Harbhajan

http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/Article...?hub=topstories Chemist sought in London bombings held in Cairo CTV.ca News Staff A U.S.-trained Egyptian chemist, sought for questioning in connection with last week's bombings in London, has been arrested in Cairo and is being interrogated by police. A government official confirmed that 33-year-old Magdy al-Nashar was taken into custody in suburban Cairo. "It could be quite significant, but we're not sure yet," CTV's Tom Kennedy reported from London, where he is watching developments. "What is important for police is to find somebody who is living in part of this network of people involved in the blowing up the transport system here last week, who can perhaps give them some more information." Al-Nashar, whom British authorities have yet to formally call a suspect, left the United Kingdom two weeks before the transit attacks. Police believe al-Nashar may have helped the suicide bombers build the explosives used in the deadly attacks that left dozens dead and hundreds wounded. The British Broadcasting Corp. reported that police were searching a house in Leeds linked to al-Nashar. "Police are making a possible connection between him and the bomb-making factory that serviced the London (bombers who) came down from Leeds to carry out the bombs," BBC's Chris Cundy reported from Leeds, appearing on CTV's Canada AM. "That bomb-making factory is about half a mile away from the flat in the Hyde Park district of Leeds where this Egyptian student was believed to have been living." al-Nashar, who arrived at Leeds University in October 2000 to do biochemical research, earned a doctorate in May. The FBI had also joined in the extensive worldwide manhunt for al-Nashar because he attended an American university. North Carolina State spokesman Keith Nichols said a graduate student by the name of al-Nashar studied chemical engineering at the university, for a semester beginning in January 2000. "We're aware of an arrest in Cairo, but we are not prepared to discuss who we may or may not wish to interview in connection with this investigation," London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement. "This remains a fast-moving investigation with a number of lines of inquiry, some of which may have an international dimension." Meanwhile, Pakistani authorities were looking into a connection between one of the London suicide bombers and al Qaeda-linked militant groups. Two senior intelligence officials told The Associated Press, on condition of anonymity, that they were investigating a possible link between 22-year-old Shahzad Tanweer and a man arrested for a 2002 attack on a church near the U.S. Embassy. One of the officials said that Tanweer is believed to have visited a radical religious school, run by a banned Sunni Muslims militant group, while on a trip to Pakistan. However, the officials disputed reports that Tanweer studied at the school. Officials said they believe Tanweer made a trip to Pakistan in the later half of 2004, where he met with Osama Nazir. Nazir, who was arrested in 2004 for helping plan a grenade attack on a church in Islamabad that killed five people, told authorities from jail that he met with Tanweer before he was taken into custody. On Thursday, British authorities confirmed that two of the four suicide bomb suspects -- Tanweer and 18-year-old Hasib Hussain were Britons of Pakistani descent. According to reports, the other two suicide bombers have been identified as 30-year-old Mohammed Sidique Khan, also a Briton of Pakistani ancestry, and Jamaican-born Briton Lindsey Germaine. Meanwhile, authorities have confirmed the bombers in last week's attacks are connected to an al Qaeda plot uncovered two years ago in the Pakistani city of Lahore. Security officials told ABC News they have discovered ties between one of last week's London bombers and a group arrested last year. During those arrests, police recovered the laptop computer of a captured al Qaeda leader. Loaded in the computer were plans for a coordinated series of attacks on the London subway system. Names in the computer led to more than a dozen arrests of young Britons of Pakistani descent. And while four London bombers died in the attacks, police believe at least one other man involved in those attacks is alive and still at large. The man was seen on closed circuit videotapes at Luton station, located just north of London, as he bid farewell to the four bombers on the morning of the attacks.

From The Desk of GOD Effective Immediately: Please be aware that there are changes you need to make in your life. These changes need to be completed in order that I may fulfill my promises to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in this life. I apologize for any inconvenience, but after all that I am doing, this seems very little to ask of you. I know, I already gave you the 10 Commandments. Keep them. But follow these guidelines as well... 1. QUIT WORRYING Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you? Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way? 2. PUT IT ON THE LIST Something needs done or taken care of. Put it on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care of the problem. I can't help you until you turn it over to me. And, although my to-do-list is long, I am, after all, God. I can take care of anything you put into my hands. In fact, if the truth were ever really known, I take care of a lot of things for you that you never even realize. 3. TRUST ME Once you've given your burdens to me, quit trying to take them back. Trust in me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your problems and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on my list. Problem with finances? Put it on my list. Problems with your emotional roller coaster? For my sake, put it on my list. I want to help you. All you have to do is ask. 4. LEAVE IT ALONE Don't wake up one morning and say, "Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think I can handle it from here." Why do you think you are feeling stronger now? It's simple. You gave me your burdens and I'm taking care of them. I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don't you know that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where you started? Leave them with me and forget about them. Just let me do my job. 5. TALK TO ME I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you crazy. Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I'm in control. But there's one thing I pray you never forget. Please don't forget to talk to me - OFTEN! I love you. I want to hear your voice. I want you to include me in on the things going on in your life. I want to hear you talk about your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having a conversation with me. I want to be your dearest friend. 6. HAVE FAITH I see a lot of things from up here that you can't see from where you are. Have faith in me that I know what I'm doing. Trust me, you wouldn't want the view from my eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust me. Although I have a much bigger task than you, it seems as if you have so much trouble just doing your simple part. How hard can trust be? 7. SHARE You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you forget? That rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate than you. Share your joy with those who need encouragement. Share your laughter with those who haven't heard any in such a long time. Share your tears with those who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith with those who have none. 8. BE PATIENT I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs many times, learn many trades, travel to so many places, meet thousands of people, and experience so much. How can you be so impatient then when it takes me a little longer than you expect to handle something on my to-do-list? Trust in my timing, for my timing is perfect. Just because I created the entire universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should always rush, rush, rush. 9. BE KIND Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love you all. Please try to get along, for my sake. I created each of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all identical. Please know I love each of your differences. 10. LOVE YOURSELF As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by me for one reason only - to be loved, and to love in return. I am a God of Love. Love me. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself. It makes my heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me. Don't ever forget that! With all my heart, I love you, GOD -- Author Unknown (source: Inspire21.com )

