Hair of Sikh cut in racist attack in UK

LONDON: In a case of racial assault, a group of white youths attacked a Sikh teenager and clipped his hair in a public park in the Scottish capital Edinburgh.

The 15-year-old, who has not been named, was attacked by four youths in Pilrig Park on Tuesday evening in what police have described as an unprovoked and sustained assault.

He was initially subjected to racist verbal abuse from the gang, police said, before being knocked to the ground. When the teenager's turban came off, the gang cut his hair - an act considered highly offensive to the Sikh community.

"At around 7.30pm on Tuesday evening, the 15-year-old victim entered Pilrig Park via Balfour Place, Edinburgh where he was initially subjected to verbal racial abuse from a group of four young white males who were standing near to Pilrig Primary School," a police spokesman said.

"The victim for no apparent reason was thereafter set upon by the group, who violently punched and kicked him to the ground. The young victim has clearly been terrorized by the actions of these males," the spokesman said.

"The persons responsible for this attack made off across Pilrig Park, exiting into Pilrig Street, where they then ran off in the direction of Leith Walk," the spokesman said.

Police said although the teenager did not need hospital treatment, he was left terrified by the attack. "This was an extremely distressing attack on a young member of our community, who has been left traumatised by this incident," the spokesman said.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_Gobind_Singh

The rules and guidelines for the Khalsa

Guru Gobind Singh, after administering Amrit to the 'Five Beloved Ones', ordained them to do the following:

I. They must all wear the following articles. The name of each article begins with 'K'. These are known as the 5 Kakkas (the letter in the Gurmukhi alphabet corresponding to 'k'):

Kes - Unshorn hair. This represents the natural appearance of sainthood. This is the first token of the Sikh faith. The Guru called the Khalsa the Sant-Sipahi (Saint-Soldiers)
Kangha - A comb to manage the hair.
Kachha - A pair of underpants.
Kara - An iron bracelet on the wrist.
Kirpan - A sword symbolizing dignity and strength.
II. They must observe the following guidelines. These are known as the Rahatnamas (Codes of Conduct):

Defend the weak or infirm from tyranny and oppression.
Not to remove hair from any part of the body (hair was declared sacred by the Guru).
Not to use Tobacco or other intoxicants (e.g., alcohol).
Not eat meat--this includes Halal or Kosher Meat - ADVANCED STUDIES IN SIKHISM by Jasbir Singh and Harbans Singh.: Hukamnama written by Sri Gobind Singh ji:
"Sarbat sangat Kabul Guru rakhe ga Tusa ute asaadee bahut khusi hai Tusi Khande da Amrit Panja to lena Kes rakhne...ih asadee mohur hair; Kachh, Kirpan da visah nahee karna SARB LOH da kara hath rakhna Dono vakat kesa dee palna karna Sarbat sangat abhakhia da kutha Khave naheen, Tamakoo na vartana Bhadni tatha kanya-maran-vale so mel na rakhe Meene, Massandei, Ramraiye ki sangat na baiso Gurbani parhni...Waheguru, Waheguru japna Guru kee rahat rakhnee Sarbat sangat oopar meri khushi hai.

Patshahi Dasvi Jeth 26, Samat 1756

(To the entire sangat at Kabul. The Guru will protect the Sangat, I am pleased with you all. You should take baptism by the sword, from the Five Beloveds. Keep your hair uncut for this is a seal of the Guru, Accept the use of shorts and a sword. Always wear IRON KARA on your wrist, Keep your hair clean and comb it twice a day. Do not eat Halal (Kosher) meat, Do not use tobacco in any form, Have no connection with those who kill their daughters Or permit the cutting of their children's hair. Do not associate with Meenas, Massands and Ram-raiyas (anti-Sikh cults) Recite the Guru's hymns Meditate on "The Name of our Wonderful Lord", Follow the Sikh code of discipline I give the entire sangat my blessing)

Signature of 10th Guru Jeth 26, 1756 Bikrami (23rd May 1699 A.D)

Not to commit adultery- 'Par nari ki sej, bhul supnehun na jayo' (Never enjoy, even in dream, the bed of a woman other than that of your own wife or husband)
(A supplementary ordinance was issued that anyone who did not observe any of the above four directives must be re-baptized, pay a fine, and promise not to offend any more, or she/he must be excommunicated from the Khalsa.)

