 10:30 pm on Sunday April 23rd

ALL INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS PLEASE EMAIL ASAP

DOWNTOWN TORONTO: Sunday April 30th
We will also have a float for the downtown Nagar Kirten @ CNE, which will be arriving in the morning. For anyone that may be interested in helping set up and decorate the float, please make plans to come early or feel free to contact Parm Singh for additional information. An exact time will be soon emailed out again as the date nears. If anybody is interested in doing kirten on the float, again contact Parm Singh. We will be having COSS t shirts ready @ both Nagar Kirtens, so please be prepared to wear a Tshirts to show our unity.

We may also be able to get a Table at City Hall grounds to help serve food as they do each and every year, however this can only be done if we have sevadaars willing to get to City Hall ahead of time, and be dedicated to that seva for the majority of the afternoon. If you ARE seriously interested please contact (PARMINDER OR PARM), and if we have enough devoted sevadars we will let you know the status as the day nears.

ALL INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS PLEASE EMAIL ASAP

IMMORTAL SHAHEEDI:
Listen to the upcoming tracks at http://www.shaheedi.com book your copy today. COSS is the official distributor of the CD in Canada and assisting with its Launch. CD's will be on sale at the Nagar Kirtan on a first come first serve basis. However, volunteers will be given first choice.

check for updates on www.sikhstudents.ca

CONTACT INFO:
WesternSSA Exec: westernssa@gmail.com
Parm Singh - parmsc@yahoo.com
Parminder Singh - parminder.j@gmail.com

The Panthic Otrpeka

2006-04-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

The recent popularity of blogging has hit home with the sikh community and without a doubt blogging and Sikhi have proven to provide a rather large spectrum of focus, ranging from sikh student associations to being purely news based and informational. However, one of the most informative and revolutionary Sikh blogs finds home at thepanthicotpreka.blogspot.com. The Panthic Otpreka consistently catches ones attention and stimulates the mind from a perspective that would normally be ignored given current societal pressures on Sikh Youth. The Panthic Otpreka is hands down one of the best "nothing-but-sikhi" blogs on the net... check it out for yourself.. here is a copy of the most recent post

Monday, April 17, 2006

The Whole World is Born of Sikhs

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh,

Below is an extract from a speech by Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindrawale.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

This issue come up every day; regarding the Sikhs being a separate Nation. I like to make another humble statement. They say Sikhs are extremists. I asked those leaders: "If the Sikhs are extremists, you should accept the Sikhs are a separate Nation (inasmuch as extremism is their exclusive characteristic). If Sikhs are a part of Hindus, then you should write Hindus as extremists (the characteristics of Sikhs and Hindus being the same on that hypothesis)." When they want to abuse us or use foul language towards us it is exclusively towards people with turbans, but when we ask for our rights, we are told: "You are part of us." they say: "You are born out of us." I humbly submit that the whole world is born of Sikhs. In a Pundit's home, in a Muslim's home, or in a Sikh's home, no one is born without hair. If all people stayed as they were born of their parents and kept the appearance given them by God, they would not be called Chhalli Ram or Gulli Ram. Everyone would address them as Sardar Ji. Tell me who is born? Who is created by Nature? Don't get into misunderstandings over this.

Happy Baisakhi!

2006-04-14T02:26:00.000-07:00

The Western Sikh Students Association would like to wish everyone a Happy Baisakhi! For those that are not familiar with the historical significance of Baisakhi in Sikhi, we have attached a brief historical recount taken from www.anandpursahib.org...enjoy!

History of Baisakhi

Baisakhi Day: March 30th, 1699

Click to watch a video telling the story of Baisakhi

RealPlayer software required

The Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, installed himself as the Emperor of India in 1657. To achieve his aim he had annihilated almost all his family opposition. Immediately after consolidating his power he embarked on a policy of religious persecution and set upon the process of Islamization of India. The Brahmins were his primary target. He levied unethical religious taxes against Hindus, and shut their temples and places of learning. He had been convinced by his clerics that once the Brahmins accepted Islam the others would follow. The Brahmins, particularly the inhabitants of Kashmir, looked for some dynamic leadership to fight this subversion.

The Brahmins of Kashmir approached Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621-1675), the ninth in the line of Sikh Gurus, who was on the throne of the Sikh religion. They asked him for guidance on combatting the atrocities committed by the Mughal Emperor.

At the time of their meeting, Guru Tegh Bahadur's nine year old son, Gobind Rai, was sitting beside him. As Guru Tegh Bahadur went into a deep state of contemplation, his young son asked the reason of his repose. Guru Tegh Bahadur said that the matter was of vital importance; the world is aggrieved by oppression; and no brave man had yet come forward who was willing to sacrifice his life to free the earth from the burden of' Aurangzeb's persecution of Hindus. Young Gobind Rai replied: "For that purpose who is more worthy than thou who art at once generous and brave." So after entrusting the Guruship to Gobind Rai, Guru Tegh Bahadur proceeded towards Delhi, the seat of the Mughal Empire.

Upon reaching Delhi, the Guru and his loyal attendants were immediately imprisoned by Aurangzeb. While in prison, Guru Tegh Bahadur foresaw the beginning of his ecclesiastic journey. To test his son's courage and capability to carry on the Guru's mission, he wrote him saying, "My strength is exhausted, I am in chains and I can make not any efforts. Says Nanak, God alone is now my refuge. He will help me as He did his Saints." In reply young Guru Gobind Rai wrote: "I have regained my Power, my bonds are broken and all options are open unto me. Nanak, everything is in Thine hands. It is only Thou who can assist Thyself."

Guru Teg Bahadur offered his life for the freedom of conscience and conviction of anyone belonging to a faith other than his own. His spirit of sacrifice and courage was kindled into the heart of Gobind Rai.

Hundreds of people gathered around the place where Guru Tegh Bahadur was martyred in Delhi. The executioner abandoned the Guru's body in the open. No one came forward openly to claim the body to perform religious rites. Even ardent disciples withdrew unrecognized. Taking advantage of the stormy weather that followed the execution, two persons covertly took the body of Guru Tegh Bahadur for cremation. This cowardice fomented in Gobind Rai an urge to endow his Sikhs with a distinct identity.

With the criteria of courage and strength to sacrifice, Gobind Rai became the tenth Sikh Guru. He wanted to instill these principles in his downtrodden followers. He wanted to uplift their morale to combat the evil forces of injustice, tyranny, and oppression.

He was 33 years old when he had Divine inspiration to actuate his designs. Every year at the time of Baisakhi (springtime), thousands of devotees would come to Anandpur to pay their obeisance and seek the Guru's blessings. In early 1699, months before Baisakhi Day, Guru Gobind Rai sent special edicts to congregants far and wide that that year the Baisakhi was going to be a unique affair. He asked them not to cut any of their hair -- to come with unshorn hair under their turbans and chunis, and for the men to come with full beards.

On Baisakhi Day, March 30, 1699, hundreds of thousands of people gathered around his divine temporal seat at Anandpur Sahib. The Guru addressed the congregants with a most stirring oration on his divine mission of restoring their faith and preserving the Sikh religion. After his inspirational discourse, he flashed his unsheathed sword and said that every great deed was preceded by equally great sacrifice: He demanded one head for oblation. After some trepidation one person offered himself. The Guru took him inside a tent. A little later he reappeared with his sword dripping with blood, and asked for another head. One by one four more earnest devotees offered their heads. Every time the Guru took a person inside the tent, he came out with a bloodied sword in his hand.

Thinking their Guru to have gone berserk, the congregants started to disperse. Then the Guru emerged with all five men dressed piously in white. He baptized the five in a new and unique ceremony called pahul, what Sikhs today know as the baptism ceremony called Amrit. Then the Guru asked those five baptized Sikhs to baptize him as well. He then proclaimed that the Panj Pyare -- the Five Beloved Ones -- would be the embodiment of the Guru himself: "Where there are Panj Pyare, there am I. When the Five meet, they are the holiest of the holy."

He said whenever and wherever five baptized (Amritdhari) Sikhs come together, the Guru would be present. All those who receive Amrit from five baptized Sikhs will be infused with the spirit of courage and strength to sacrifice. Thus with these principles he established Panth Khalsa, the Order of the Pure Ones.

At the same time the Guru gave his new Khalsa a unique, indisputable, and distinct identity. The Guru gave the gift of bana, the distinctive Sikh clothing and headwear. He also offered five emblems of purity and courage. These symbols, worn by all baptized Sikhs of both sexes, are popularly known today as Five Ks: Kesh, unshorn hair; Kangha, the wooden comb; Karra, the iron (or steel) bracelet; Kirpan, the sword; and Kachera, the underwear. By being identifiable, no Sikh could never hide behind cowardice again.

Political tyranny was not the only circumstance that was lowering peoples' morale. Discriminatory class distinctions (--the Indian "caste" system--) promoted by Brahmins and Mullahs were also responsible for the peoples' sense of degradation. The Guru wanted to eliminate the anomalies caused by the caste system. The constitution of the Panj Pyare was the living example of his dream: both the high and low castes were amalgamated into one. Among the original Panj Pyare, there was one Khatri, shopkeeper; one Jat, farmer; one Chhimba, washer-man; one Ghumar, water-carrier; and one Nai, a barber. The Guru gave the surname of Singh (Lion) to every Sikh and also took the name for himself. From Guru Gobind Rai he became Guru Gobind Singh. He also pronounced that all Sikh women embody royalty, and gave them the surname Kaur (Princess). With the distinct Khalsa identity and consciousness of purity Guru Gobind Singh gave all Sikhs the opporunity to live lives of courage, sacrifice, and equality.

