My Religion-Sikhism In Schools

The Sikhs are devotees to Sikhism, Sikhism is the youngest of the world’s religion with 25 million followers. Sikhism is only five hundred years old. The founder of Sikhism is Guru Nank, he was born in 1469. Guru Nank spoke a message of “Ek Ong Kar”: we are all one, created by the One Creator of all Creation. Guru Nank was the first of the ten Gurus in Sikhism. Throughout my research I have discovered what each Guru represents to the Sikh community and where Sikhism originated from. The appearance of Sikh devotees is a very important part of the Punjabi Sikh culture. Sikhs are very misunderstood in America and when people see images of Sikhs they are often mistaken for Muslims or terrorists, which often times leads to hate crimes. I’ll be focusing on the history of the Sikhism, Sikhs appearance, ethnocentrism, and cultural relativism. In the end I would like my audience to have an understanding of the Sikh religion, ethnocentrism, and cultural relativism.

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion, as is the norm for religion in the United States with Christianity, which began with the teachings of Guru Nanak in North India during the 1400s. The word Sikh is a Punjabi word that means “learner” in English. Guru Nanak learned from the one “true teacher,” who is God, and also referred to as the Guru in Sikhism. Guru also has special meaning in Sikhism, the light that dispels all darkness, as opposed to other uses of Guru in India. Sikhism emerged from a region that was engaged in conflict between the Muslims and the Hindus, to which Guru Nanak was born. Guru Nanak did not choose sides in this conflict, but rather specified, “There is no Hindu or Muslim, so whose path shall I follow? I shall follow the path of God.” With that mindset and a personal experience with God, Guru Nanak began a religious movement that has lasted to this day. Important contributions to the movement come from his nine succeeding Gurus too (Bowker, 2006;

Growing up as a first generation Pakistani American Muslim not only came with the benefits of being exposed to different cultures, but it also came with a continuing challenge to incorporate the two cultures and my religion into the society we lived in. There was always a need to be more American, more Pakistani, while respecting the boundaries of religion. When we went to school, we weren’t American enough, when visiting Pakistan we were often labeled with the acronym ABCD- American Born Confused Desi. We were neither here, nor there. No matter how hard we tried to assimilate into the two societies, we could feel the absence of understanding and acceptance. This search for an identity not only allowed me to easily interact with people facing similar dilemmas, but it allowed me to embrace culture, religion, and people that were different.

Growing up in America you get introduced and exposed to new ideas and cultures everyday. Especially living in Los Angeles which is a melting pot of many different cultures and beliefs. It’s difficult to think of a time I’ve had a problem or struggle with a new experience. However, I have had a minor struggle with the feeling acceptance in different cultures. Facing new experiences can be amazing and a way of learning new ideology and beliefs. Different cultures have many different ways of thinking and have different belief systems and it can be difficult to fit in properly. With the experiences I have faced I try to enjoy and respect them as much as possible but, there is still a small feeling of not truly fitting in. I’ve learned to overcome

When I started going to school in Canada I felt pressured to redefine my identity and felt pressured to take my hijab off because I wanted to fit, I wanted other people to see me like they would see any other person. I wanted to let my long, thick, black hair out. I wanted it to dance in the wind, blow around wildly in different directions. I remember people asking me don’t you want to show your hair or don’t you get hot wearing hijab. I would tell them, of course, I want to take it off, but I can’t and they would ask me why, but I had no answer even though I was wearing hijab I didn’t know why I was wearing hijab, I didn’t know what it meant and what was the purpose of wearing hijab. So, I asked my mom, I read some books just to find out what does wearing hijab

Throughout my elementary school years, I went to an all-Muslim school. Most of my friends and teachers were Muslims, so my transition into a traditional public middle school felt overwhelming. I was not prepared for the following years of criticism I would endure simply because of my background. In a post-9/11 world, I grew up having to accept my religion publically being viewed as a symbol for hate, yet I was raised knowing that my religion was synonymous with peace and love. Throughout my pre-teen and early teenage years, I found out that many people believed that Muslims were not American or that Muslims could not have an American identity. It is for that reason I felt that it was my duty as a Muslim-American to open up the conversation

Those who are raised within one religious tradition may find it difficult to understand the traditions of another religion. It is not until one is educated in the basics of the other major world religions, that it is possible to see the many similarities between them. Just as there are many similarities between the countries culturally, the major religions share more things than they are different. In viewing Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism with an open mind, it is easy to see the differences, similarities and ideals that make these religions as widespread as they are.

