Kill the Messenger 8-31-2015

31, August 2015                   Kill the Messenger HPO just released the movie, Kill the Messenger, a story that made global headlines by exposing the CIA’s drug smuggling operations to raise money to support the contras in Nicaragua. Nicaraguan rebels were used to smuggle cocaine into the US which was subsequently sold to predominantly black communities in South Central Los Angeles. The blacks were used as convenient fodder for the greater good of ‘defeating Communism’, ignoring the inconvenient truth that the Contras were the poor indigenous people of Nicaragua who opposed the US backed Sandinista government. In 1996 it was Gary Webb, a reporter at the San Jose Mercury News, who broke the story that the CIA was actively engaged in drug smuggling. Webb tied the CIA action to a crack epidemic among America’s urban poor. Prominent newspapers were incensed that a small town newspaper reporter had beaten them to major scoop.  Aided by a highly embarrassed vindictive CIA, the mega media sought to discredit Webb. Fortunately, Monica Lewinsky arrived on the scene and the CIA scandal vanished from the front pages. Refusing to retract his story, Webb resigned from the Mercury and sought unsuccessfully to find work as a reporter for the next five years. Estranged from his family and falling into a deep depression, he allegedly took his own life in 2004.

Climate Change 8-30-2015

30, August 2015                     Climate Change

The Pope deserves credit for issuing an encyclical on climate change. He called for a cultural revolution to change our lifestyles and become better stewards of our fragile planet. The document is 184 pages but here is a brief summary:

In his ten commandments he urged citizens to:

1.       Avoid the use of paper and plastic and reduce water consumption;

cook only what can be reasonably consumed, turn off lights, plant trees to counteract carbon emissions; separate recyclable from refuse.

2.      Be increasingly concerned about future generations and do everything possible to ensure the survival of the planet and its future inhabitants.

3.      Embrace alternative energy sources. Replace polluting energy sources such as coal, oil, gas with clean energy.

4.      Consider the impact of pollution on the poor and impoverished.

5.      Develop mass transportation to replace gas guzzling vehicles.

6.      Develop humility and awe for the great gift of creation.

7.      Don’t become fixated with gadgets like cell phones. This will lead to sensory overload and mental confusion.

8.      Don’t trade online relationships for real ones.

9.      Be ever vigilant of changing conditions that may adversely impact the world.

10.   Caring for one another is a moral imperative and will go a long way in creating a more humane society.

Following on the heels of the publication of Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment, a group of leading Islamic scholars have issued a declaration calling on the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims to eliminate dangerous greenhouse gas emissions and switch to renewable energy sources. The declaration urges world leaders meeting in Paris later this year to commit to a 100 percent zero-emissions strategy and to invest in renewable energy in order to reduce poverty and the catastrophic impacts of climate change. 60 leading Islamic scholars, links climate change to the economic system, stating: "We recognize the corruption that humans have caused on the Earth due to our relentless pursuit of economic growth and consumption." 

Perhaps it is time for Hindu, Sikh and other major faiths to urge their followers to support these noble efforts and do what is necessary to preserve this beautiful and fragile planet before global warming obliterates all of humanity. Leading climate scientist, James Hansen, predicts that if current trends continue, sea levels will rise ten feet by the end of this century engulfing most of the coastal cities of the world. 2015 was the hottest year since records began. This portends a dark and dismal future for the world’s inhabitants unless we make drastic changes to combat the effects of climate change.

ISIS 8-30-2015

30, August 2015                      ISIS

The ISIS atrocities continue to invoke raw emotions of disgust and outrage. There has been a steady barrage of unspeakable atrocities from beheadings to mass executions, tossing gay men from roof tops, destruction of priceless archaeological treasures and a host of other despicable acts of mayhem.  Military might will only have limited success. There will be other disaffected Muslims eager to replace their fallen comrades to achieve martyrdom and the afterlife pleasures with the mistaken belief that God condones such gross behavior. It is up to the majority of Muslims to break their long silence and voice their outrage. Every terrorist act carried out in the name of Islam will smear the image of the faith and generate a groundswell of disaffected Muslims to reject their faith. For example, ISIS rapists claim that the Koran condones the violation of women captured in battle. Quaran 5.33 states that taking the life of an innocent is tantamount to taking the life of all humanity. Quaran 49-13 forbids violent acts against civilians, especially, women and children and enjoins Muslims to promote human rights, dignity and liberty for all. God clearly embraces diversity otherwise he would have created a mono-culture.   The Hizmat tradition promotes education for all – no exceptions. Twisted ideological interpretations denigrate women; Mohammed’s wife, Aisha should be a role model for all Muslim women. Muslim women must rebel from the suffocating head and body coverings which are anathema to the basic teachings of Islam. 

