Posted on 10/28/2010 1:46:49 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The American Sikh community has said that President Barack Obama is not visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar because he harbours fears of negative image fallout with him being partially Muslim by birth.
Refusing to buy the White House explanation that India is a huge country and that it would not be possible for the president to take on too many events during his four-day visit from November 6 to 9, American Sikhs said they could not accept such a view.
"I'm not really buying it. I think the administration has been struggling with the false accusation that the president is Muslim. It is not out of the realm of possibility that these fears drove the cancellation. The administration is going to have to figure out how to make this up to the Sikh American community and the Sikh community worldwide," Politico quoted Sapreet Kaur, the executive director of the Sikh Coalition, as saying in a statement.
"If somebody doesn't want to come, then they should not come for the right reasons and not hide behind these sort of excuses," added Jasjit Singh, the associate executive director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund.
He added: "He's playing the game, and that's what's unfortunate."
"It would have been a huge moment, a seminal moment, for President Obama to come there and kind of show to the world that this is a vibrant religious minority here," said Hansdeep Singh, an attorney for United Sikhs.
"It is disappointing," he added.
An official familiar with the visit said the discussion about Obama's itinerary started six months ago, but that changes can be made for any number of reasons.
Singh said of Obama. "By canceling his visit, what does he do? He's emboldening those who are seeking to divide us."
Hansdeep Singh said the United Sikhs would "continue to push" Obama to visit Sikh shrines in the United States and abroad.
"We want to have a continuing dialogue with the White House," he said.
[ Sikhs are confused as being Muslim. They are not. A quick google search can reveal the differences. Apparently, while Sikhism includes Muslim tenets, it also includes Hindu beliefs as well. ]
Sikhs treat their women 10000000% better too.
On turbans:
Turban over the ears, no need for fears.
Ears showing, Danger growing....
That is something I just made up, but it is a good rhyme to remeber when you see someone in a turban.
(Sikhs wear a turban over the ears, ROPers don’t)
I’ll remember you clever ditty!
I came up with it on my own.
It is a good rule of thumb to ensure you don’t mis-identify our Sikh friends as ROPers.
Lots of stuff in the queeran is false.
Also since islam is a religion (yeah right) how can a person be “part muslim”? That would be kind of like saying I’m only part Catholic.
When Indira Ghandhi had troops storm the Golden Temple (for which they killed her)?
“one of the first victims of ill-targeted efforts toward *retribution* was a Sikh convenience-store owner.”
I remember that; what a disgrace and a commentary on our ignorance. May he rest in peace.
Well, thank you for the clarification.
My guess is that he’ll find another excsue to avoid making a trip outside the country.
He had planned a trip to Indonesia and Australia, but cancelled that twice because of the Health Care legislation.
I don’t thnk he likes meeting foreign leaders when he does not have the advantage of his own turf....that’s the Chicago way.
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