The birth of the Khalsa is celebrated by Sikhs every Baisakhi Day on April 13. Baisakhi 1999 marks the 300th anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh's gift of Panth Khalsa to all Sikhs everywhere.

Blog Updates coming soon!

2006-04-10T17:27:00.000-07:00

Apoligies go out to all those who have been visiting the blog recently and to their dismay, frequent updates have not been made. Although the year has come to an end, that does not mean that the blog will. You can be assured that regular updates will begin once again at the end of April! Also, if anyone has ideas or topics for discussion, feel free to leave comments. Good luck to all of those individuals with exams.

Dasaray,

WSSA blogger

What a Finale it was!!

2006-04-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

With our Satguru’s Kirpa the annual langar held by the WSSA- the final event, was a perfect way to end the year.

The langar preparations went very smoothly and one could say, rather successfully as many of the university students volunteered and strengthened their domestic skills experiencing a mere day in the life of our mothers. Even WSSA exec member Gurpreet Singh was witnessed participating in the preparations-a rare yet reassuring occurrence.

The day of the langar itself was beautiful. The sun welcomed everyone to the Gurudwara putting them in good spirits from the start. The Sangat was able to hear various types of kirtan ranging from the sweet voices of young children to more refined and regal kirtan done by the older individuals. The Gurudwara was packed as if it were a religious day. To make things even better, Western Alumni joined us.

Many thanks go out to everyone who attended to make this kirtan what it was. It went as smoothly as it did simply because of the seva and effort put in by Western students and of course all of the parents who’s continued support lays the foundation for all of this success.

Immortal Productions...

2006-04-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

Every Vaisakhi
it grows stronger and stronger
the hype
the antincipation
and the hunger...

Yet Again Immortal Productions has delivered, creating possibly the greatest shaheedi immortality compilation ever to be released. Although, we have yet to get our hands on all official and full length tracks, the samples are mind blowing and rather than satisfying the thirst for Dharmik Albums have fuelled a fire and burning desire for more!

The new wave of inspiration created by these tracks is unmatched reaching the youth through an avenue that trescends all barriers, music. The lyrical content of these tracks leaves the listener in awe and exploding with emotion! If you haven't heard of Shaheedi Immortality 400 yet check it out @ www.shaheedi.com!

Here are some sample tracks...

Mukhon Satnaam Bolda

Reet Khalsay Di

Chamakde Taare

The Legend of Jinda Sukha

Azaad Sherni Bibi Deep Kaur

THE REVOLUTION IS HERE...

The Finale....End Of Year Langar

2006-03-24T17:06:00.000-08:00

This weekend will be The WesternSSA End of Year Langar, which will end off the years major events. If you are in need of a ride please email us back, along with you name and phone number and we will make arrangements. The following is a schedule for the weekends events. If you have any further questions, please email us!

Saturday Night ... 6-9pm

On Saturday Night, we the students from UWO will be gathering at the local Gurdwara to begin preparing Langar for Sunday Morning Diwan. If you are interested in attending on Saturday and offering your help, please email us asap! For those of you that need some incentive....local aunties have offered to prepare some mattar paneer for students to eat at the end of the night!!!!

Sunday Morning ... 10am-1pm

On Sunday morning students will be running the show at London Gurdwara! The WesternSSA has taken the seva of running regular Sunday Diwan for the local Sikh community. If you are interested in doing keertan on this day, please notify us ahead of time as we have been given from of 10:30-12pm to be specifically designated to students for keertan. On this day, langar will also be served and again as incentive all langar is often packaged and given to students to take back to campus!

CD Recordings and T-shirts will be available for purchase!

Sikh Awareness Day: Radiating The Light of Sikhi

2006-03-20T22:36:00.000-08:00

March 14 2006 was a great day for the University of Western Ontario. On this date, the WSSA held their annual Sikh Awareness Day (SAD). Although the initials for this day are an emotion that we prefer not to associate ourselves with, Sikh Awareness Day was anything but that.

The day began around 11:00 am. Vast arrays of posters which WSSA members had worked very hard on and put a noble effort into were on display throughout the atrium of the University Community Center. They consisted of a range of topics from something as simple as the history of the 10 Gurus to the haunting events that took place in 1984. Like the cherry on top of a sundae, kesri and royal blue coloured balloons further adorned each of the exhibits which would make an individual not help but come and visit.

Along with the WSSA exec, there were a number of individuals who had volunteered to answer any inquiries of the passers by. Raviraj was the first to answer the questions of inquiring minds. There was no doubt that he had made the individuals belonging to the Christian faith feel quite comfortable as they had been discussing faiths for quite some time and came out with exchanging e-mails. The ball got rolling after this point and as the day progressed, so did the number of individuals who wanted insight into our beautiful faith.

Then came the second highlight of this day. The arrival of the Sahibzadas belonging to the Baba Deep Singh Gatka Akhaara. They would be displaying the Warrior aspect in Sikhi with a display of Gatka- a distinguished and valiant Sikh martial art used from the time of our Gurus. These innocent souls’ abilities would be further tested by the blistering cold- an unexpected opponent since the day before it had seemed as if spring had knocked on our doorstep and decided to settle. Nonetheless, this was all our Waheguru’s hukum and something as petty as cold weather would not be an issue for the little Singhs. As the demonstration began, they showed the courage of lions battling it out in only their cholay and kacheras. The upbeat music and jaikaras were able to attract a humble crowd in awe of this display of courage by mere children. Near the end of the demonstration, another obstacle was faced by one of these warriors since the apparatus that he was using seemed to get caught in the wind. However, that was not an obstacle for long-our very own Amarjot Singh was able to save the day by modestly taking the apparatus and making its usage seem effortless while disappointing the wind’s alleged victory and leaving those of us who thought we knew him in awe.

Following this demonstration, the day continued with visitors belonging to all faiths come by giving WSSA members the opportunity to discuss faith. Not to mention, they were able to have individuals belonging to SSAs of other universities come by and share this experience.

Another notable visitor who showed a great amount of interest in the Sikh faith was an individual who went by the name of Matthew. He compared notes with several members and mentioned that the Rastafarian and Sikh religion share many similar viewpoints. The level of admiration that he showed for Sikhism gave members yet another reason to be proud to belong to this faith and was a reminder to us that we have a lot more in common with one another than we think…

It was then time to put the displays away as the second part of this experience would begin following a short break. Parents joined the WSSA on this evening- (a sincere thanks goes out to all of those who came by the way :D). The movie did not deal with the spiritual aspects of Sikhi, but without a doubt touched on the sensitive cultural issues Sikhs and other minorities deal with on a daily basis in western society. The moving established basic platform for discussion on which Sikhs and Non-Sikhs could engage in as it transcended any racial, gender or religious boundaries.

The WSSA had the pleasure of being joined by a guest speaker- former boxer and active member of the community, Pardeep Nagra. He was among the few Sikh speakers who were able to maintain the attention of the youth since he himself was a youth not too long ago and more importantly since he discussed issues that have a significant affect upon young adults belonging to all minority groups. One interesting point that he brought up was how Sikhs are still not completely accepted into society. We are constantly asked where we are from- not meaning what city in Canada- but meaning what country in the world we are from since we do not appear to fit the typical Canadian prototype. He gave us pointers on how to present ourselves in the society of today.

For those of you who were not able to be part of Sikh Awareness Day, hopefully this will give you somewhat of a picture as to what went on.

Lastly, the WSSA would like to express gratitude to all those Sikhs non-sikhs and MSA for coming out and expressing interest. A warm, whole-hearted thank you is the least that can go out to the WSSA exec and all of those who were part of the preparations to make this day a success. Needless to say, your hard work and long nights sacrificed towards this cause have clearly paid off.

Evidently, with Guru’s Kirpa, the exec continues to do a remarkable job to spread the word about Sikhi and give the Sikh Community a reason to be filled with pride. It is hoped that events like this can continue to flourish in the years to come.

Here are comments on what some individuals thought of Sikh Awareness Day:

Ameena Saeed
Visual Arts/French I

As a Hijabi Muslim student, I thought it would be really beneficial to show my support at the Sikh Awareness Day. I was pleasantly surprised to see how many similarities there are with Sikhism and Islam. As well, the movie & lecture opened my eyes to see how universal racism is, whether Sikh or Muslim. In the future, I hope to see some Sikh-Muslim events.

Umair Malik

Political Science I

The Sikh Awareness Day was to me a tremendous success, as a Muslim guest, I could easily follow the discussion on racism as it happens to everyone. The movie taught a very good lesson, that if the pleasures of life are taken away from humans, they too begin to act like animals. The survival of the fittest. Pardeep Singh Nagra was a great host, he did an excellent job of making the audience of different religions and backgrounds understand racism in more depth and how to tackle it efficiently.

Ruth Beyene

Sociology Major II

The Sikh awareness day was a great event, although I was unable to attend the movie, I had the chance to see the martial arts demo. The group is extremely talented putting on a great performance and did not let the weather slow them down! I would love to see them perform at Western again.

Chardi Kalaa will be showing clips from this day in early April. Keep checking the blog for more details!!