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050714/world.htm#6 Extremist Imams to be deported: Blair London, July 13 Affirming UK’s determination to crack down extremists, Prime Minister Tony Blair said today that anti-terror laws would be tightened and steps taken for the deportation of radical Imams to prevent them from spreading the “evil and extreme ideology†based on a “perverted and poisonous misinterpretation of Islam.†— PTI

http://www.successconsciousness.com/index_00002f.htm Karma, Reincarnation, Nonduality and Spirit By Remez Sasson Karma means that the individual's actions determine his fate, whether in this or in a successive life. Every action has to be balanced in some way, in this or another life. It is not punishment. By doing certain actions, certain energies are set in motion, which bring certain effects. There is a tendency towards balance in the Universe, and karma is the law that restores this balance. Reincarnation is the rebirth of the soul in a new body. Karma affects the new body and determines the circumstances into which it is born. Both of them can explain a lot of things in each one's life. A life of comfort and success means that the person performed good deeds in a previous life, and a life of difficulties, failure and adversities is a retribution for negative past actions. In the East they say that there are three kinds of karma. The first is the one, which a person is paying and undergoing now, in this life, and which is the result of his past actions. The second kind is that which waiting in store, and will come out in a future life. The third is that which a person is creating right now, with his present actions. Who is it that reincarnates? Is it the physical body? The physical body does not reincarnate, but it is the body that undergoes the effects of karma. Are you your thoughts and feelings, and do they reincarnate? They are passing visitors. One moment certain thoughts and feelings may pass through your mind, and the next moment you may be aware of different ones. This means that you are not your thoughts, neither your feelings. You are their host for a little while. They affect your karma and reincarnation, but are not a definite entity which goes through them. Who are you then, and who is it that undergoes reincarnations and is affected by karma? Most people will say that it is the soul that reincarnates, but what is the soul? It is an ambiguous term. If someone says, "my soul reincarnates" or "my soul is eternal", he is actually saying that there are two different entities. There is he, and there is his soul, which means that he is not the soul. Excuse me for the comparison, but it is like saying, "I have a pair of shoes", "I have a car" and "I have a soul". It is regarded as a possession. This means that it is possible to be "with a soul" and "without a soul". Does this sound reasonable to you? If a soul is a "possession", then who is the owner? He must be more important then the soul. I would like to introduce you to a perspective that comes from the Eastern nonduality tradition. It says that there is just one kind of energy, power or spirit filling the whole Universe. This power "playfully" expresses itself through myriads of forms it has created from itself. Each form erroneously considers itself as a separate entity, and passes through various experiences. It is one and indivisible power seeing the world through the eyes of the many forms it has created. Each entity feels that it is living a unique life with past present and future. The mind that is attached to each entity builds all kinds of theories about life, evolution and fate. Are these theories real? If we accept the nonduality philosophy, we have to accept that there is just One Spirit, not many, and that this Spirit never actually reincarnates, and the karma it undergoes is illusory. Then who is it that experiences karma and reincarnation? The practical conclusion is that though we encounter various situations, and live in different circumstances, deep down we are all the same One Spirit. This Spirit is not touched by any situation or circumstances. If you wake up to the awareness of this Spirit, where is then karma and reincarnation? When the consciousness of the Spirit is directed towards itself, through concentration and meditation, and not towards the body and the surrounding world, one realizes that he is an integral part of the eternal and undivided Spirit. He experiences a spiritual awakening, and then both reincarnation and karma lose their meaning, power and reality.

From SikhSangat.org United Kingdom UK Parliament launches Sikh group By BBC Jul 12, 2005, 11:37 London is home to the largest Sikh temple outside India A group of UK parliamentarians have set up a new group to help represent British Sikhs. Peers and MPs hope the group will help improve government decisions about issues affecting the Sikh community. The All Party Parliamentary Group for UK Sikhs (APPG) will be chaired by Wolverhampton South West MP Rob Marris. "The level of interest shown in the APPG from all parties is an excellent sign," he said, adding he hoped women and young people would contribute. Mr Marris added that he hoped Gurdwaras and other Sikh organisations would work with the APPG to ensure their views were properly presented to government.