Hurricane Katrina 8-29-2015

29, August 2015                     Hurricane Katrina

Last week marked the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 storm that devastated the Gulf Coast, killing more than 1,800 people, forcing more than a million people to evacuate. President Obama echoed the sentiments of many of the local residents stating, "what started out as a natural disaster became a man-made one—a failure of government to look out for its own citizens." Many patients in hospitals, jail inmates were left to die. Many African-Americans desperately looking for food were gunned down by police for ‘looting’.

Remember the man in charge of disaster relief, Mike Brown, head of FEMA, who received accolades from President George W, Bush, “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.’’ His qualification - he was the commissioner of judges at the International Arabian Horse Association who spent a year  investigating whether a breeder performed liposuction on a horse’s rear end. This along with other major policy missteps will remain the enduring legacy of President Bush.

The storm laid bare the deep rooted inequalities affecting people of color. African Americans have borne the brunt of the disaster, displaced by gentrification. According to the Urban League, the income gap between black and white residents has increased 37 percent since 2005.  Thousands of their homes remain abandoned. Much of the healthcare has been privatized. Neighborhood schools have been replaced by charter schools. Sadly, the people left out of the recovery are renters, the disabled, the elderly and people of color. 2

Black Monday 8-25-2015

25, August 2015                   Black Monday

Following Monday’s historic market decline which saw stock prices tumble across the globe, a plethora of economists swarmed onto network media outlets to offer their explanations on the causes which precipated the sudden free fall. Perhaps the best  analysis was offered by Michael Hudson, distinguished research professor of economics at the University of Missouri, Kansas City and author of the book, "Killing the Host: How Financial Parasites and Debt Bondage Destroy the Global Economy."

According to Hudson, China’s sudden decline was a direct result of the high volume of small speculative buyers diving into the market within the mistaken belief that there would never be a downtourn. 

Conversely, the US market is still a reflection of the 2008 bubble where all the growth in the economy has been principally in the financial sector, in the monopolies benefitting the 1 percent.

Stocks prices have been inflated by the Fed who poured $4.5 trillion which Wall Street used to generate enromous profits. Pension funds were able to borrow money at 1% and invested in the stock market with average yields of 4%. Private companies went on a buyback frenzy driving up stock prices which triggered huge bonuses to executives. Hudson, stated that there has been a divergence between the real economy and the FIRE sector – finance, insurance and real estate. He was pessimistic on the future of the real economy and was highly critical of Wall Street Banks that have an undue influence on the political process.

Iran’s Nuclear Deal 8-21-2015

21, August 2015                                 Iran’s Nuclear Deal It is gratifying that the longest-serving Jewish member of the House, Sander M. Levin, supports the agreement because it is “the best way to achieve the goal of preventing Iran from advancing toward a nuclear weapon, so making the Middle East and Israel far more secure.” Five Jewish senators have come out in favor. Hardliners in Israel and Iran have much in common. They would prefer never ending tensions and conflict rather than a diplomatic resolution. In a perfect world the US and Britain should be apologizing and paying reparations to Iran for orchestrating the overthrow of a democratically government in Iran. In a declassified document, the CIA acknowledges its role in the 1953 coup which led to the blatant theft of Iran’s oil and decades of terror by the US puppet dictator, the Shah of Iran, which culminated with the Iranian revolution in 1979. If the nuclear deal falters the US and Israel will be the losers. The US will remain isolated; there will be no appetite for further sanctions because most of the Western countries have already begun trading with Iran and establishing embassies. US companies will be excluded from such trading privileges. Iran will likely accelerate its nuclear bomb making capabilities and intensify their disdain and hostility towards Israel. They still recall Israel’s role in assassinating many of their nuclear scientists.  If you're a supporter of the deal, contact your congressional representative before it’s too late.