Sikhs For Social Justice

2006-03-15T20:12:00.000-08:00

The following post is in regards to a protest being put on by the "Toronto Coalition to Stop the War" The protest will take place:

SATURDAY, MARCH 18@1PM
U.S. Consulate, 360 University Avenue, Toronto
For more information please visit
www.nowar.ca

INFORMATION

The Sikh path advocates both temporal and spiritual responsibilities. We as Sikhs have a responsibility to speak out against injustice and oppression. It is for this reason that the Sikh youth sangat are organizing, to participate in the 3rd annual peace protest against the invasion into Iraq and Afghanistan. Our plan is to meet up and go together to protest the war. Furthermore, we hope to demonstrate to the community that the Sikhs are an active and socially aware community.

TRANSPORTATION

For Sikh Youth Interested In Attending We Will Be Gathering at 10:15 in Dixie Langar Hall Saturday March 18th To Carpool To The Protest

VOLUNTEERING

We are looking for participation and volunteers on all levels. If you are interested please email: sikhsforsocialjustice@gmail.com

Thank you, and hope to see you all out.

Tribute To A Hero

2006-03-05T13:44:00.000-08:00

We had earlier posted an Mp3 Track, that poetically described the Historically Touching Sakhi of Bhai Mati Das

(if you didn't catch it for the first time Click Here).

With the seva of a few individuals the composition of the lyrical content as well as translations have been completed.

We would like to thank the following individuals for their seva...

Sardar Jai Singh
Sardar Yogi Singh
Sardar Amarinder Singh

Enjoy...

Tribute To A Hero

Sirho ban ke tatteeree khoon cho gaya
Droplets of blood formed a stream and started flowing;

Sirho ban ke tateeree khoon cho gaya
Droplets of blood formed a stream and started flowing;

Chowk Chandini da Delhi (naal)laal ho gaya
Chandni Chowk’s Delhi became sanguine(red) with his blood;

Roya umber dekh kay nazara
Watching this grim scene, the sky wept;

Mukho Sat Nam bol da
From his mouth he spoke (the eternal lyric) The True Name; the only true name we know is of The Lord;

Bhai Mati Das, Guru Da Piyara
Bhai Mati Das, the beloved of the Guru;

Mukho Sat Nam bol da
From his mouth he spoke (the eternal lyric) The True Name; the only true name we know is of The Lord;

Aara khichda jalaad sun doliya
Working the saw; the executioner on hearing Gods Name from Bhai Sahibs mouth; he was shocked/amazed

Mukhon Gaj Ke see Mati Das boliya
From his mouth, Mati Das courageously roared;

Mera nibh javay sidak piyaara
Go on so that I may prove how strong my Gurus discipline (rehnee;rehat) is; or how dear my Gurus sikhi is to me;

Mukho Sat Nam bol da
Bhai Mati Das, Guru Da Piyara
Mukho Sat Nam bol da

Aara karda hai do par shareer noon
The saw splits the physical body into two halves;

Lokee dekh ke vagaunde akhon neer noon
As they watched, those that looked on, wiped away the tears that flowed.

Dol gaya see Moghul hathiyara
The Moghul emperor himself was stunned.

Mukho sat nam bol da
Bhai Mati Das, Guru Da Piyara
Mukho Sat Nam Bol da

Singh ant noon shaheedi jaam pee gaya
At the very end, our Lion, drank the nectar of martyrdom;

Sher mar-ke tareekay vala jee gaya
Transcendently(in-a-way), our lion, even in death lived on (Even when hes dead the legend still lives on).

Sher Mur-Ke tareekay vala jee gaya
Transcendently(in-a-way), our lion, even in death lived on (Even when hes dead the legend still lives on).

Gun gaunda hai dev jag sara
The whole world sings the praises of his sacrifice.

Mukho sat nam bol da
Bhai Mati Das, Guru Da Piyara
Mukho Sat Nam Bol da

Sikh Heros

2006-03-04T11:03:00.000-08:00

The Khalsa Panth has a legacy of those who laid down their lives for the very rights we take for granted today. Rather than going to a barber our martyrs gave their heads to an executioner. Instead of cutting a hair, they had their entire heads removed in a show of defiance for their Guru. We all grow up being told these stories, but it seems that we quickly forget. So how do we reach out to the youth in their teens and 20's? A recent phenomenon has been Dharmik Songs and Albums. We all know about Shaheedi Immortality 1, 2 and 3 (if you don't please visit shaheedi.com) which have given insight to the martyrs of the 70-90's revolutionary movement...

But let's go back a few hundred years and listen to a track about the great Bhai Mati Das who sacrificed his body for the Guru and religious freedom...

Sikh Awareness Day ...

2006-03-02T16:43:00.000-08:00

Click the above flyer to see details about Sikh Awareness Day !!!

Canadian Supreme Court - Kirpan Ruling

2006-03-02T12:28:00.000-08:00

On a congratulatory note, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled in Favor of the appeal as presented by the Multani Family of Quebec. Sikhs in Canada have struggled and fought to maintain their Sikh Identity at every corner. First the battle for the right to wear the turban was won and today the right to wear the kirpan in the school system.

“It seems as if we are always thrown into the lions den, in order to preserve our identity”

Pardeep Nagra (Mar 2nd, 06)

Congratulations to Sikhs and Human Rights advocates around the world. The Western Sikh Students Association and COSS will continue to bring reactions from various individuals on this matter and others. A Media Release will also be released shortly.

Please see the entire Factum at http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/pdf/FactumMultani_en.pdf

For more information and timeline on the case please visit http://www.sikhs.ca/kirpan/thekirpancase.html

Kaurs Toronto is Here!!

2006-03-01T13:30:00.000-08:00

Our Mission Statement:

Graced with the treasures, strength and wisdom bestowed upon us by our Gurus, Kaurs Toronto aims to find creative ways to empower its members to empower others. Friendship and compassion are precious threads in the fabric of our lives. With compassion and candor, seva and simran Kaurs Toronto hopes to inspire women to love life, to persevere through its challenges, and to share our gifts with others.

We invite you all to take part in a fun filled afternoon of bowling, sharing a few laughs and meeting new people.

Date: Sunday March 12th, 2006

Time: Meet and Greet: 2:00-3:00pm

Bowling: 3:00-4:30pm

Location: Trans-World Bowling (905) 453-9571

273 Glidden Rd, Brampton (Between Rutherford Rd & Kennedy Rd)

Cost: $10/person
All are welcome, but RSVP would be preferred

416-525-7094 OR email:kaurstoronto@gmail.com

Bring your friends, mothers, sisters and daughters
If you are interested in becoming more involved with this newly formed organization or joining our mailing list please send an email to kaurstoronto@gmail.com. We hope that this group can be a medium for women of the GTA to share stories, ask questions, make friends, and develop themselves further in order to "empower ourselves to empower others"

British Muslims criticizing Sikhi

2006-02-27T10:12:00.000-08:00

We're posting this conversation between a singh and a muslim bibi as it relates to our discussion topics from the past...important thing to note here is.. we are not trying to put islam down or anything of that sort..all we want is awareness in sikhs so that they are able defend themselves in an arguement.. another important point to note is that the debate was initiated by the muslim bibi herself not singh sahib..

Post Begins:

Pyare jio, due to rise of muslim students harrassing sikh kids in London andBradford in attempts of conversions. I will be putting up some old posts aboutconversations I have had with muslims, in the hope the young sikh kids can use these arguments to educate themselves, and counter questions on sikhi.

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa!Waheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!!

Pyare jio, recently I encountered a bibi who was heavily influenced by islam. She wanted to have a debate with me. She seemed quite confident she was goingto convince me about the superiority of Islam. I accepted. The angle she usedwas all about life after death.A few weeks later I was talking to another local Gursikh about this. He said this was so strange. He said in the office he worked, he too was approached,and also asked about life after death. He said not only this, but his brotherwho studies in a birmingham university was also asked the same questions. Sowas his sister, who is a teenager in a leeds school. We thought this cannot bea coincidnce that in the matter a two weeks four practicing sikhs areapproached by muslims with exactly the same questions. These are just thepeople we know, how many more? Wondering about this, we came to the conclusion, that there must be some kind of organised approach to this. Quite possibly an egroup, which regularly lists questions which can be asked to all non-muslims, to question their faith, and then interest them in islam.Two weeks ago, I met another sikh who works as a teacher in a school. He said he has alot of muslim kids in his class. He said one of them even came up to him, put his arm around him, and said, "give me half an hour, and I will convince you islam is the only way." He said he was amazed at the level of confidence in these kids that they could say something like that to their teacher.Below is the debate we had about this subject, initiated by the bibi.

Bibi: Bhaji, You sikhs believe in reincarnation. This is a completely absurdtheory. It does not make sense. How can a human then become a pig?

Das: Bhen ji, both sikhs and hindus believe in re-incarnation, but our belief isdifferent in some areas, but the whole concept of re-incarnation is not aboutwhat a person becomes in their next life, but about escaping the cycle of lifeand death and becoming mukht.

Bibi : But how do you become a pig from a human?Das: The body is just a vessel, only the soul is what is of value. This soul canbe born in any vessel.

Bibi: I do not accept this, I think it is absurd.
Das: Bhen ji, that is your choice. A person after death is judged according totheir thoughts & actions. It is according to this judgement, that they arehonoured or dishonoured in the next life. But even this is not so important. The important thing is to be able to break the cycle in life and death, whilealive. To be able to attain a spiritual plain and obtain mukhti. Then it doesnot matter what you will be in the next life, for you are free and merged withGod. That is the key to re-incarnation, that one breaks free from this cycle.

Bibi: Fine, but is sikhi the way? Judgement day will come upon us all.

Das: Yes it will, and it happens everyday. Everyday we are judged, and everyaction we do has a re-action. But in the end to Judgement day will come, wecall it the Dharam Raj, you call it different.