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=82461 Backlash begins... (from "THE STATEMAN, Newspaper) The Independent/Agencies LONDON, July 9. — Fire broke out in a mosque in Leeds and a Gurdwara in Kent, amid the first indications of a possible backlash against British Muslims as police said tension in the country was increasing. About 70 incidents against minorities have been reported across the country since yesterday, police said, adding they ranged from the fires in the prayer halls to two possible assaults, cases of verbal abuse and threatening calls. Kent Police are investigating two assaults on Muslim men in Dartford. Community tensions were discussed at a high level meeting of the government’s crisis command group code named ‘Cobra’, which was presided over by Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair. Muslim religious leaders used Friday prayers to condemn the bombings and to tell the faithful they “have no reason to feel ashamed†and should go about their daily lives. Dr Ghayasuddin Siddiqui, leader of the Muslim Parliament, praised Londoners for facing this testing time with great courage. He said: “Many Muslims are quite agitated by what might happen next but we haven’t seen the kind of things that happened post-9/11 when people openly spat at Muslims on the streets and vandalised mosques.†But a statement posted on the British National Party’s website claimed: “Following the Islamic fundamentalist massacres in London, two tendencies will rapidly become apparent. First, the pro-government media will swing into action, bringing out a steady stream of injured ordinary Muslims and a flood of ‘moderate’ Muslim spokesmen to condemn the extremists. Second, millions of ordinary Brits just won’t believe them, with a severe extra strain on race relations as a result.†A spokesman for the MCGB said: “It is important that Muslims are not cowed by what has happened.†Members of Britain’s Sikh community also fear becoming targets of racist attacks. A spokesman for the Sikh Commission on Racism & Cohesion said: “Following 9/11, anyone that was considered to be Muslim ... was targeted with vicious verbal racism, taunts and also physical attacks.†Hindu temples too have stepped up vigil on the assumption that those indulging in racist attacks may go for “any place of worship that looks differentâ€. Second claim An Al-Qaida-linked group, Abu Hafs al Masri Brigade, posted an Internet statement on Saturday claiming responsibility for the bombings and promised more attacks in London, which it described as the “capital of the infidelsâ€.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050710/main4.htm Violence in UK: SAD (A) appeals for restraint Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 9 The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) has appealed to the Sikhs all over the world to exercise utter restraint and not get provoked by hate violence which has reportedly erupted in some parts of England following bomb blasts in London a few days ago. Prof Jagmohan Singh, General Secretary of the SAD (Amritsar), said it was unfortunate that Sikhs also became the target of hate violence as a Gurdwara in Kent in England was set on fire by a violent mob protesting against London bomb attacks this morning. A mosque in Leeds was also set on fire. Professor Jagmohan Singh said it was time for the minorities to exercise utter restraint and do not get provoked by the actions of those who were out to exploit the situation created by the bomb attacks. The SAD (Amritsar) has already condemned London bomb attacks.

THE PURPOSE OF LIFE Sikhism accepts the idea of reincarnation. Life as a human being is considered the last step before realizing God. Whether or not one attains union with God depends on that one person's actions in this life. Guru Amar Das, the third Sikh prophet writes: He who sings His praises and does good actions Will merge into Him. Guru Arjan, the fifth Sikh prophet, explains the purpose of life when he writes: Having gained a body this time, A rare opportunity you have got; This is your chance to meet God. Your other pursuits will be of no avail at the end. Seek the company of holy men, And learn to meditate on God. Set your mind on crossing the sea of life; Life is being wasted away in pursuits of sensual pleasures. Essentially, according to Sikh philosophy, human beings should free themselves from the cycle of reincarnation (births and deaths) by abandoning self-centeredness and embracing God-centeredness. In Sikhism, God is metaphorically known as Truth. With this in mind, a human being who embraces God-centeredness is living a life devoted to the fulfillment of Truth. Furthermore, Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh prophet states that: God is just, And honors the truthful. In Sikhism, surrendering to the Will of God implicitly requires that man abandon ego. Guru Nanak makes this point clear when he addresses God, saying: Where ego is, Thou are not; When thou art within me, Then I am not. Source: www.allaboutsikhs.com

http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=f30292b1-d8ff-4369-8b0e-d7bc717da0cc UPDATE: Alleged drug smuggler stuck in jail U.S. judge denies Ravinderjit Kaur Shergill bail despite father's offer Kim Bolan and Amy O'Brian Vancouver Sun Friday, July 08, 2005 SEATTLE - A Vancouver woman with high-level political connections who is charged with ecstasy trafficking must stay put in a Seattle jail for the time being. U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Alice Theiler denied Ravinderjit Kaur Shergill's request for bail Thursday, despite her father's offer to post a $30,000 bond to have her released. Shergill, also known as Ravinderjit Kaur Puar, was arrested June 30 in Seattle after a four-week undercover sting by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. She lost a bid to become the NDP candidate for Vancouver-Kensington earlier this year and has connections to the federal Liberals and the left-leaning Vancouver civic party, COPE. "I've never been so utterly shocked in my life and any of us who have met her are utterly shocked," Vancouver Coun. Jim Green said Thursday. Green met with Shergill a few months ago and discussed her political future after she lost the Vancouver-Kensington nomination. Her father, Kalwant Singh Puar, who was in Seattle for the bail hearing, has been a prominent supporter of federal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh. Dosanjh was not available to comment Thursday, but his spokesman, Ken Polk, said the health minister knew Kalwant Singh Puar as a volunteer with his campaign during the last federal election. "He has supported the minister in the past and the minister has appreciated his support," Polk said from Ottawa. "Like anyone, you hear news like this, it's sort of surprising and shocking. That's pretty much the way [Dosanjh] has responded to it." Shergill, who is 30 and the mother of a young girl, was captured on tape during an undercover investigation boasting about her family's criminal and political connections, including her ability to have people put "six feet under" by her brothers. "You f--- with us, you die," she allegedly told the agent. "I don't know if you listen to the news and stuff. In Vancouver ... you pay for it and you know how bad you pay for it." Theiler said the comments were "concerning" because they were actually said, even if Shergill was exaggerating to impress clients. The U.S. State Attorney raised issues related to other criminal activity involving the family, who live in the 800-block of East 51st in south Vancouver. The Vancouver Police Department executed two search warrants on the family home last month in connection with an investigation into a number of drive-by shootings. Both Shergill's brother and husband are facing weapons charges in Canada and there was a drive-by shooting at their house, the U.S. court was told. The court was also told that Shergill's brother, Sundeep Singh Puar, has been charged with threatening his employer at Buster's Towing. Vancouver provincial court records show Sundeep Puar is charged with two counts of uttering threats and one charge of possessing a Taser stun gun without a licence in relation to an incident that happened June 25. Sundeep Puar, also known as Sunny, has also been previously charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm and assault, according to provincial court records. Shergill was charged with conspiracy to distribute ecstasy, as well as two counts of distribution of ecstasy after selling tens of thousands of pills to an undercover DEA agent. The BC Cancer Agency, where Shergill works as a lab technician, refused Thursday to release details about Shergill's employment history. "It's a personnel matter. We can't comment," said Nicole Adams, a spokeswoman for the agency. "We're in the process of reviewing the situation." David Bieber, a communications officer for the provincial NDP, said Ravinderjit Shergill donated $210 last fall after she became a member of the party. Her father donated $145 after he became a member last year, Bieber said. Shergill lost the NDP nomination last year to David Chudnovsky, who went on to win in the May provincial election. One of the three co-accused in the ecstasy case, Sarbjit Singh Virk, a Surrey cabinet-maker, was also ordered detained Thursday at the Seattle hearing. Theiler said she was concerned about evidence that Virk entered the U.S. illegally several years ago when he was living in Mexico. The other two accused, Sarbjit Singh Sandhu and Kamaljit Singh Ghag, are U.S. citizens and were released to family members. The four are due to have a preliminary hearing July 15, Emily Langlie of the U.S. Attorney's office said. kbolan@png.canwest.com aobrian@png.canwest.com © The Vancouver Sun 2005