Donald Trump 8-20-2015

20, August 2015                     Donald Trump According to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, David Cay Johnston, there are some extremely troubling aspects of Trump’s business activities that are relatively unknown. For example, his most famous building – Trump Tower – was built by A&S Consuction whose owners are the infamous “Fat Tony" Salerno, the head of the Genovese crime family in New York, and Paul Castellano, the head of the Gambino family. He employed illegal Polish workers to tear down Bonwit Teller building to make way for Trump Tower. Trump’s personal helicopter pilot, Joseph Weichselbaum, was a convicted major cocaine and marijuana trafficker. He has often been sued by his contractors for breach of contract. Trump has often been accused of blatant racial discrimination and used creative ways to avoid paying income taxes. He often brags that he is a skilled negotiator but in actual practice he outsources negotiations to underworld ‘God Father’ people like Nicky Scarfo, the head of the Atlantic City crime family. Trump assiduously avoided the draft much like ‘his cousin’, Dick Cheney.  Contrary to his assertion that he is a good manager, Fortune magazine rated Trump’s casino company at the bottom in management competence, worker satisfaction and return on investment. Had the media properly veted Trump he would have faded rapidly; instead they are focusing far too much on the horse race.

Artic Drilling 8-19-2015

19, August 2015                    Artic Drilling

In a stunning reversal of his concern for the impact of climate change, the Obama administration has granted Royal Dutch Shell final approval to resume drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic. This comes as a complete surprise given Shell’s abysmal record of major mishaps and spills.

A coalition of environmental groups have opposed Arctic drilling, citing the dangers of a possible oil spill in the pristine region and the impact new oil extraction would have on the climate. If a spill occurs there are no offshore facilities to clean it up.

This decision is bad for global climate, our ecosystem, marine mammals and fish and finally it’s bad for Alaskan natives who depend on the Arctic Ocean for their way of life and subsistence. In a stunning admission, the Interior Department cited there is a 75 percent chance of one or more large spills from Shell’s drilling operations.

Prominent Jewish leader speaks out 8-18-2015

18, August 2015                     Prominent Jewish leader speaks out In a startling new development, Henry Siegman, the former executive director of the American Jewish Congress, stated recently that Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel is the main impediment to peace. He urged Palestinians to affirm Israel’s legitimacy, provided Israel is prepared to affirm the legitimacy of a Palestinian state along the pre-’67 borders." According to Siegman, Netanyahu’s cabinet appointments expose a troubling overt racism. Consider the following: Justice Minister, Ayelet Shaked, called for the “destruction of the entire Palestinian people, including its elderly women, cities, villages, property and infrastructure." Foreign minister, Hotovely, sent out instructions to all Israeli ambassadors to advise governments that the Bible confirmed that God was in the real estate business and promised all of Palestine to the Jews. Miri Regev, the minister of culture ‘discouraged’ the artistic community from creating art that insults the state of Israel. Deputy Minister of Defense, Dahan and his boss called for separating Palestinians and Jews on separate busses. Silvan Shalom the new chief of peace negotiations has been on record for opposing a two-state solution. Dore Gold, the former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, currently the new director of the Foreign Ministry has a lifelong record of total opposition to a Palestinian state. Siegman stated that the only logical way forward was for Palestinians was to bypass the Netanyahu government and seek redress from the United Nations Security Council utilizing the various resolutions as the foundation of a new peace process.

Jonathan Pollard 8-17-2015

17, August 2015          Jonathan Pollard It is an absolute travesty that Jonathan Pollard has been released from prison after being convicted of supplying vast amounts of data to our ‘ally’ Israel. In the 1990s Pollard became a cause célèbre in Israel who regarded him as a patriot. This case raises troubling questions about the government’s stubborn claim that Israel is our great ally. It definitely appears to be a lopsided relationship. What is Israel offering the US in return for receiving unconditional support of $3 billion a year? According to Karl Poltka, who was deputy director of Intelligence at the time when Pollard was indicted, Pollard's spying severely damaged America’s cyber-security costing the US billions.  Some of the data ended up in the Soviet Union. American intelligence chiefs stated that Pollard was not motivated by a false sense of patriotism but by greed, spending large amounts of money given by Israel on cocaine, alcohol and an expensive life style. The timing of Pollard’s release is also highly suspect, more than likely an attempt to appease Israel’s opposition to the nuclear accord with Iran.