III. They must rise at dawn, bathe, meditate on Gurmantar-'Waheguru', Mool Mantar- the preamble of Japji, and recite the five banis- Japji, Jap Sahib and Swayas in the morning; Reh Raas in the evening; and Kirtan Sohela at bed time at night.

IV. They must not worship idols, cemeteries, or cremation grounds, and must believe only in One Immortal God. The Guru further spelled out that they should practice arms, and never show their backs to the foe in the battlefield. They should always be ready to help the poor and protect those who seek their protection. They were to consider their previous castes erased, and deem themselves all brothers of one family.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1417808/posts

Sikh youth hair attack 'victim' admits hoax

CTV.ca (Canada) ^ Posted on 06/06/2005 5:45:37 PM PDT by zaxxon Sikh youth hair attack 'victim' admits hoax CTV.ca News Staff A Sikh youth in B.C. has apologized for inventing a story of being set upon by a group of white men who cut his hair. The 17-year-old from Richmond, a Vancouver suburb, admitted to police he made up the story. Police had already been suspicious, because the attack, which had been alleged to have occurred in broad daylight on May 26, had generated no tips from the public. "He had fabricated the entire incident," RCMP Cpl. Peter Thiessen told reporters Saturday. "The injuries that we observed on him that required medical attention were self-inflicted," he said. The youth had claimed the five men stopped their basketball game, pulled off his turban and cut his long hair with a utility knife. Hair is considered sacred by Sikhs. But the youth merely wanted to cut his hair but was afraid to deal with his parents. (Excerpt) Read more at ctv.ca ...

http://www.sikhs.org/meat_au.htm

Throughout Sikh history, there have been movements or subsects of Sikhism which have espoused vegetarianism. I think there is no basis for such dogma or practice in Sikhism. Certainly Sikhs do not think that a vegetarian's achievements in spirituality are easier or higher. It is surprising to see that vegetarianism is such an important facet of Hindu practice in light of the fact that animal sacrifice was a significant and much valued Hindu Vedic ritual for ages. Guru Nanak in his writings clearly rejected both sides of the arguments - on the virtues of vegetarianism or meat eating - as banal and so much nonsense, nor did he accept the idea that a cow was somehow more sacred than a horse or a chicken. He also refused to be drawn into a contention on the differences between flesh and greens, for instance. History tells us that to impart this message, Nanak cooked meat at an important Hindu festival in Kurukshetra. Having cooked it he certainly did not waste it, but probably served it to his followers and ate himself. History is quite clear that Guru Hargobind and Guru Gobind Singh were accomplished and avid hunters. The game was cooked and put to good use, to throw it away would have been an awful waste.

The Gurus were loath to pronounce upon such matters as the eating of meat or ways of disposing of the dead because undue emphasis on them could detract from the main thrust of their message which had to do with spiritual liberation. However, Guru Nanak did reject by implication the practice of vegetarianism related to ideas of pollution when he said, 'All food is pure; for God has provided it for our sustenance' (AG 472). Many Sikhs are vegetarian and meat should never be served at langar. Those who do eat meat are unlikely to include beef in their diet, at least in India, because of their cultural proximity to Hindus.

In general Sikhism has adopted an ambivalent attitude towards meat eating as against vegetarianism. But if meat is to be taken at all, Guru Gobind Singh enjoined on the Khalsa Panth not to take kosher meat ie. Halal meat slaughtered and prepared for eating according to the Islamic practice. In fact it is one of the kurahits for every amritdhari Sikh. One who infringes it becomes patit (apostate).

There are no restrictions for the Sikhs regarding food, except that the Sikhs are forbidden to eat meat prepared as a ritual slaughter. The Sikhs are asked to abstain from intoxicants.

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