The Sufis advise us to speak only after our words have managed to pass through three gates. At the first gate, we ask ourselves,"Are these words true?" If so, we let them pass on; If not, back they go. At the second gate, we ask, "Are they necessary?" At the last gate, we ask, "Are they kind?" - Eknath Easwaran

http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouvers...07-c061443aa54c Irresponsible article was an offensive bashing of the whole Sikh community Bachan Rai Special to the Sun July 6, 2005 VANCOUVER - Suresh Kurl's article, A Sikh Destiny, published on Canada Day, was nothing more than an offensive bashing of the Sikh community as a whole. Kurl uses the terms "Indo-Canadians" and "Sikhs" interchangeably to suit his purposes. When he needs to hand-wring or establish his credibility to be even talking about this issue, it's all about "Indo-Canadians." But when he wants to twist the knife in a little further, the evildoers become "Sikhs." Kurl's irresponsibility starts early. He begins by linking the Air India disaster with Indo-Canadian gangs that "emerged and embarked upon a killing spree." Somehow, it is the whole community that was not only responsible for the horrific terrorist attack, but then, instead of going into mourning, went on a killing rampage. The only connection between the people who brought down the Air India plane and who committed the majority -- not all, mind you -- of the Indo-Canadian youth killings in the past decade were Sikhs. They have that in common with me and a few hundred thousand B.C. residents. But they were also criminals and terrorists. I'm not. Why is Kurl lumping me with them on the basis of my faith, and not lumping them with terrorists and criminals of other faiths? He may argue the Air India plane was brought down in the name of Sikhism. But that's no different than the mobs who periodically massacre non-Hindus in their thousands in India in the name of Hinduism. Should we then lump Kurl and all his fellow Hindus in the same category? But Kurl doesn't stop with the Air India and youth violence issues. He sweeps crimes that are exclusively due to individual circumstances into his grab-bag of reasons to tar all Sikhs, including the incident where an estranged son-in-law murdered all his in-laws in Vernon some years ago and the recent case of the father who killed his daughter for having an interracial romance. I suppose all Christians need to hang their heads in shame for the crimes of people like Hitler and Homolka, if Kurl's logic is to be accepted. Kurl tut-tuts about "moderates" and "fundamentalists" in the Sikh religion, about battles in Sikh temples and about Sikhs building separate gurdwaras and having separate parades, and contrasts that with his version of the good old days when every Sikh he knew was a noble "sardarji." What nonsense. Not all Sikhs are as bad today as he paints them to be, and neither were they all at one time as good as the "sardarjis" of his memories. Why does it bother him so much that Sikhs have separate temples and parades? I say the more the merrier -- provided they don't resort to violence. I suspect even the "sardarjis" of his memories come straight out of the stereotypical caricature of Sikhs frequently portrayed in Bollywood movies -- the loud, good-natured but bumbling Punjabi, almost always a bus or taxi driver. Most telling, though, is that tired old bogey Kurl and others conjure up whenever bad things happen in the community: What will "others" think? Those who don't think are going to keep thinking the way they always do, irrespective of whatever anybody else does, good or bad. The Sikhs are fine. They're making great strides as full and enthusiastic participants in Canadian endeavours and have a healthy presence in all walks of life -- good and bad. Most are confident, comfortable and Canadian enough to not hide in a corner every time some wannabe mainstream-media pundit starts playing to the gallery by talking down to them. But a vicious ambush on Canada Day requires a response. Bachan Rai is the assistant assignment editor at Channel M television in Vancouver. The views expressed here are his own. © The Vancouver Sun 2005

At the center of the universe is a loving heart that continues to beat and that wants the best for every person. Anything we can do to help foster the intellect and spirit and emotional growth of our fellow human beings, that is our job. Those of us who have this particular vision must continue against all odds. Life is for service. - Fred Rogers 1928-2003

