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

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.
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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"