ISIS & US Exceptionalism 8-17-2015

17, August 2015                        ISIS & US Exceptionalism ISIS barbarity and claims that Islam condones rape targeting non-believers still falls far short of American Exceptionalism. No, we don’t decapitate but instead we use highly sophisticated killers in the sky (drones), and napalm to vaporize our victims and a significantly larger number of civilians. We supply Israel with $3 billion in aid to oppress and kill Palestinians. ISIS kill rate is far shorter than ours. Our soldiers went on a killing and raping spree (see ‘Kill Anything That Moves’ by Nick Turse chronicles the war in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia)- 3-6 million fatalities. History might be different had we not overthrown the democratically elected government of Iran in 1953; there would be no existential threat to Israel, no ISIS and Iran might have been a great stabilizing influence in the Middle East. Add insult to injury the US reneged on its promise of $4 billion in reparations to Vietnam. While we express disappoint that Japan has not expressed enough remorse for its barbarity in World War II, we have never expressed remorse for invading Vietnam, Iraq and a host of other nations. See http://callforsocialjustice.blogspot.com/

Cecil the lion 8-11-2015

11, August 2015       Cecil the lion Recently, the whole world was in an uproar over the killing of Cecil the lion. According to the US media, Cecil was moved out of a safe sanctuary and then shot with a poison dart. As he was lying wreathing with pain, he was shot by an American doctor, Walter Palmer. It is only appropriate that Cecil’s killer be brought to justice for the despicable crime of killing such a beautiful animal for the pleasure of hanging the severed head in his home. What is largely unknown are the hunting activities of  Syedna Mufaddal, the current chief priest of Dawoodi Bohras, numbering a million worldwide. The current Chief Priest of Bohras (a Muslim sect), Syedna Mufaddal, like his late Father Syedna Burhanuddin, is an avid hunter. The father and son have killed well over 100 of those beautiful animals.Syedna Mufaddal lives a life of luxury unbecoming of a religious leader. It is surprising that a person who claims to be representative of God on earth, enjoys killing exotic animals. His Bohra followers in Africa pay near half a million US dollars in fees for Syedna’s Lions/Elephants killing expedition. Visas should be denied to Syedna Mufaddal, when he visits the US. During past visits, mayors of prominent US cities host Syedna Mufaddal and often provide him police escorts. This practice should be stopped. Finally, trophy hunting should be immediately banned lest these beautiful animals disappear forever.

Printed in NYT 10, August 2015

Printed in NYT 10, August 2015 It is past time that the US confronts its own dark history before slewing darts at other nations who have engaged in acts of brutality, perhaps beginning with the genocide of our native Indians who were constantly vilified as savages in Hollywood Westerns. We have stolen their land and decimated their beautiful culture; it is no surprise that their young are ending their lives in such large numbers. We have constantly meddled in other countries domestic affairs overthrowing and replacing popular leaders with US puppets who have tortured and killed dissidents, treating the world in Cohen’s word ‘like some diabolical chessboard”. Remember our overthrow of Iran’s democratic leader Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953 which has radicalized the Shias? Our support for the maniacal General Yaya Khan of Pakistan which resulted in the genocide of the Bengalis; our unconditional support for Israel who have stolen land from the indigenous Palestinians; 3-6 million killed in Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia, still suffering multi-generational birth defects from Agent Orange. The US orchestrated the 1965 genocide in Indonesia that left between 1 to 3 million people dead. The glass encased US seems content at throwing stones at other nations shortcomings instead of getting our own house in order.

Nuclear W eapons 8-8-2015

8, August 2015                       Nuclear Weapons Last week marked the 70th anniversary of the US bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima causing the death of 140,000. Three days later, the US dropped a second bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki killing another 74,000. Historians consider these attacks as war crimes as the victims were all civilians. The anniversary galvanized many Japanese across the nation to oppose the contentions decision of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to change Japan’s pacifist constitution to send troops into conflict zones for the first time since World War II. Acclaimed Japanese novelist and winner of the 1994 Nobel Prize for Literature, Kenzaburo Oe vehemently opposes his government’s decision to abandon its pacifist policy. Prominent Japanese activists and politicians joined a world-wide call for the total abolition of all nuclear weapons. Oe described nuclear weapons as personification of “pure evil” and was also highly critical of Japan’s decision to build nuclear power stations which resulted in the disaster in  Fukushima. Oe’s son was born with a severe birth defect – a hole in his skull, a tragic symbol of the US atomic bomb attacks. Many other survivors recalled seeing their loved ones vaporizing before their very eyes. Hundreds of peace activists from across the nation convened to Los Alamos, New Mexico, where the atomic bomb was built. The Obama administrations plans to upgrade its nuclear arsenal at a cost of $1 trillion is a tragic testimony that we have learned little from the sins of the past.