Positive Affirmation Quote: I Recognize The Divinity In All Things By embracing a positive attitude to see the beauty in all things it helps create compassion. Consider for a moment that everything you see is but a thoughtform in the eye of the Divine. This is a basic principle of theological metaphysics. Some metaphysical traditions call this "Divine Substance", that which is the basic building block of all material things. Everything around us is an expression of Divinity. Divinity as Nature and the Divinity in Humankind. This is not an excuse to get angry at God. Consider that anything which is "other than Divinity" is simply an error in perception, and look for the perfection. We can choose to get closer to our Source in this way, as we seek to commune with it in everything we do. You can move through your life calling on this perspective and no one in your environment need know. If we consider that every atom is based on Divine Substance, then the coffee mug on your desk is an expression of Divinity. You can drink from it, knowing your connection. You can look at your computer monitor in this way, your car, anything you want. For obvious reasons, this can be quite a shift in consciousness. Life tends to run a bit smoother, people are more loving, machinery doesn't break down as much. There can be quite a few benefits. Have fun with this positive motivational quote and play with it throughout your day. You may find that your positive attitude rubs off, and another might shine some compassion your way when you encounter one of life's challenges. source: circleoflight.com

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. - Albert Schweitzer

http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/news/editorial/story.html?id=7264b6c4-54d1-4976-9175-992d117870ab EDITORIAL: A Sikh destiny: The goal for Indians as Canadians should be to re-learn our culture and the lessons of our ancestors Suresh Kurl Special to the Sun Friday, July 01, 2005 RICHMOND - While the emotional blisters of the Air India bombing were still raw and oozing pain and grief, Indo-Canadian gangs emerged and embarked upon a killing spree. Their carnage has earned our community a reputation that makes us hang our heads in shame. The 1990s introduced me to new meanings, nuances and aspects of the "Sikh" religion. Until I learned of brawls in temple parking lots over chairs and tables, I had no clue there was such a classification as "fundamentalists" and "moderates." Before that, every Sikh was a respected warrior, a "Sardarji" to me. Fortunately, it seems that these factions have resolved their differences. Now, they have their separate Baisakhi parades, they build their separate Gurdwaras. In addition to committing violent acts against our own community, Indo-Canadians also committed heinous crimes against their own family members. Some examples of this horrific "brown on brown" violence include the cases of "The Kettle Bomber," the "Pink Lady," and the "Vernon Massacre." Recently, we heard about a "good guy," "a nice family man" and an "ordinary father" who stabbed to death his 17-year-old daughter, 17 times, as though he inflicted one stab for each year she lived. Since when have we condoned "honour killings?" These people, these crimes, do not reflect the Sikh community I knew growing up in India. Gurbax Singh, a Sikh, was among many of my father's multi-faith friends. He was so gentle that my father would say his friend did not have a single crooked bone in his body. His name should have been Sajjan (Gentle) Singh. My uncle and his friend, Terlok Singh, a Sikh, were so close that you would have thought that they were brothers. Whenever I went to visit my uncle I found him there -- sipping tea. Once, when I was visiting India with my then nine-year-old daughter Shachi, Terlok Singh dropped by and asked for me. He was wearing an orange turban. This was the mid-1980s, and Shachi thought that only Khalistanis wore orange turbans. When he entered the house, the poor kid freaked out; rushed inside to find me and blurted out, "there is a Khalistani looking for you." I came out and found Terlok Singh standing at the door. We hugged each other. I introduced him to Shachi assuring her that he was not a Khalistani. One of my high school classmates in India was Nattha Singh. He was a tall, strong boy, full of energy and humour. He was not much interested in school, though he took a great interest in girls. Once, for fun, I tripped him. Nattha's books went in one direction and his cherry turban in the other. Of course, this took place in front of the girls he was always trying to impress. I was terrified of the consequences, but Nattha never settled that score with me. He swallowed his pride and let me go home that evening with all my body parts intact. I know there is no such thing as absolute social harmony. But those are my recollections of a harmonious community. Lately, I have been pondering our destiny. Where is it taking us? Have we forgotten every sermon our scriptures taught us? Have we lost all the lessons our ancestors reinforced? Or did we forget to pack them when we left for the West? It appears we bartered them for material goals and vanity on arrival. I am concerned about how other Canadians view us. Do they see us as people from one of the oldest cultures of the world, where Buddha, Guru Nanak, Govind Singh and Mahatma Gandhi taught us to be loving, forgiving and compassionate, and inspired us to value truth? Or are we viewed as people who have come here from a self-centred, narcissistic culture where we resolve our differences through violence, by blowing up planes, by killing our spouses and stabbing our children? If they view us as being from the second group, it will not be their fault. We are the ones who converted Sikhism's holiest shrine into an armory. We are the people who desecrated the sanctity of the Golden Temple in Amritsar by invading it. We are the people who had danced on the streets and distributed sweets to celebrate the assassination of Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi. We are the people who vowed to kill 50,000 Hindus to avenge the victimization of Sikhs in India. And we are the ones who blew 329 innocent men, women and children out of the sky 20 years ago. We can't deny any of these acts. So, how can we blame people for taking us as a bunch of bloodthirsty brutes? There is still time to work on our image in our adopted country by reminding each other who we were, where we came from and where we are. Let's invest our energies on adults, and especially on parents, the trustees of the next generation. Let's re-learn Indian culture before we force our children to behave like Indians. In the process, some acculturation wouldn't hurt. After all, in Canada, there is no such thing as pure cultures any more. And it's something we, as Canadians, often celebrate. © The Vancouver Sun 2005