Bibi: No, judgement day will come to everyone on this earth. The day will bebeckoning, when Allah judges all, and the muslims will rise.

Das: You mean the muslims will rise, ie. all the ones buried in coffins willrise again and you will have an army of zombies fighting against non-muslims.You find re-incarnation absurd, but you find this acceptable?

Bibi: Islam is the truth, it is the only way. All those who are non-muslims willbecome muslims.

Das: Judgement day as a concept is complete nonsense. It does not make sense.

Bibi: How can you say that?

Das: Bhen ji, relax and listen. Firstly you believe in a day. Why? God, Allah,Waheguru, does not believe in day and night, God is timeless. Day and night isa concept of man, and the result of the earth circling the sun. Why would Godwait for a day to judge everyone. God is beyond that. It is a continuousprocess as in sikhi has with the Dharam raj. Do you believe God is not capableof judging people continuously. Why wait for a day? Them muslims who diedcenturies ago are then unlucky for they have had to stay in coffins all thistime, decomposing, waiting for this day to come when they can be judged. Doesthis not seem an ineffective way, surely continuous judgement via dhram raj ismore sensible, and God`s way is Truth. I see more truth in continuousjudgement.

Bibi: yes, but your way, turns a human into a pig?

Das: Bhen ji, You are stuck on one silly point. God gives his beloved souls manymany chances, it is they who choose whether to take this chance or not. If theydo not then they come back in some form or another. Just because muslims do notlike pigs, does not mean they are bad. A pig is part of Allah`s creation aswell,just like everything else. A person who is a friend of God, is also a friend onhis creation. That person learns to love and appreciate everything God hascreated.

Bibi: No, in islam there is only one chance, there is only one way, and you arejudged according to it.

Das: How can this be the way of God? Even a mother with a child. The child as itgrows up makes thousands of mistakes, the mother sometimes gets frustrated, butnever stops loving the child. The mother always forgives and has thatcompassionate nature. And we are talking of God. It is God who put thatcompassionate nature into the mother. How can we say God is not compasionate atall? The human will make thousands of mistakes in their life, no matter how holythey are, but God will always love them, help them, and be compassionate towards them. he gives them thousands of chances.

Bibi: Yes, true a mother is compassonate and so must be God. l have to readdeeper, maybe in islam you do get another chance.

Das: Then if you do get another chance, then that chance has a form. Whether ornot you accept it, then that is a form of re-incarnation, and non-acceptance ofJudgement day theory.

(Bibi goes quiet, revelation suddenly dawns upon her)

Bibi: No, No, I will have to get back to you ... We will talk about this again..Bibi left.

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa!Waheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!!

Source: http://forums.waheguroo.com/index.php?showtopic=13507

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS.....

2006-02-26T13:13:00.000-08:00

The time for Sikh Awarenss Day is slowly approaching and your sevadaars from WesternSSA and COSS are currently working on arranging....

Gatka Performances By Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Gatka Akhara on Concrete Beach at 12:30pm and 1:30pm

Click On Picture For Informational Posters Available For Purchase Online

An Interactive Exibhit in UCC Atrium, with informational, artistic and historical displays from 10-4pm

The Showing of The Movie "Waterborne" in UCC Council of Chambers, along with a Guest Speaker and Discussion from 7-10pm

WSSA EXEC for 06/07!!

2006-02-20T20:01:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all those who came out to vote this week- in this case especially, The election process ran smoothly. There were a few candidates who were added to the election process during the meeting. The election race was extremely close (seriously, we are not just saying that to make individuals feel better) and congratulations to all those who won.

Internal/External Communications (1)
Amneet Singh

Web and Design Coordinator (1)
Ishpreet Singh

Treasurer (1)
Ravimohinder Singh

Meeting Coordinators (2)
Amarjot Singh
Raviraj Singh

Events Coordinators (2)
Hamreen Kaur
Pawandeep Kaur

Candidates

2006-02-19T22:32:00.000-08:00

The nomination deadline has passed, therefore we can now show who the candidates for elections are. The brackets indicate how many individuals are needed for the specific position.

There were some last minute changes in the candidates. Some people decided that they wanted to run and notified us at the meeting.

Internal/External Communications (1)

Amneet Singh

Web and Design Coordinator (1)

Ishpreet Singh

Treasurer (1)

Ravandeep Kaur
Ravimohinder Singh

Meeting Coordinators (2)

Amarjot Singh
Raviraj Singh

Events Coordinators (2)

Hamreen Kaur
Simran Singh
Pawandeep Kaur
Jasraj Singh (a new candidate)
Daljeet Singh (decided to run for events instead of meeting)

Elections and Waterloo Keertan Update

2006-02-16T22:14:00.000-08:00

On Monday, February 20th The Western Sikh Students Association will be holding elections for the 2006 Executive Committee. If you are interested in running please email us by midnight on Sunday. In that email please, include your name, number and the position you would like to run for. For those that plan to run please be ready to do a very short speech on why you feel you are the best candidate and be prepared to be answer any questions put forth by members and previous execs.For further details, please check your emails.

----------------------

The time for The Waterloo Youth Keertan Darbar is approaching again. This round The Keertan will fall on the weekend going into reading week, therefore we are looking to find out how many members are interested in going. If we have a large amount of members wanting to attend the keertan and then go home to Toronto, we will try to arrange rides from London to Waterloo and then to Toronto. However, we must find out quickly how many individuals are willing to go and if they would like to return to London or continue to Toronto. We ask members to email us back ASAP and no later than by Sunday Night, with all the requested information along with name and phone number. This will give us sufficient time to arrange transportation and look at costs.

Please view flyer for more details

Trying Something New..Leave Some Feedback!

2006-02-15T18:25:00.000-08:00

We tried a new flash slideshow for displaying our pictures on this blog. However, due to technical issues it can no longer be displayed.

If You Would Like To See Pictures From The Keertan @ Ajeets Home and Our Guest Speaker Lecture Please Visit Our Picture Gallery at www.westernssa.com

The Role of Women in Sikh History

2006-02-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

Throughout history women have been known to have a key role in defining religion and Sikhism is no exception. In the Sikh history ,there have existed women who have given birth to prophets, had to adorn themselves with necklaces of their innocent children’s limbs, restore the passion for their Guru back into men and lead wars for them. These women deserve no less recognition than the men in Sikh history particularly due to the fact that both women and men are given equal status.

In this week's discussion, we were fortunate enough to have uncle ji Sardar Harkinder Singh come and share his knowledge not just about Sikh Women but about his past experiences and bani . Bhai Sahib is a local London High School teacher and has lectured about Sikhism at The University of Western Ontario in the past.

From woman, man is born;within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound. So why call her bad? From her, kings are born. From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all.
Guru Nanak, Raag Aasaa Mehla 1, Page 473
**(taken from http://allaboutsikhs.com/women/index.htm)

Many women considered as Brahm Giyanees (saints)

The reason why we don’t know as much about them is due to the mistake made my all those in that time who failed to document such women.

The words from Gurbani say there is only one male in this world and everyone else in this world is female. “Iss jag main …..”

Everyone in the world in one form or another is woman and the only male is God himself.

Gurbani tries to infuse in the mind of the seeker that we should always attach ourselves with God

At a metaphysical level- There is no distinction between man and woman( all are one

Since we have lived under the influence of other cultures, females have been looked down upon, our culture celebrates the birth of a boy etc. ( This is the failure of society

Emotional passion and desire to love Sikhi much of the time comes from the woman

The power of listening to Gurbani from the mother has played a major role in Sikhi

The most significant contributions made by women come after Guru Gobind Singh ji when so many atrocities were being committed by the Moghuls. That was when the new generation were being brought up by the women

During the beginning of the 18th century, the women who sacrificed their children, etc never lost faith in the Gurbani and the Guru and in fact, this strengthened the faith of the children

Arguments:

Why can’t women be part of the Panj Pyarey? How do you justify that? How can we become a Global/worldly religion if we discriminate against these things?

There are leaders who say that women cannot participate in such things( If we have leaders like these, how are we supposed to progress as a religion?

Rebuttal:

Apparently, there are cases of women being part of the Panj Pyaray

This is something that shouldn’t be used as a grounds to test equality.

The background on Panj Pyarey, Guru Gobind Singh is considered “Mard Akamra”( Panj Pyaray are personifying the Guru Granth Sahib who is and has always been male

We hold Bhai Nand Laals Bani in very high esteem- He has said Panj Singh Amrit jo Deveh( basicaaly we must make the assumption that the Panj Pyarey will be male.

The women who have taken amrit, they wouldn’t necessarily insist on becoming a Panj Pyarey( it would be a question of ego

During that time in India, women really did not have any rights to begin with- its not like Guru ji didn’t give females the chance. Guru ji didn’t discriminate among people-( it is the way he wanted it and it is the way he should be accepted.

Its not a big issue, if you have love for the Guru then you won’t assert your rights like that

Even for example when we look at things like washing the walkways at the Golden Temple, if a woman wants to do it, it creates a big “ruckus.”

For example, we can even look at the laavan- the man leads and then the women follows(can we not make an issue out of that as well?

Ultimately, it is about self actualization- the body is like the Harimandar

It is a tradition- if it is tradition then it is not religion

These things happen but no one ever had any objections towards that

Its not as major an issue that it is being made out to be, if you have love for the Guru then you won’t assert your rights like that

Questions Raised:

In today’s society when we go to the Gurudwara, we see women and men sitting separately, could it be alright to get rid of that and have men and women sit together?