Jon Stewart 8-6 2015

6, August 2015                    Jon Stewart In an age when network ‘news’ is becoming increasingly irrelevant, more and more young people are seeking alternative news sources and comedy to escape the highly repetitious FOX, MSNBC, CNN . .  Talking points. It hardly seems that 16 years have passed since Jon Stewart took over the "The Daily Show" anchor desk.  His quick wit and biting satire made a complete mockery of network news exposing their journalists as shallow and witless. The program won Peabody Awards in 2000 and 2004 for its election coverage and has won numerous Emmys. It was no accident that the producers of ‘Meet The Press’ requested Jon to host the program validating his well-deserved reputation as being one of the best interviewers on television. Jon occasionally suspended his comedy monologue when he thought it would be appropriate to do so. The murder of nine people at a black church in Charleston, S.C. revealed a somber and immensely sad Stewart. Jon has also been at the forefront of demanding justice for 911 first responders and has worked quietly running a training program to place veterans in television and movie jobs. Good luck Jon in your ongoing career – you will be sorely missed.

Indonesian Genocide 8-5-2015

5, August 2015           Indonesian Genocide October 1 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1965 genocide in Indonesia that left between 1 to 3 million people dead. Human rights groups are circulating petitions calling for the U.S. and other governments, most notably the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan to acknowledge their role in the genocide and to release CIA, military and other governmental records related to the mass killings. Sukarno, the first Indonesian president who led Indonesia out from Dutch colonialism, was ousted because of his ‘grievous crime’ of wishing to stay independent from Western and Soviet Union alliances. The United States provided the Indonesian army with financial, military and intelligence support at the time of the mass killings. US embassy officials compiled lists of thousands of names of public figures in Indonesia and handed these to the army saying, "Kill everybody on these lists and check off the names as you go, and give the lists back to us when you’re done." Buoyed by US support, the Indonesian government went on a killing spree and wiped out one third of the people of East Timor who were seeking independence. Joshua Oppenheimer produced two film documentaries highlighting the genocide, -“The Look of Silence" and a companion film titled "The Act of Killing" which have been nominated for an Academy Award. In light of these findings, it seems hypocritical for the US to constantly wag its finger at other nations for their human rights shortcomings when past US government have engaged in such horrific mass killings.

Are the five articles of faith in the Sikh religion still relevant? A Sikh perspective.

==
by Jagjit Singh

The killing of Sikhs at the Oak Creek, Wisconsin temple has focused a great deal of media attention on our brief history and identity. We were largely an ignored minority often mistaken as Arab or middle-eastern. Early Sikh migrants were small groups of farm workers who settled down in California finding the climate similar to their ancestral Punjab. Their numbers were tightly controlled by Federal laws and they encountered widespread discrimination, Unable to sponsor their spouses from Punjab many chose to marry Mexican girls and their offspring grew up in a multicultural home, eating traditional Mexican food as Indian spices and provisions were unavailable.  They were not permitted to own land until many years later.

Their numbers swelled after 1965 when a wave of educated Sikh students arrived and further increased by others seeking refuge from the political upheaval in East Africa. Sikh farm hands were often favored by white farmers impressed by their strong work ethic and love of the land. Eventually, the local municipalities allowed Sikhs to own farms. Currently, some of wealthiest fruit farms are owned by Sikhs.

Many of the early Sikhs chose to abandon the outward symbols of their faith, most notably the turban and beard and were often mistaken as ‘south of the border brownies, Mexican Asians or Mexican Hindus.’

After the attack on the Golden Temple in 1984, many Sikhs fled Punjab to escape the pogrom and wide spread ‘encounter killings’ and settled in the UK, Canada and the US. A number of Sikh immigrants donned on turbans and grew beards to show solidarity with their beleaguered Sikh Punjabi brethren back home. Like other minorities who adhere to distinct customs, most notably Muslims, Sikhs did not integrate smoothly into mainstream American society, There are many notable exceptions who have made a profound effort to propagate Sikh values and customs, such as Narendar Singh Kapany (a pioneer in fiber optics) and Dr Marwah, a well-known philanthropist who has supported many worthy causes in Los Angeles.