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050630/punjab1.htm#13 Teaching Gurbani to non-Sikhs Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 29 Renowned technologist from the region Dr Kuldip Singh has embarked on a unique mission of spreading the message of Gurbani among non Sikhs. For three years, the former Head of Surgery, PGI, and Department of Radiotherapy, CMC, Ludhiana, has been engaged in finding ways to take the word of Guru Nanak far and wide. And in his attempt he has succeeded largely, as is clear from the fact that he has written five booklets highlighting the significance of Gurbani and authored one book which raises issues seldom raised before. Not just that, he has also hired the best artists of the region to lend visual forms to Sikh history. His house is a museum of Sikh history — laced as it is with paintings, posters and placards that delineate the finer aspects of Sikh history — from creation of the Khalsa to the relevance of five Ks. At home in his Sector 15 residence in Chandigarh, the surgery expert tells of the Baisakhi day in 2000 which changed his life. “The world may not believe me, but I had an apparition in which Guru Nanak asked me to do something to take Gurbani beyond the realm of Sikhs. That’s when I began writing, something which was based on 800 hours of extensive study and on the “vars†of Bhai Gurdas.†Dr Singh has written about five booklets, including the one on the message of Gurbani, another on shabads and their translations. His third work was a booklet containing an introduction to Guru Granth Sahib. This work has been translated in many foreign languages and has been distributed in Kenya, Uganda, the US, the UK, the Singapore, the Maldives, Indonesia, Thialand, Australia and New Zealand. The last booklet he wrote contains finest aspects of all world religions. Says Dr Singh, “My last work deals with the often posed questions about Guru Nanak- who he was and what his mission on earth was.†The book is accordingly titled “Guru Nanak and His Mission†and it was recently released in both English and Punjabi editions for the benefit of non Sikhs. The book is an end to Dr Singh’s lifelong search for one question - “Why did Guru Nanak not make a Granth of his own Bani; why did he choose Guru Angad Dev to execute this task?†This quest finds an expression in Dr Singh’s book which has been published under the aegis of the Sant Isher Singh Rarewala Education Trust. Dr Singh also runs a Trust called the Satyameva Jayate Trust which propagates the message of Guru Nanak all over the world, especially among non Sikhs. Ask the author which has been the best inspiration behind his mission and he tells, “Guru Nanak spent a life time traveling, trying to touch as many lives as possible. Only in the last 12 years of his life did he choose to settle create a Panth. His philosophy is meant for the world and must be taken to the world.†In his quest, Dr Singh has created a corpus of paintings, posters and placards to dispel notions that people harbour about religious codes like the relevance of five Ks. But his poster highlighting the magnificence of Harmandar Sahib is most overwhelming of all. No wonder it has been translated into two foreign languages, including French

Meditation may require a lifetime to master, but it will have been a lifetime well spent. Those who offer instant enlightenment mislead us. After all, we have to bring the mind itself under control, and there is no more difficult task in life. We should be prepared for a lifetime of challenge. But then, we need challenges, or we stagnate. If you want to judge your progress, ask yourself these questions: Am I more loving? Is my judgment sounder? Do I have more energy? Can my mind remain calm under provocation? Am I free from the conditioning of anger, fear, and greed? Spiritual awareness reveals itself as eloquently in character development and selfless action as in mystical states. Authentic mystical experience changes the way you see the world and the way you live. source: nilgiri.com

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/7242_1413030,00180007.htm Study to help Sikhs and Muslims 'die with dignity' Asian News International Washington, June 27, 2005 Researchers at the University of Edinburgh are conducting a new study to identify ways in which health professionals can better understand the needs of terminally ill Sikhs and Muslims and give them the opportunity to 'die with dignity'. According to the researchers, the study will help patients belonging to minority groups to have a 'good death' sensitive to their cultural and religious beliefs. "Why is it that a middle aged Muslim daughter insists on maintaining a day and night hospital vigil of her dying mother? Or why might Sikh patients with a terminal condition have such large numbers of friends and relatives visiting them during their final illness? The importance of these and other rites of passage need to be understood by caregivers," said Professor Aziz Sheikh, who will lead the project. The researchers will study patients, who are suffering from conditions such as terminal cancer, heart problem, and lung or kidney failure. Patients' family members will also be studied to record their evolving experiences. The patients will be recruited from GPs, hospices, hospitals and from Indian and Pakistani community centres. "The introduction of palliative care into health care is a relatively recent phenomenon, and even now these services are mainly focused on the needs of elderly people dying from cancer. However, migrant communities in Britain are typically younger and have proportionately higher death rates from diseases not related to cancer," said Sheikh. "No effective national provisions are in place for training of healthcare professionals in trans-cultural medicine, and few professionals will therefore have any real opportunity to learn about death rites in different cultures," he said. =============================================== COMMENTS FROM HARBHAJAN: I have personally noticed that almost all the Christian Churchs' Ministers/ Volunteers visit their "flock" during their hospital stay on regular basis, offering then spirtual advice, support & prayers. However our Sikh Temples / Religious leaders / Community have have failed to set up such a "visting service" during this most difficult and challenging time !

http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,2763,1515545,00.html Sikh protesters disrupt wedding Robert Booth Monday June 27, 2005 The Guardian ( UK) Sikh leaders called for restraint last night after about 40 religious protesters forced the abandonment of a wedding at a conference and banqueting centre in Slough, Berkshire, by storming the venue and seizing a holy book central to the ceremony. Angered that the sacred text, the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, was being used in a place where alcohol, meat and cigarettes were available, the protesters snatched the book from a priest who fell to the ground amid chaotic scenes. The wedding on Saturday was halted by a campaign group which had travelled by bus from Leamington Spa after searching the internet for details of weddings which might break religious rules. They told yesterday how they struck as the holy book was carried in traditional fashion on the priest's head across the car park. Two protesters wrested the book from the priest and took it to a place of worship for safekeeping. Police were called and found the priest still lying on the ground in the car park. They stood guard at the centre overnight and Sikh weddings passed off without problems yesterday. The practice of taking the Siri Guru Granth Sahib out of sanctified environments is prohibited by Sikh leaders in India and there has been concern in the UK at the contravention of these rules for weddings held outside temples. "We will not tolerate the use of the holy book in social venues," said Jaswinder Singh Ubhi, leader of the Respect to Guru Granth Sahibji Campaign, which led the protest. "We will use any means whatsoever to stop this happening. All we had to do was make sure we got the holy book and got the hell out of there to the nearest temple and restored the book to its rightful place. "The biggest culprits are the Sikh communities themselves. When we have multimillion pound temples which can accommodate up to 1,000 people, why do they need to go out and get married in hotels?" According to the Network of Sikh Organisations, there have been several recent protests against use of the book in secular locations, but it thought Saturday's direct action was the first of its kind and a sign of an emerging "hardline" approach.