It is more of a cultural issue

All the leaders in our past who have been emphasized are male, why didn’t we emphasize the female leaders?

If we read history, there are many women by why aren’t they mentioned?

Guru Sahib has left no doubt that we should not distinguish anyone as being male or female, but as being a human

Why should we consider the woman who gave birth to Kings as less of a person?

In Reference to the Issue of Women becoming part of the Panj Pyarey

But then doesn’t it become a question of ego when men assume that they can only take on this role?

Isn’t Sikhi about seeking justice? Why shouldn’t those women be allowed to have that right?

If we are still not free people, how can we fight for others?

Notable Points:

In Sikhi, there is no man or woman- in the end the body is of no value and it is all about the mind.

No matter how depressed we are or how much trouble we are in, we always turn to Bani in the end

Uncle ji’s Choice of topic:

Always finds himself that in his destiny he has come across some interesting people in his life who has helped him to grow

The depth that good Sangat brings to us is described in Bani as being something that brings us the most grace ( our total mental state is changed and influenced by Sangat

At first, uncle ji did not have much interest in Bani but then believes himself to be fortunate to encounter those who were more learned

For uncle ji, when he comes across Bani, everyday there is a new meaning and he finds it to be an eye-opener

Words of advice: Never be judgemental about things ( Guru Sahib helps us understand Bani

We should spend as much time as possible on Gurbani ( there are times when it may look ritualistic from the outside but in essence, it has a very deep impact upon us

A Shabad from the Dasam Granth( written in a time of peace

Uncle ji shared a Shabad from the Dasam Granth with you which was written during the time of peace. He wanted to emphasize the beauty of the language in our Bani and the fact that we have so many resources to go to for the betterment of ourselves

ਛਤ੍ਰਧਾਰੀ ਛਤ੍ਰੀਪਤਿ ਛੈਲ ਰੂਪ ਛਿਤ ਨਾਥ ਛੌਣੀ ਕਰ ਛਾਇਆ ਬਰ ਛਤ੍ਰੀਪਤਿ ਗਾਈਐ ॥
He is sung as the canopied monarch, the Lord of canopies, a winsome entity, the Master and Creator of the earth and the superb support.

ਬਿਸੁਨਾਥ ਬਿਸ੍ਵੰਭਰ ਬੇਦ ਨਾਥ ਬਾਲਾ ਕਰ ਬਾਜੀਗਰਿ ਬਾਨ ਧਾਰੀ ਬੰਧਨ ਬਤਾਈਐ ॥
He is the Lord Sustainer of the Universe, Master of Vedas depicted as Lord having discipline.

ਨਿਉਲੀ ਕਰਮ ਦੂਧਾਧਾਰੀ ਬਿਦਿਆਧਰ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਚਾਰੀ ਧਿਆਨ ਕੋ ਲਗਾਵੈ ਨੈਕ ਧਿਆਨ ਹੂੰ ਨ ਪਾਈਐ ॥
The Yogis performing Neoli Karma (cleansing of intestines), those subsisting only on milk, learned and celibates, all meditate upon Him, but without an iota of getting His comprehension.

ਰਾਜਨ ਕੇ ਰਾਜਾ ਮਹਾਰਾਜਨ ਕੇ ਮਹਾਰਾਜਾ ਐਸੋ ਰਾਜ ਛੋਡਿ ਅਉਰ ਦੂਜਾ ਕਉਨ ਧਿਆਈਐ ॥੩॥੪੨॥
He is the king of kings and emperor of emperors, Who else should be meditated upon, forsaking such a Supreme monarch.3.42.

Guru Sahib is basically describing all of the qualities of Waheguru

It is the power of Guru’s words

Guru Sahib is telling us how to get rid of ego: Akal Purakh is the King of Kings, you must forget everything else and only remember him

Weekend Keertan @ Rajbir and Ajeet's

2006-02-14T13:48:00.000-08:00

So, the keertan at Ajeet's house was a success! Good keertan, good sangat, good langar and good times! While doing keertan, Bhai Sahib Harkinder Singh Ji's translations were phenomonal and very simple, he even managed to relate the bani to valentines day for us uni kids (that's skills). The youth also participated on all levels with their sewa in langar, keertan, ardaas, etc.

However, after us uni kids ate some langar, we felt a sudden boost of energy. The boost in energy gave rise to 3 seperate missions...

Objective #1 -

Take digital camera pictures of Ajeet's family photos (the ones that were hanging so temptingly on the walls of the home they so graciously invited us into).

Objective #2 -

Add to the famous photo collection of Satwant Bhenji called "What Is Bhenji Eating Today?"

Objective #3 -

Stock up on sabji and langar for as long as possible (uni students)

Objective #4 -

Beat Gupreet Singh in video games

Although, missions 1, 2 and 3 were completed with a clear and decisive victory by Lubna, Ravan and Pawan taking home a good amount of langar, Gurpreet Singh remains the King of video game world, this time defeating the cute Ajeet Singh....Why cute? Well, check out proof of completion for objective 1.

PROOF OF COMPLETION

Objective 1

Objective 2

More pictures to be updated soon in www.westernssa.com picture gallery

WesternSSA and SikhSangat True Unity

2006-02-14T00:34:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of the year WesternSSA and SikhSangat entered a partnership in the promotion of Sikhi to the masses of youth. Since then the partnership has only flourished. For example, when WesternSSA launched its website www.westernssa.com it immediatley linked SikhSangat as its official forum, Sikhsangat reciprocated the love by graciously promoting our events, and entertaining many of our genuine questions, concerns, and suggestions in Sikhi based discussions. The recent appearance of a blogpost from WesternSSA on SikhSangat.Org has only taken this partnership to another level. We would like to thank Sikhsangat for their continuous support in helping us as a Sikh Student Association grow with each and every day. If you would like to see the great sewa taken by sikhsangat please visit their News Site at www.sikhsangat.org or forums at www.sikhsangat.com

To see the recent appearence of our blog on Sikhsangat News please visit sikhsangat.org or click on the following pictures.

Sir Jave Ta Jave Mera Sikhi Sidhak Na Jave

2006-02-12T15:25:00.000-08:00

February 12th, marks the day The Khalsa Panth birthed one of its most charismatic Sikh leaders. Sant Baba Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale often referred to as The Greatest Sikh of the 20th Centry was born on this day. Sant Ji, in his later years became Jathedar of Damdami Taksal and through his inspirational and hard work created a movement in which the entire world became conscious of the Sikh identity. We thank, Sant Baba Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, and all Shaheeds of the Khalsa Panth for their sacrifice and work in solidifying the foundations of The Khalsa Panth, for the future generations of Sikh Youth.

A Message From OCSSA

2006-02-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

Just to let everyone know that OCSSA will be having its first general meeting on Thursday, Feb 9th. It'll be held in Fauteux hall, Room 135. We only have the room till 7:30 so please be there by 5:30 pm. We'll be taking about Sikh day, electing a first year rep etc.

There's also free food. Please forward this email to any Sikh friends you know, and anybody else who's interested in joining OCSSA.

Free Yourself From Exam Stress! Langar and Keertan

2006-02-08T15:56:00.000-08:00

WSSA would like to inform its members about a Keertan and Langar that will be taking place at Ajeet's house this Saturday (For those that are not familiar with Ajeet, he is a local high school student that regulary attends WSSA events and meetings). The keertan is being specifically held by Ajeet's family for the youth (uni students) so it would be greatly appreciated if you would come out. There will be langar available to all those that come and there will be time given to anybody who wants to do keertan.

The keertan will be held on Saturday February 11, 2006 and will commence at 4:00 p.m. and go till about 7:00 p.m. The location of the keertan is 641 Tennent Ave, which is approximately a 5min drive from uwo campus. Therefore, there will be the convenience of WSSA being able to bring and drop students off as they wish, although we encourage students to spend as much time at the keertan as they can.

For more details, ride requests or questions, please email us or Ajeet Singh at

westernssa@gmail.com
or
ajeet_s_13@hotmail.com
(519)667-2190

The Usage of Sikh Religious Symbols to Lure and Eventually Convert Sikh Girls

2006-02-07T21:51:00.000-08:00

An issue that is becoming increasingly apparent in the U.K. and even some Canadian cities is that there are Muslim youth wearing the a Sikh article of faith known as the Kara to lure Sikh girls into relationships and eventually marriages with the intention of converting their religions. This week, this rising issue was discussed and possible solutions/conclusions were made. This discussion was very powerful and raised several very notable points worth pondering.

****If you are reading this blog and have opinions of your own to contribute, feel free to respond.

Opinions:

Sikh girls shouldn't be going out with Muslim guys in the first place. It is as if they are choosing to mess with fire and so deciding to get burnt.
If there is a Muslim individual who is wearing a Kara (with the wrong intentions), a Sikh individual should be able to approach them and ask to take it off.
asfasf

Questions Raised:

How is it possible to identify a Muslim guy wearing a Kara? If you did know that the individual wearing the Kara was Muslim, what action should you take upon finding out?
How can we prevent this problem from igniting in Canada?
Are we still at war with the Muslims?
Does it even matter that individuals, namely young women, are converting?
If these young women claim to be in love with the individuals, what are they going to choose-religion or the person with whom they are in love with?

Possible Answers:

Don't allow yourself to become so assimilated into the Western culture
Increase your knowledge about Sikhism. Don't allow someone belonging to another faith tell you false information, if any information at all about your religion.
If the Muslim individuals are trying to convert us, then yes, we certainly have a problem with those individuals and must take some sort of action towards stopping them.