The relative harmonious relations between the Sikhs and the host nation changed abruptly after 911. Images of Bin Laden and his henchmen were beamed into our living rooms and Sikhs were often targeted as ‘the enemy’ with their close resemblance to the Taliban fighters. Many Sikhs were assaulted and suffered (and continue to suffer) indignities of racial profiling.  A few courageous Sikhs responded to the Clarian call and conducted an aggressive outreach program to educate law enforcement agencies on Sikh beliefs and customs.

Many Americans have responded to the recent attacks against Sikh worshipers and asked how they could offer support. The general responses by Sikhs spokespersons –“come and visit our temples and see who we are!”  - brings me to the central theme of my article.

First a little history: I grew up in a predominately blue collar neighborhood of Birmingham, the center of the manufacturing base of the UK. My father opened his medical family practice in the early 1930’s. My three elder brothers had already experienced foreign travel, my eldest was born in India, my second eldest arrived in East Africa, my third eldest was born in India and I arrived on the planet as the only ’true Brit’.

My father was determined to continue the Sikh traditions and legacy of his faith and so we grew up sporting pigtails which quickly morphed into donning on turbans and later attempting to flatten out beards with various hair lotions tightly wrapped with snoods. Many decades later hair dryers became available which served as a great aid to drying our long hair and beards.

Growing up in an all-white neighborhood was extremely challenging. We experienced a great deal of unwanted attention, bullying by the local louts forced us to engage in fist fights and endure ethnic slurs almost on a daily basis. We fought most of our battles without sharing our frustrations with our parents with the mistaken belief that it would only betray weakness in our long traditions of being members of an invincible martial race.

There were no Indian grocery stores and no Sikh temples with one notable exception. The Sikhs in London had purchased an old building on a 99 year old lease at 79 Sinclair Road in Shepherd’s Bush – a suburb of London habituated by artists and voyerers. We used to make the long trek from Birmingham to London either by train or car, a journey that took 5 – 6 hours. Newly purchased cars would have to be treated with tender loving care and had the sticker ‘running in’ to warn other drivers to pass. During the Second World War petrol was strictly rationed and my dad would save his allotted coupons to make trips to the Sikh temple in London.

Driving was often hazardess because of the inclement weather and narrow roads. There were no motorways, few ‘dual carriageways’ and ‘bypass roads’ which forced us to  drive through small British towns adding to our overall travel time.  During the Second World War, Britain was on a tight lock-down and my dad was often stopped and asked for his identification card.  Troops with bayonets would be posted at prominent round abouts.

There were very few Sikhs in Birmingham – my dad was the only Sikh doctor in the second largest city in the UK. Contrast this period with the current large number of professional Indians and proliferation of Indian restaurants and temples which number in the thousands.

Intermarriage was fairly common among the Indian elite especially among the medical community. One sad story that is etched in my memory was the marriage of a very dark skinned Sikh doctor who married a local girl. Their offspring were very dark skinned and often teased and heckled at school. They often shared their frustrations with their mother and lamented that her marriage to their dark skinned father was the cause of all their misery. Eventually, their father heard of their travails and in a fit of despair took the lives of his wife and children and then committed suicide.

On Sundays dad or mom would hold ritual prayers in our home in a language which was largely incomprehensible.  Our trips to London to celebrate our Guru’s birthdays were a mixture of intense pleasure (the journey through Britain’s plush countryside) and foreboding. The religious rituals were extremely long and incomprehensible followed by endless speeches which were invariably delivered with much passion but devoid of a theme and inspirational message. Donations were made for the langar (lunch) and kra Prasad (sweet offering following the religious service) by tossing pound notes onto a large bed sheet and public accounting made by announcing the donors. Thereafter the funds would often disappear in a Houdini sleight of hand. There was no internal or external auditing of the hand-written accounting books. This archaic system has continued largely unchanged right up the present day.

The ‘Sikh uniform, the 5 K’s, especially the long unshorn hair and knife had great importance and relevance during the time of our last Guru, Gobind Singh who courageously resisted the persecution of Hindus by the fanatical Mughal emperor who insisted that all non-Muslims convert to Islam or die by the sword. This ‘emergency uniform’ proved invaluable to separate friend from foe.