Father, uncle held for killing daughter Tribuneindia -Our Correspondent Abohar, June 26 Pressure mounted by the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) forced the district police to arrest Dalip Singh and his brother Sher Singh yesterday allegedly for murdering Gurparwinder Kaur, alias Pinky, daughter of Dailp Singh, on January 2 this year. The accused have reportedly confessed that they strangled her to death. Pinky lost her life for marrying Jasbir Singh of Jhugge Gulab Singh village against her parents' wishes, sources said. Jasbir had been running from pillar to post since January this year when Pinky went missing, but none of the officers whom he contacted was ready to investigate the case. He then approached the PSHRC. He said Pinky's parents were against their marriage so they eloped and got "Anand Karaj" (marriage ceremony) performed at a gurdwara in Bhumal village near Ludhiana on August 19, 2004. They had been working as daily wage earners since then. According to him, Pinky's parents approached his maternal grandparents in Badha village near the international border to convey that they had finally resolved to approve the marriage. On their request, Jasbir sent Pinky with her father Dalip Singh and other relatives for a week. Since then she had been missing. The parents asserted that Pinky had gone back, but she never turned up. The police had registered an FIR only under Section 364 of the IPC, but it failed to make any progress in the case, Jasbir alleged in a communication addressed to the PSHRC and the Chief Minister. Now, the Sarpanch of Badha village produced Dalip Singh and his brother Sher Singh before the investigating officer where reportedly disclosed that they using a piece of towel strangled Pinky to death. They later took the body to Waring village near Muktsar and drowned it in Rajasthan feeder. The police arrested them under Sections 302 and 102-B of the IPC.

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety. Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays. - Ralph Waldo Emerson Suggestion from Harbhajan: Start your day with Waheguru's Divine Love & Blessings, by first doing Meditation/ Naam Simran !

Teen's murder a wakeup call Camille Bains Canadian Press Thursday, June 23, 2005 VANCOUVER (CP) -- Amandeep Atwal was a starry-eyed teen with big dreams and a secret love affair that she thought would get her killed if it was ever discovered by her parents. For two years, the popular high school student regularly snuck out of her home in the northern B.C. town of Kitimat to spend time with her high school friend Todd McIsaac and his family. But while Amandeep talked about one day getting married and having kids, she lived with a fear that stalked her daily. "My dad's going to kill me when he finds out," the 17-year-old told Dan McIsaac, her boyfriend's father, shortly before she was murdered. McIsaac said in an interview that he initially thought that was just teenage talk. But Amandeep uttered those words, which still haunt McIsaac, after the two teens were in a car accident and hospital staff phoned their parents. McIsaac, who worked with Amandeep's dad Rajinder Atwal at the local Alcan plant, had helped keep the secret that was about to be exposed. Then it happened: Atwal set out to punish his daughter for what he believed was dishonouring the family. On July 30, 2003, he savagely stabbed Amandeep 17 times, even slashing her face. At his sentencing hearing, Atwal cried and apologized but didn't testify during his trial. Atwal's lawyer, David Butcher, has filed an appeal of his client's second-degree murder conviction. On Wednesday, a B.C. Supreme Court judge who called the murder "the ultimate breach of trust by a parent" ruled that Atwal would have to serve 16 years of his life sentence before he can apply for parole. Indo-Canadian community activists say it's time that families like the Atwals who are caught in a cultural crossfire with their Canadian-born children realize they should seek help. And they believe social agencies need to be culturally sensitive to the needs of people in crisis. But community activists acknowledge that families with long-held beliefs from another era will need to change their attitudes about their grown children's relationships -- something that will take time. At his sentencing hearing, Atwal's lawyer presented 60 letters of support from his client's friends, colleagues, neighbours and even his wife, son and younger daughter. They called him a kind, hardworking man who was a good provider. And they urged the judge to show leniency to the husband and father they said they'd help rehabilitate after his release from prison. But many among the small group of Indo-Canadian families in Kitimat denounced Atwal's actions as heinous, said Raymond Raj, president of the Kitimat Multicultural Society. "People were just shocked and they were saying, 'Why? If she was dating somebody outside of the culture then what's the big deal?"' Atwal, like the Sikhs who support him, has an old-world mentality that no longer exists even in much of India except for tiny villages, Raj said. Many Indo-Canadian families come to accept the fact that their kids will meet people of different backgrounds at school and elsewhere, he said. Others, said Raj, remain stuck in a time warp and also have a double standard for how they raise boys compared to girls. For example, Amandeep's older brother Narinder was accompanied at his father's sentencing hearing by his Caucasian girlfriend. Amandeep, however, paid for her relationship with her life. She wasn't the first South Asian woman to meet that fate. Five years ago, Maple Ridge, B.C., resident Jaswinder Sidhu was murdered because she defied tradition by secretly marrying a man her parents disapproved of. Sidhu, a 25-year-old beautician, was killed in India after she married a man she met while on a trip there. Indian police have been trying to have Sidhu's mother and an uncle extradited to India, where police have arrested several others in connection with what they have called a contract killing. RCMP Sgt. John Ward said an investigation into Sidhu's murder is ongoing but that he couldn't comment on it. In 1996, Abdur Rashid, a wealthy West Vancouver man from an Ismaeli background, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder three years earlier of his daughter-in-law. His son married 23-year-old Naazish Khan, a model he met while on holiday in Bombay, without the consent of his parents. In 1975, Santa Singh Tatlay was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his daughter and her husband after a bomb hidden inside a kettle, believed to be a wedding present to the couple, exploded. Another man, James Lewis, is also serving a life sentence as an accessory to the crime. Manpreet Grewal, a Sikh community activist, said such crimes are extremely rare and horrifying to the vast majority of South Asians. Most often, the family feels shame when a daughter dates someone even from her own culture because she's having a relationship before marriage, something that's considered a huge taboo, Grewal said. "The whole value is entrenched in this purity of the girl, which brings honour to the family," she said, adding a daughter is considered a family's pride, to be given away one day to a compatible family. Historically, sons are afforded more freedom and seen as the financial supporters of their parents in their old age. Parents need to move on from their traditional beliefs and realize that their Canadian children are under a great deal of pressure because they're caught between two cultures and trying to deal with their parents' expectations while growing up around mainstream views, Grewal said. Other community activists say it's not uncommon for a teen to have a secret relationship or even run away, leaving the family in disarray and finally looking for help. "There's a lot of help but the problem is people walk out of their homes only in times of crisis, I'd say extreme crisis situations, when a lot of damage has already taken place," said a Sikh family counsellor who didn't want her name used because she feared speaking out could cause problems in the community. Government aid agencies need to ensure staff are trained to deal with specific needs of the community and speak languages such as Punjabi to reach out to families in need, the counsellor said. "The government has to take serious steps in this situation, where young people are saved so we don't have more Amandeep Atwals," she said. "It is a burning issue and it's high time now that some steps should be taken in this direction." Grewal echoed her sentiments: "Support that is culturally and linguistically competent for some of these families has not been there," she said. While South Asians have traditionally prized their privacy and didn't share their personal woes with outsiders, they are slowly starting to ask for help in dealing with issues that threaten to tear their families apart, Grewal said. However, she said it's also important for new immigrants to adapt to a different way of life in their adopted homeland. Dan McIsaac, who affectionately refers to Amandeep by her nickname Aman, said she called him Dad and felt safe in the McIsaac home. Her needless death should serve as a wakeup call, he said. "I wish thousands and thousands of people would just scream about this because some other young girl is going to end up like this, and many have already." © Canadian Press 2005