On Being a Good Sikh

Questions Raised:

Why is it that girls are not as involved in Sikhi as guys? We are seeing an increasing number of males becoming passionate about their faiths, what is turning girls away?
Do we have the obligation as fellow Sikhs to assist those who are straying away from Sikhi?

Important Points:

We need to realize that there is a difference between being Sikh versus being Punjabi
Parents don't seem to be setting a very good example to begin with.
No one is born a Sikh, it is all about learning the principles. Just being born is not going to carry an individual far if they were to be in a situation where they can easily be swayed in one direction.
Without knowledge, it is easy to waver anyone
As Sikhs, we need to show that we are there for individuals who are straying away and have resources availible demonstrating that we have not turned our backs.
As oppose to asking other Muslim individuals regarding conversions of other religious groups, it would be best to go to the direct source and refer to the Qu'ran itself.
If you hold Sikhi dear to your heart, there is no question, let alone issue of converting/being converted.

Other Notable Questions Raised and Points to Think About:

"Rehit Piaaree Mujh Ko, Sikh Piaaraa Naahee" --> Translation: It is not a Sikh who is dear to me, it is their rehit (the way they lead their life) that holds dear to my heart.-Guru Gobind Singh Ji
You cannot claim to be a Sikh on the inside and act another way on the outside. What are your telling you and those around you?
We seem to be mixing up a Singh and a Sikh. Are they the same thing?

-Sikh and Khalsa are the same thing. Although the first and tenth Gurus set out different principles, the same jot (spirit) was within all of them, so whatever the first Guru has said and whatever the tenth Guru added on to that should be collectively followed

We are continuing to put the blame on the adults/parents in Sikhism however, we as youth are not doing a very good job ourselves. There are still numerous unnecessary conflicts and divisions among us.

Closing Remarks (Gurpreet Singh's Final Thoughts): "The key [to all of this] is becoming a better Sikh"

Pictures From Meetings

2006-02-07T21:13:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick glimpse at some pictures from the last 3 meetings! Once we see some more activity from our visitors on the blog (hint..hint...leave some comments!) Maybe we'll start posting more pictures...

Meeting On Pakistani Youth Using Sikh Religious Symbols To Pick-Up Sikh Girls

Gagan Moderating Our Meeting While We Discuss Scenarios In Which Sikh's May Be Required To Remove Hair

Group Picture Of Those That Stuck Around Until The Very End Of Our Caste System Discussion

Meeting, Elections and Constitution

2006-02-05T18:18:00.000-08:00

February 6th meeting will be a busy one. We will be speaking about the upcoming elections to be held at the end of the month, voting on amendments to the consitution and proceeding with our weekly discussion.

This weeks 2 available topics for discussion are....

How do we deal with the recent wave of Pakistani males using Sikh Articles of Faith to lure Sikh Girls.
Sikh women and equality - How Does Feminism Play a Role In Sikhi?

The meeting location will be the same as always. Kresgie 208 from 7-9pm, See You There!

Sikhi and Health

2006-02-05T10:49:00.000-08:00

There are always instances where a difficult decision needs to be made- a difficult decision where an indivual's values can be put on the line and the individual has to judge which decision would be for the greater good. In Sikhi, one of the critical issues that we face is deals with hair removal and what we should do when we are put in a situation where the removal of hair will be inevitable. This week, the issue dealing with the importance of hair and whether the Sikh values can be bent in certain situations was discussed.

Arguments For:
o Making such a decision is personal choice
o If it is related to medical purposes, making the decision of hair removal makes sense and is something that is just logical
o Everything happens for a reason- it is God’s will
o It is easy to say one thing, but you never know what will happen until you are put in the situation
o Sikhi is a progression- if you are stopped along the way, that shouldn’t give you a reason to be punished by God.
o
Arguments Against:
In the Sikh history, Singhs have sacrificed their lives for hair so perhaps it’s a bigger deal than we think.
People are being cured from cancer and aids within hours from verses in the Guru Granth Sahib so is surgery even required?
In medical school what Bhagat Kabir has said is being studied so medicine itself is beginning to rely on faith for cures.
Most of the time, people who say things in defence of hair removal of any sort are just using it as an excuse

Questions raised:
o What if the person is unconscious and has no way of contacting parents and their hair needs to be removed? Then what do you do?
o As Sikhs, if you are being kept alive and your hair is removed which is a basic principle in the religion aren’t you removing your cause of being by doing that?
o In reference to the argument of such an occurrence being God’s will, how do you know it was God’s choice or free will?
o What about taking in drugs like marijuana for reducing pain? Isn’t that wrong as well?
o You can say that its all Waheguru’s hukum- but how far do you take it?
o How much do we follow Gurbani in general since we are always using it in reference to certain issues.

· Important points:
o Our parents had to face much worse situations about having a different appearance in this western world-so we shouldn’t really even be complaining about anything.
o If you are going against bani, you are going against the Guru’s hukum.
o None of us when our “time” is coming and how far we are going to go
o In life, failures come and go but you need to be able to accept them and move on- its all about the intentions
o We are all humans and have shortcomings. Certain circumstances arise where you must make a difficult decision.
o We have the tendency just to focus on physical health whereas we should be putting equal emphasis on mental health as well.

And the tangent discussion: Sikh girls and the removal of hair to raise self-esteem

· Question Raised: What if a girl who does her eyebrows is/decides to be amritdhari? What happens then?

· Arguments for:
o Self-esteem for a girl is a major issue
o Can a girl not be as good a Sikh even if she does a little bit of hair removal to feel better about herself?
o In society, its alright for guys to have facial hair, but if a girl has any excessive amounts its generally unacceptable
o Aren’t there other qualities that we should focus as equally upon but tend to neglect because this one overshadows them all?
o Besides, judging goes against the Sikh values so opinions must be put aside/

· Arguments Against:
o Girls need to be able to support each other so that they can feel comfortable about themselvesà They need to build a foundation for themselves.
o Yes self-esteem is an issue, but the girl needs to get over it.
o When it comes down to the basics, you are a Sikh if bani says so

· Important Points:
o When it comes to religion, you don’t just have to work on yourself from the outside in, it can also be from the inside out, sort of like a catalyst and gives you more of an obligation to follow that path anyways
o It is a Sikh’s duty to teach other Sikhs what they can

Akhand Jaap

2006-02-04T16:05:00.000-08:00

Waterloo Youth Keertan Darbar

2006-02-01T18:57:00.000-08:00

With Guru Ji's Kirpa...

The University of Waterloo Sikh Students Association

Will Be Holding a

Youth Keertan Darbar

WHEN

Saturday February 25th, 2006

LOCATION

Kitchener Gurughar
2070 Synder Road East

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation will be provided from The Waterloo Campus

Also...

A Bus will be arranged from Dixie Gurughar To Kitchener

CONTACT

For More Information Please Contact You Local SSA

UWO - Westernssa@gmail.com
Waterloo - Uwssa@yahoo.com

COSS Dinner BusTrip

2006-01-29T13:59:00.000-08:00

The bus trip on the way back from the dinner was definitely a good time.... If you missed out check our gallery

Weekly Meeting

2006-01-29T13:29:00.000-08:00

Meeting will be in Kresgie 208
Discussion will begin at 8pm!

This weeks meeting will follow the regular scheduale of paht, translations and then discussion. This weeks discussion will be run by one of our members. The two proposed topics for discussion are...

Women's rights - We wil briefly consider Guru Nanak Dev Ji's teachings on equailty as a pioneer women's rights. This can lead to a discussion on abortion and pre-marital sex, and perhaps discussion on love and lust.

Sikhi and Health - The debate will consider situations in which Sikh individuals are recommended to add meat in their diets or are required to undergo surgeries in which they may have to remove some of their hair (for example). What should an individual in such a situation do, while attempting to adhere to the principles of Sikhi.

The Clash Between Culture and Religion

2006-01-25T09:33:00.001-08:00

Quite often, religion can often be overshadowed by the interminable caste system. Although, Sikhi does not believe in the caste system, it has been fused into our religion, thus blurring the line between culture and religion. This week's discussion focused upon these misunderstandings and tried to re-draw that line. The Following are some of the main points that were discussed.

The Caste System:

Various Castes in the Punjabi culture: -Jatt (farmer), Carpenter (mistry), Landlords etc.
Guru Gobind Singh ji wanted to eradicate the caste system by introducing the 5 K's and so the individuals of lower caste (Jatts) embraced Sikhi.
"Jatt" vs. Ramgharian Gurudwaras --> marriage has to be in the Gurudwara of the caste that you belong to.
Parents are responsible for coming up with and encouraging this way of thinking. For example, a typical encounter with an auntie would include her asking the famous question: "what are you?" in hopes of knowing the caste that you belong to although Sikhi is casteless.
The generations in the UK especially, have taken the caste system very seriously
It seems as if it has been ingrained in our (parent's) minds.
Media Influences:
~So many "wannabe" Sikhs coming out in the media and setting the wrong example for today's generation.
The youth in India especially rely on the media as their source
~One of the main reasons for the increasing violence in Vancouver are these role models who promote drinking and fighting as the "Jatt" way of life.
~The Jatt way of life: To look for fights
~The Khanda- what is an emblem for Sikhs is now becoming more so a symbol for jades exemplifying their level of devotion to religion.

