Sikhs

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March 29, 2009
Many young Sikh men are ditching their turbans and shaving their beards. Link to article.

Putting on a turban is apparently quite a production. It can take a half hour to tie every morning. Only 25 percent of Sikh men younger than 30 still wear one (much to the annoyance of their elders).

Going "turbanless" began after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984 following the attack on the Golden Temple. Thousands of turbaned Sikhs were killed by Hindus, many were burned alive. To escape persecution they discarded their identity.

Today, life without a turban is simply more convenient.

April 15, 2009
Two American Sikhs want to maintain their tradition of military service and keep their religious identity. The date links to an NPR radio story about a Sikh doctor and a dentist filing a complaint against the U.S. Army because they were told they couldn't keep their beards and turbans.

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion. For a quick look at Sikh beliefs see the wikipedia entry.

The essence of Sikh teaching is summed up by Guru Nanak in these words: "Realization of Truth is higher than all else. Higher still is truthful living". Sikhism believes in equality of all humans and rejects discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, and sex. Sikhism also does not attach any importance to asceticism as a means to attain salvation, but stresses on the need of leading life as a householder.


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