Sikhs believe that you reap what you sew. If you do something bad then eventually that bad deed will catch up to you and you will pay for it. Such ideas are expressed through karma, much like the Hindu belief in karma, Sikhs belief in many lives after death as a result of the karma in the life you just lived. Sikhs disagree with Hinduism when it comes to karma in that they do not believe that people are defenseless beings. In Sikhism the cycle of life and death is regarded as the ultimate punishment and can only be overcome if they conduct themselves in line with the teachings of the Gurus by being Guru-oriented as opposed to being self-oriented (Kalsi,225). In Hinduism there are many gods that are worshiped and many pictures of these gods which is not accepted in Sikhism. The Gurus in Sikhism are considered to be disciples of god but not god himself therefore is not to be worshiped. They were not to be considered divine but enlightened teachers (“History of Sikhism”,

Within the past couple of weeks, I had the opportunity to engage in a religious minority event. I attended the Hillel Jewish Center here on Purdue’s campus. Hillel is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, and I found it very fascinating that I got to take part in this new learning experience. I am from a small town where everyone knows everyone, and there is very little diversity in race or ethnic groups. I was raised in a Christian family and I attended church every Sunday. I have never been around such diversity until I came to Purdue. Through my education classes, and the events that I have attended on campus my cultural knowledge has grown so much since I first started attending Purdue. I had very little knowledge of the

As a Christian coming from the Islamic dominated Middle East, I not only bring the unique ethnical and socioeconomic background, but also a slew of life experiences. Along with my experiences, my diverse college studies bring a distinctive well-roundedness to an incoming student cohort. Growing up as a Christian in an Islamic culture, I learnt what it means to belong to a persecuted misunderstood minority. This gave me a unique understanding of dealing with the multitude of minorities in our society. It is almost impossible to describe the feelings and the pressures that affect those who are living as minorities in a society. Those feelings can only be understood through first-hand experience. Therefore, I am able to bring this unique experience

In America today we all have choices to make in regards to our religious beliefs. Many young children are brought up today confused about religion and the significance it plays in their lives. There are many sanctions and rules now on what can and can 't be thought or displayed to people on public property, but it wasn 't always like this. In this paper I will be discussing the American religious experience in regards to the impact religion has in the public schools.

An interesting point that I found out from these sources was that Sikhs believe in reincarnation and not on the Day of Judgment. Another surprising thing which I never knew before reading these resources was that it is obligatory for Sikh men and women to wear five articles of faith all time. These include:

In a country founded on religious freedom. The debate of having religion in our public school system has been the source of and enormous conflict. This question dates back further than the 19th century but its still foundation of many heated discussions that presently takes place in this day and age. The vast majority oppose to the thought of religion being present in our public school system. Relying on “The First Amendment” of the US Constitution. Which states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. This amendment also established “The Separation of Church and State” which is the political and legal doctrine that establishes that religious and government institutions

An example of how Marbury v. Madison has affected me is how religion is perceived in the school setting. There are court cases challenging religion in school that have been ongoing since the 1950s and '60s when the U.S. Supreme Court first ruled in favor of maintaining separation between church and state. In public schools like my own students, as well as teachers, are forced to stay hush about religion unless it is a lesson in the class they are needing to teach. This constitutional matter of separation of church and state has made students more comfortable in their learning environment. Yes, I am a Christian, a believer in the lord, but when religion is not talked about there is no negativity around your own beliefs, and I respect that decision.

I was born into a family of mixed cultures and religions. My father was Christian and my mother was of an Islamic descent. I was always respectful to any religion, regardless of it’s beliefs, because it is a symbol of devotion and peace. When I grew up, I was fascinated to see how quickly Islam started to spread in Western parts of the world. My fascination was also followed by disbelief of how ignorant and cruel anti-islamic activists were, blaming every single act of terror and violence onto a religious group. I could believe it on a global scale, but I never knew it was something that could wait for anyone wearing hijab, right around the corner. In my first semester at Hawaii Pacific University, I decided to wear hijab to school, just