Questions Raised:

Sikhs today are usually associated with the caste system- what does that say about us as a community?
Role models for children today are Hip Hop Videos not the Gurus-Is there something wrong with that? If so, what should we do about it?
If you are asked by an auntie "what are you?" How should you respond?
What should be done with those communities in the UK and Vancouver where the second and third generation Sikhs are still adamant about sticking to their caste?
Whatever happened to the fundamental Sikh belief in equality?

Conclusions reached:

The caste system is against the Sikh philosophy
When it comes down to things, all "castes" have a similar lifestyle and live in the same environment
The more Punjabis we have, the greater the belief in the caste system--> notice that smaller communities have less knowledge about it-which is a good thing.
Plain and simply, the caste system is just Wrong and needs to be abolished.

Superstitions:

They continue to exist today
Common examples: You cannot wash your hair on Tuesdays and Saturdays, don't leave the house/turn on the car if someone sneezes
There is still a predominant belief in Sants and Babas of one sort or another.
A reason why this hasn't been abolished is out of respect for the elders.

Punjabi Culture Vs. Sikhi

It is quite difficult for the two to be compatible, more so now because our culture has been tainted
The Western culture has a great and inevitable influence upon our way of life.
There is an increasing amount of alcohol abuse, compliments of the media.
The last name issue: Our Guru had given us one instruction but we fail to follow it and instead of using Singh and Kaur use the names which identify the caste that we belong to.
Although the Punjabi culture is a beautiful thing, it has a way of impressing beliefs upon you and seems to be more influential than our religion.
For example, when dealing with fellow Punjabi friends, you are more hard pressed to act a certain way in order to be accepted.
In Punjab, religion is fading rapidly. There is a common belief there that it is too hard to be the perfect Sikh so it is essentially pointless to try.

Questions Raised:

Is it too difficult to be a good Sikh with Punjabi/Hindu culture having such an influence on us?
Why is it so difficult? Can we make it better somehow?
Should religion have a greater influence on us or culture? Why is culture more influential?

Conclusions reached:

The youth here have a greater awareness about the issues between culture and religion facing us today (these discussions are perfect examples of that!)
Sikhism should be separate from culture.

WANT TO EXPAND YOUR NETWORK?

2006-01-24T21:18:00.000-08:00

WesternSSA is looking to expand its network, which consists of both our blog and website at www.westernssa.com! If you are interested please let us know!

You are probably wondering what this all means, well basically we can link you and you link us! Essentially our traffic will become your traffic and this will benefit both parties.

If you are interested, one option that is available is that we can possibly even launch and announce an official partnership like we (WesternSSA) have done in the past.

It's about time the online Sikh Community began to network and help one another out so why wait...leave a comment or contact us via email!

The Clash of Culture Vs Religion

2006-01-22T13:37:00.000-08:00

This weeks meeting will be on Monday at Kresgie 208 from 7-9pm. We will adhere to the following schedule

7:00 - 7:15 ... Paaht
7:15 - 8:00 ... Translations
8:00 - 9:00 ... Discussion

The topic for discussion this week will be The Clash of Culture vs Religion. We will addressing issues such as the Caste System, Superstitious Beliefs and other Cultural Practices. The question that we will focus on is whether these two can coexist with one another.

This weeks discussion topic has been highly anticipated by many members, so make sure you come out!

We will also be collecting money for The COSS Dinner and lastly going over details for our ski trip! Check out the flyer...

Skating (Event Update)

2006-01-21T13:16:00.000-08:00

-
Sikh Students Association

Presents...

Skating @ Nathan Phillips Square

Downtown

5:30-7:00 pm Sunday, Jan 22, 2006

The Sikh Students Associations of the Greater Toronto Area will be meeting for an SSA social event at Nathan Phillips Square for a night of skating followed by dinner (for those who would like to attendd). The event is open to members AND non-members. We will be meeting at 5pm @ the meeting place before leaving to Nathan Phillips. If you need a ride, please SSA execs. The skate rental is around $5-9, no experience necessary. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact any of the SSA execs.

For information contact: Deep (CT) @ chanaps@hotmail.com, or call (647) 280-8053, Japneet @ japneet_s@hotmail.com, Sanjeet @ Sanjeetk@hotmail.com, and SSA @ esikhsa@yahoo.ca

Samosas and Sikhi - First WSSA Meeting Back!!

2006-01-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

It was our first meeting back and it was a good one. There are Quite a few things that the WSSA has lined up for us this semester so be sure to keep yourself updated with this blog.

THE MEETING:

Began with Paaht
Exec took care of business (Look at Latest Event Updates for more detail)
Samosas and discussion

DISCUSSION:

This weeks discussion dealt with the issues of Religion (Sikhi) and its Modernization. We discussed whether Sikhi needs to change with time, and whether its a static or dynamic faith.

There were 2 main topics...Dating and the 5 k's:

While engaging in the discussion many different ideas and thoughts were expressed. We first talked about the modernization of religion then got more specific by discussing dating and the the importance of Amrit and the 5 K's...here are some of the things that were said.

Interpretation needs to change, not change the fundamentals
Culture is really what needs to be changed
You can't modify or modernize a religion- its not our place to say, it is what it is.

5 K's - Is there a need for them or were they relevant to the time period of their introduction?

Arguments For:
- The 5 K's are a representation of personal strength
- It was our Guru's wish for them to be there
- Sikhs must make it their objective to listen to their Guru
Arguments Against:
- The arguements against were weak and everyone appeared to agree they were a must.
- However, an observation by a student who took a class on Sikhi taught at Guelph University was that his non-practicing teacher felt that the introduction of these symbols were contrary to the beliefs of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
- This suggestion was not agreed upon by anyone.
Questions Raised:
- What happens to someone who keeps the 5 K's but does not follow the other guidelines of Sikhi?
- What is a Good Sikh and How do you become one?

Conclusion and Becoming a Good Sikh:
- The best way to learn about Sikhi is to live it and learn it through the primary source which is GurBani and The Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji
- Becoming a Good Sikh is something that requires progression
- You can compare it to taking a course in University: Your ultimate goal in that course is to get 100% or as close to 100% as possible. You never take any action which is detrimental to that
- Taking Amrit is just the starting point
- Sikhism teaches that we shouldn'te shouldn't think ourselves as as good, nor should we think badly of anyone."If you cannot see good in all, you cannot see God at all"- Yogi Bachan Singh.

Dating - Is dating acceptable in Sikhi?

Arguments For
- Dating is necessary in our culture- for the sole purpose of getting to know your future partner. -It all boils down to your intention and reasoning capacity.

Arguments Against:
- Lust comes into play when dating
- one of the Five Evils in Sikhism
- It is against Sikhism to have Pre-Marital Sex
- One needs to be able to get over the lust: The goal in Sikhi is to be one with God (i.e. A drop of water merging with the ocean)
Questions Raised
- Would you dance/go out with the ugliest person in the world or someone attractive?"
- What is the problem with dating and controlling your lust?
- How successful are Arranged vs. Love marriages?
Conclusion
- Could not come to a concise conclusion about success of each types of marriage
- However, there was an agreement that the concept of arranged marriages has changed.
- It is important that if one dates it should not be based on looks, although its very hard to do
- When using arranged marriage parents can be just bad in arranging a partner when they take, because culture often conflicts with religion and they may take caste into consideration, something that is non-existent in Sikhism
- Arranged marriages can also be beneficial, when you are raised in this mindset you learn learn to love your husband or wife

LATEST EVENT UPDATES:

"Our Home and Native Land"

The WSSA is invovled with a Art Exibhit called "Our Home and Native Land"
The Art Exibhit is running until Feb. 19 at the McIntosh Gallery (its building with Red Doors in front of Soc.Science and UC)
The Exibhit features the work of London artist Agneta Dolman as she explores the immigrant experience and celebrates earning her Canadian citizenship.
The WSSA has contributed a print of "1984" by Amrit K.D. Kaur Singh along with various other posters.
There is Free Admission an Gallery Hours are:

Tuesday - Thursday 12 - 7 p.m.
Friday - Sunday 12 - 4 p.m.
Closed Mondays

COSS Fundraiser

COSS Annual Fundraiser on January 27th
25 bucks for Students at the Woodbine Convention Center
Transportation there and back to Western included!

Sikh Awareness Day

SIKH AWARENESS DAY ON MARCH 14th
If you have any ideas on how WSSA can make this the A Day worth Remembering, make sure you respond in this Blog or E-mail WSSA at westernssa@gmail.com
This day will comprise of:
1. Gatka in the day
2. Movie later in the evening
3. Guest speakers
4. Interactive activities
5. Educational displays on Sikhism, Canadian Sikhs and other important pieces of info about Sikhs
There will also be a POSTER COMPETITION FOR SIKH AWARENESS DAY
If you are interested in helping to promote Sikh Awareness Day and have that creative edge- be sure to take part!
Deadlines for the posters are on JANUARY 31st By 11:59 P.M!! The Poster that wins will be used for promotion!!

Ski Trip

Ski Trip Will be Held on: February 4'th

Raptors Game

The trip is now an official COSS event now and Nav Bhatia is trying to get us a chance to be able to meet the players!

HERE ARE FEW PICTURES FROM THIS WEEKS MEETING, MORE PICTURES WILL SHORTLY BE ADDED TO WWW.WESTERNSSA.COM PICTURE GALLERY!