To those readers unfamiliar with our Kakaars or 5 K’s. They are as follows:

Kesh or uncut hair, Kanga (comb), Kara (bracelet), Kirpan (sword) and Kachehra (a special type of shorts)
The Kanga, or small comb is largely symbolic and is rarely used nowadays.  It has been found unsuitable for managing long hair.
Likewise, the Kachehra has been replaced by modern day Boxer Shorts.
The Kara is largely worn as an ornamental symbol and has lost its symbolic meaning in ‘discouraging evil deeds’
The Kirpan used to be used a weapon of defense but has also lost its importance in the age of assault weapons.
Kesh is the only symbol that has survived and its retention is somewhat controversial. There is little doubt that many Sikhs may challenge this assertion.
These external symbols look magnificent on soldiers but I submit have largely outgrown their purpose and impose an enormous burden on our youth, especially those growing up in foreign countries such as the US. I believe the Sikh Holy Scriptures, which are filled with inspirational and devotions songs, will continue to serve our community if delivered in a universal language such as English. Like many faiths we need to usher in modernity in favor of outdated customs and traditions. A number of progressive Sikhs have embraced technology and are projecting the kirtan (devotional songs) on white screens with English translations which is an encouraging development.

There is little evidence to support the claim or fear that the Sikh religion would disappear were it not for the kesh symbol, the last surviving K. We do not require such props to survive. Sadly rituals have smothered the essence of our faith and should be resisted. For example, the ritual of swinging a chauri - a fan or fly whisk behind the priest may have served a useful purpose before the advent of air conditioning. Many temples encourage worshippers to gift Rumalas (the cloths that drape the holy book) but often discard the Rumalas after a single’s day’s usage. This is unnecessary and a colossal waste of money. Placing our holy book in an AC room serves no useful purpose. The common custom of ‘akand path’ or outsourcing continuous recitation of the holy scriptures by assigned volunteers or ‘paid priests’ can only benefit the readers and not those who have paid for the service.

All the prior preamble is to set the stage for my belief that the 5K’s articles of Sikh faith should be abandoned in favor of a much greater emphasis on the basic tenets of our faith which, like all religions should serve as a moral guide and a sense of purpose through life’s journey.

So I believe the advice given by a number of Sikh elders, following the attack at Oakridge Sikh temple to encourage Americans to visit Sikh temples to experience ‘who we are‘ is a hollow message. American visitors would  be confronted with a service which would be totally incomprehensible. However, they would be offered ‘free lunch’ and would no doubt see kar seva (voluntary service) in action. It is entirely appropriate to ask all visitors to remove their shoes but benches and chairs should be offered to the ‘uninitiated’, and elderly and wheel chair access to   the disabled.

The use of English as a medium of instruction should be encouraged and modernity aggressively promoted  otherwise our faith may suffer like so many of the world’s religions – a lack of meaning and purpose. The message of our guru’s is extremely relevant – an abiding love, gratitude and a constant connection to our creator. It is possible that some Sikh youths will survive unscathed but it is likely that many other more sensitive children may suffer emotional trauma by the incessant bullying that often takes place in our adopted country. I have experienced tragedies in my community where parents who have ignored these realities and insisted that their offspring follow the traditions of the faith oblivious of the consequences.  

Let us live up to important lesson of our founder, Guru Nanak, God is only interested in our noble thoughts and actions and was vehemently opposed to meaningless rituals.

Throughout his life he mocked and vigorously denounced rituals and symbolism as impediments to seeking spiritual enlightenment.

Israeli Settler Terrorism 8-3-2015

3, August 2015                      Israeli Settler Terrorism

The latest settler terrorist attack occurred when a Palestinian home was firebombed, killing an 18-month-old baby and severely injuring other members of the family. Graffiti scrawled on walls near the homes read "Revenge" in Hebrew.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling the firebombing "an act of terrorism" rings hollow given that his government has encouraged settlement expansion for decades in complete defiance of stated US goals and international law. The blatant theft of land is itself an act of terrorism.

About 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Settler terrorism has been ongoing for decades with complete impunity. No settler has ever been charged with vandalism or other acts of violence.

The attack revived painful memories of the abduction and killings last July of Muhammad Abu Khdeir, 16, who was burned alive by Jewish extremists after he was snatched from his East Jerusalem neighborhood.

According to the United Nations “Palestinian civilians continue to be subject to various threats to their life, physical safety and liberty; in the West Bank, there was a huge increase in Israeli violence: this year to date 49 Palestinians have been killed almost double the number from last year.”


Tragically, our government is complicit in these blatant acts of terrorism by rewarding Israel for its bad behavior with $3 billion of our tax money every year.