Jun. 24, 2005. 01:00 AM Uncle charged in death of toddler Initially ruled drowning accident Man, 37, arrested after 3-day probe BOB MITCHELL TORONTO STAR - STAFF REPORTER A Brampton ( ONTARO ) man has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his 3-year-old niece, a family tragedy that was initially ruled an accidental drowning. Peel homicide charged the child's uncle, 37-year-old Devinder Singh, after nearly three days of intensive investigation into the incident. Rashmeet Oshan was pronounced dead at William Osler Health Centre's Brampton Memorial Hospital on Tuesday morning, soon after emergency personnel found her lacking vital signs in a neighbour's home on Rockrose Dr. Based on their initial information, Peel police said the child drowned in her family's backyard inflatable pool. But results of a forensic autopsy conducted Wednesday at Hospital for Sick Children changed the direction of the investigation from an accident to a homicide. Peel police never release autopsy results or the cause of death in homicides until the case reaches the trial stage. Although police sources said Rashmeet's back was broken, it's believed that didn't cause her death. Family members have remained away from the home since the child's mother arrived Tuesday morning and was met by police. But forensic investigators and homicide detectives have been seen going in and out of the residence over the past two days. Police have released few details about the case, except that a 911 call made around 9:40 a.m. on Tuesday sent emergency personnel rushing to the neighbour's home. At the time, police said a relative had brought the unconscious child to the neighbour's home asking for help. But that neighbour later told reporters that the relative never mentioned anything about the child drowning. The neighbour also said Rashmeet was dry, and that she was dressed in a T-shirt and shorts. Three adults, including the accused, were living at the home with three children when the death occurred, police said. Although neighbours said they thought the young girl had a twin brother, police have said that young boy was her cousin. Rashmeet's father lives in India, police said. Neighbours said the family generally kept to themselves. Singh is expected to make his first appearance in a Brampton courtroom today. Peel homicide investigators are still investigating the case. Anyone with information is asked to call 905-453-2121 ext. 3200. http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentSe...tacodalogin=yes

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. - Albert Schweitzer Lesson: There are two types of people: those who light the lamps. and those who put them out ! So be with people who "lift" you up, rather than those people who are toxic !

“You hear a lot of strange things about tithing ( dasvandh in Sikhism ). Some say it is a church ( religious ) tax, and they expect me to pay it and that is the end of it. Others say that when I give God one-tenth of my income, He blesses the nine-tenths that is left to the extent that the nine-tenths now goes as far as the whole thing used to go. This isn’t really true, is it? Suppose a farmer had 100 bushels of corn in the barn and he decides to plant 10 bushel in the ground. What multiplies? Is it the 90 bushels that he has left in the barn? Oh, no. All of us ‘farmers’ know it is the 10 bushels you put in the ground that multiplies. Similarly, it is the 10 percent you give to God that multiplies.†— Stanley Tam (1915-), American businessman and philanthropist