Amneet Moderating Discussion While Members Speak Their Mind

Sundeep In Action and Excited To Contribute

From Left to Right Amar, Ravan, Narisa, Noorin and Neeru All Had Some Amazing Input For Discussion

From Left to Right Neeraj, Amritpal, Ajeet, Harkamal, Ranbir, Gurpreet and Sundeep

WORLDWIDE DAY OF PROTEST

2006-01-10T22:50:00.000-08:00

17 JANUARY 2006

SIKHS TO CALL FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY AND THE RELEASE OF ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS IN INDIA

A Worldwide Day of Protest is being organised for 17 January 2006. Sikhs in cities around the world from London, to Paris, to Toronto and to New York are aiming on 17 January to show their opposition to the death penalty and call for the release of all Sikh political prisoners held in jails in India.

Candles will be lit in prominent places in cities throughout the world, including in India itself. Sikhs in more than 100 cities are expected to take part in the protest and will be joined by prominent non-Sikhs, such as politicians, human rights and trade union activists.
In Canada the protest will take place at BC, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. The Canadian Organization of Sikh Students are coordinating these protests. In BC the protest will take place at UBC and SFU. In Ontario, the protests will take place in Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga, Kitchner/Waterloo, London, Ottawa and Kingston. In Alberta the protest will be at U of Calgary. In Quebec the protest will take place at McGil and Concordia.
In the Toronto the protest will take place at Nathan Phillip Square at the Peace Gardens between 5:30 - 7pm, Brampton at the Brampton City Hall, Mississauga City Hall. The protests are being supported by COSS, United Sikh Federation, Gurdwaras and the Sadh Sangat. The protests are being supported by Amnesty International and other members of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty.

MPs, MPPs, City Councillors, and members of the public will join Sikhs in celebrating life, freedom and in the opposition to the death penalty.

The worldwide protests are taking place on 17 January to coincide with the 11th anniversary of one of the most controversial and highest profile death penalty cases in recent Indian history. 11 years earlier on 17 January 1995 Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, a Sikh political activist, was illegally deported from Germany. Davinderpal Singh was handed over to the Indian authorities on the basis that he had nothing to fear on his return to India.

For 11 years Davinderpal Singh has been forced to live with the mistake by the German authorities. He was arrested and put in prison as soon as he landed in Delhi, tortured to obtain a false confession, charged and sentenced to death by hanging for a crime he did not commit.

When Germany deported Davinderpal Singh to a death-penalty prone country it violated the European Convention on Human Rights. After his deportation, the court of appeal in Frankfurt allowed his appeal and said that he should not have been deported as he would face torture, harassment and death in India and were he to re-enter Germany he would be given asylum.

The verdict of the court of appeal in Germany came too late for Davinderpal Singh. However, it has left Germany and the EU with a moral obligation to ensure the threat of the death penalty by India is removed and Davinderpal Singh and other political prisoners that are unnecessarily being held, either without trial or under false charges and without evidence, are released immediately.

Jasdev Singh

Vice President
Canadian Organization of Sikh Students (COSS)
“Uniting the Youth of Canada”

Upcoming Events

2006-01-05T23:33:00.000-08:00

COSS Charity Dinner

The evening of Friday Jan 27th will mark the first COSS Charity Dinner. The evening will be filled with various forms of entertainment.
Entertainment will include...

-- Gatka Demonstration --

-- Theatrical Play --

-- Dinner and Presentations --

Tickets will be made available very shortly. Mark your calendars today. Friday, January 27th 6:00pm at the Woodbine Convention Centre.

Movie Night

This will be in place of our first weekly meeting after the winter break!
Snacks will be provided including Samosas, Chai and hot chocolate!

Raptors Game

This year a new tradition will begin!
WSSA along with affiliated University under Coss will travel to a Raptors game

Ski Trip

Early February will bring light to the much anticipated Ski Trip
This event will also be held in conjuction with COSS and Affilated Unis!

Sikh Awareness Day

On March 14 UWO will be aware!
UCC Atrium will be ours and it will be a day of oppertunity in which we will show and tell others who Sikhs are and what we are all about.

WSSA Langar

Every year The WSSA holds an Annual Langar at the London Gurudwara
It will be sometime during March

For More suggestions, give WSSA a shout!

What the WSSA is All About

2006-01-05T23:09:00.000-08:00

The WSSA is not your stereotypical religious students association. It isn't just about doing paat and trying to better ourselves as individuals and as Sikhs. It knows how to chill and has had some Realll Good Times. Besides, being Sikh is all about balance isn't it? Take a look for yourself at WSSA's past events.

Ice Breaker on UC Hill - Soccer, free pizza, madd funn

Paintballing - It speaks for itself

Spinning Wheel Film Festival- Just goes to show how far we have come as a community of people

WSSA's First Annual Raensabhayee - NonStop Till 6am! Almost 12 hrs Straight

Waterloo Raensabhayee - It was nice seeing everyone again

---Pictures To Be Posted Soon---

WSSA Annual Bowling Night - Lets Get The Ball Rolling!

---Pictures To Be Posted Soon---

Weekly Meetings - Action packed, Intense and Peaceful Pahts and Discussions

---Pictures To Be Posted Soon---

Who Runs Things?

2005-12-02T23:53:00.000-08:00

From here on...The WSSA EXEC will surrender all control of our Blog.

To Who???

Well some really active members......We'll let them introduce themselves!

The Members Who Run Dem Tings:

VJKK VJKF!

So here it is, a blog that will keep you from getting a truckload of Very Important e-mails from our Very Active WSSA Exec! Here are all the things that this Blog is gonna be useful for:

It will keep you updated on all of WSSA's Current and Upcoming events.
You will be able to look up the agenda and discussion topic for each meeting at your convenience.
A summary of all the action that took place at the meetings will also be provided for all of you who weren't able to make it.
You can post whatever questions you have on here and have them promptly answered
Polls and Discussion Topics will also be up for you to participate in whenever you get the chance.

The Launch!

2005-11-29T18:53:00.000-08:00

Live from The University of Western Ontario, We welcome you in exploring our WSSA and its members. We hope to capture everyone's attention by providing a glimpse into The WSSA Life, Events and Weekly meetings. Every week The WSSA and its members meet and in engage in...

Paht (prayer)
Translations (english meanings)
and Discussion on sikhi related topics

Have fun exploring the life of Sikh Students at Western!

Western Sikh Students' Association

Have Your Voice Heard

WesternSSA Bowling Night - The Pins Be Rolling While We Be Bowling

Manmohan Singh: The Sikh Solution or Problem?

The Return Of The House Keertans

2007 Toronto Sikh Retreat

University Application Help For Western!

Happy New Years!

Paramjit Singh - The Original Judgment

Exam Stress Relief!

Weekly Discussion - Storming Of The Temple

Waterloo + Laurier Youth Keertan Darbaar

Paintball Madness Update

WesternSSA Presents...

PAINTBALL MADNESS!!!! THE MUCH ANTICIPATED...MULTI-UNI...

MULTI-CLUB.. EVENT OF THE YEAR

If You Are Interested In Attending Please Email westernssa@gmail.com or your respective club and payments will be arranged. Seating and spaces are limited, and will go run on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Are you interested in adding a club? Email us at westernssa@gmail.com

WHEN

This Sunday, November 12th11am - 3pmBus will be leaving from Alumni Hall at 9:30am

COST

WHERE?

Flagswipe, for more details visit www.Flagswipepaintball.com

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES FROM LAST YEAR

PAINTBALLLLLLLLLL MADNESSSSS!!!!

PROTEST - DEFENDING JUSTICE

Snatam Kaur In Concert

First France...then Belgium...now Denmark

No War Rally

In Celebration of Bandi Chor Divas...

SADH SANGAT BEWARE

Hukamnama from the rainsabayee ....

Brothers in France still holding up the fight...

2005 Rainsabayee & Exhibit Flashback...

Meeri-Peeri Exhibit & Rainsabayee

WesternSSA IceBreaker 2006

WSSA HOME PAGE

Spinning Wheel Film Festival

ClubsWeek Summary

CLUBS WEEK

WesternSSA... Still Flying High!

Stop Genocide, Save Darfur!

Hoodies and Shirts

A Message To WesternSSA Alumni

The Rise of Khalsa

Sant Ji's Message To Monas (cut hair)

Essay Marathon

ON SALE!

Nagar Keertan Update

GTA Nagar Keertan!

The Panthic Otrpeka

Monday, April 17, 2006

The Whole World is Born of Sikhs

Happy Baisakhi!

Blog Updates coming soon!

What a Finale it was!!

Immortal Productions...

The Finale....End Of Year Langar

Sikh Awareness Day: Radiating The Light of Sikhi

Sikhs For Social Justice

Tribute To A Hero

Sikh Heros

Sikh Awareness Day ...

Canadian Supreme Court - Kirpan Ruling

Kaurs Toronto is Here!!

British Muslims criticizing Sikhi

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS.....

WSSA EXEC for 06/07!!

Candidates

Elections and Waterloo Keertan Update

Trying Something New..Leave Some Feedback!

The Role of Women in Sikh History

Weekend Keertan @ Rajbir and Ajeet's

WesternSSA and SikhSangat True Unity

Sir Jave Ta Jave Mera Sikhi Sidhak Na Jave

A Message From OCSSA

Free Yourself From Exam Stress! Langar and Keertan

The Usage of Sikh Religious Symbols to Lure and Eventually Convert Sikh Girls

Pictures From Meetings

Meeting, Elections and Constitution

PAINTBALL MADNESS!!!!

THE MUCH ANTICIPATED...

MULTI-UNI...

MULTI-CLUB..

EVENT OF THE YEAR

This Sunday, November 12th

11am - 3pm

Bus will be leaving from Alumni Hall at 9:30am