Premi

There is no such 'brotherhood' in the UK

Thanks for sharing this. Why do you need to say : "Dass would like to say that I have no hate towards any community or religious faith." We should be more open about who we think are trouble-makers. Are not a lot of Roman Catholic schools in the UK successful?

I cannot find the link I read this on, but it was not actually in Alabama. It was Selma, Fresno (California). This was misreported apparently initially as Alabama Fresno has a high percentage Sikh population apparently And it looks like maybe more to do with carjacking than hate, although could be combination. Sikhs are probably known as a wealthy community there too

Thank you @Ravjot3041 Ji What prompted this thread? Which country are you in? I think your points are quite be valid. Do you think the genocide will be in India, or some other country?

https://www.uscirf.gov/religious-prisoners-conscience/forb-victims-database/jagtar-singh-johal User account menu Jagtar Singh Johal Gender: Male Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Sikh Reports of Torture: Yes Reports of Medical Neglect: No Date of Detainment: November/4/2017 Current Status: Not Released Religious Leader: No Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment Reason for Persecution: Criticizing Religious Freedom Conditions Human Rights Work for Religious Communities Religious Belief Reporting on Religious Freedom Conditions or Documenting Religious Freedom Violations Nature of Charges: Arms Trafficking & Illicit Use of Weapons Criminal Premeditation & Conspiracy Murder & Attempted Murder Terrorism Jagtar Singh Johal Extra Bio Info: Jagtar Singh Johal is detained for his religious belief and for documenting religious freedom violations. On November 4, 2017, 15 unidentified men in Rama Mandi, Jalandhar, Punjab, abducted Johal after his wedding in Jalandhar. The following day, Johal appeared a duty magistrate in Bagha Purana where no formal charges were filed against him. Authorities later released a press statement that Johal was among other suspects accused of “being involved in a series of killings carried out in collaboration with Pakistani intelligence operatives as part of a conspiracy to fan communal disturbances and destabilize the State.” Prior to his arrest, Johal, a British citizen, was an online activist and contributed to a website that documented human rights violations and persecution of Sikhs in India. Between November 4, 2017, to November 7, 2017, police interrogated and tortured Johal by using electric shocks, forcing his limbs into painful positions, and depriving him of sleep. Authorities have reportedly failed to investigate Johal’s allegations of torture. Between November 4, 2017, to November 14, 2017, Johal was held incommunicado and denied adequate legal counsel. On December 6, 2017, police from Ludhiana arrested Johal for allegedly killing a member of a far-right Hindu political party in January 2017. On December 7, 2017, local news organizations aired video footage of Johal’s alleged confession, despite no references being made in the video to the crimes he was charged with. On or around December 11, 2017, Khanna police arrested Johal for allegedly killing a Hindu leader in April 2016. In May 2019, Punjab police and the National Investigative Agency filed charges against Johal in 10 cases related to “crimes of conspiracy and funding and recruiting for terrorist activities related to attacks on members of right-wing Hindu nationalist political groups and religious leaders in Punjab allegedly by the Khalistan Liberation Force.” Johal was charged with conspiracy (Sec. 120B IPC), murder (Sec. 302 IPC), terrorist acts (Sec. 16 UAPA), using arms (Sec. 27 Arms Act), and more. Charges against Johal are reportedly based primarily on confessions he made obtained under torture. On January 7, 2021, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police arrested Johal in another case accusing him of being involved in the murder of another individual in October 2020, despite Johal being in Tihar Jail. Between January 9, 2021, and January 16, 2021, Johal was held incommunicado. In May 2022, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared Johal’s detention arbitrary and called for his immediate release. In their opinion, the Working Group stated that it believes Johal was targeted “because of his activities as a Sikh practitioner and supporter and because of his activism in writing public posts calling for accountability for alleged actions committed against Sikhs by the authorities.” It added that Johal was “deprived of his liberty on discriminatory grounds, owing to his status as a human rights defender and based on his political activism, religious faith and opinions.” Johal is currently being held in Tihar Jail.

*Sandwell Also, who were the perpetrators ?

Don't know what to say....no justice in this country https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13104185/Swearing-Imam-72-ran-killed-49-year-old-man-lying-road-spared-jail.html Swearing Imam, 72, who ran over and killed 49-year-old man lying in the road while on his way to mosque is spared jail - after telling police he thought body was a 'bin bag' Qari Hazarvi Abassi hit the man on his way to the Abubakr Mosque in Southall By MILO POPE PUBLISHED: 13:17, 20 February 2024 | UPDATED: 13:25, 20 February 2024 A swearing Imam who ran over and killed a man who was lying in the middle of the road has been spared jail after he told police he 'might have run over a bin bag'. Qari Hazarvi Abassi, 72, from Southall, was on his way to lead early morning prayers at the Abubakr Mosque in west London when he hit Harvinder Singh, 49, on May 4, 2021. Two passers-by saw Mr Singh lying in the middle of Lady Margaret Road and tried to divert vehicles around him. He had been found in the road earlier saying he wanted to kill himself. ... He denied but was convicted of causing death by careless driving by an Old Bailey jury after a trial last month. Abassi was sentenced to 36 weeks jail suspended for 12 months. He will also have to pay £1,800 in costs and he was disqualified from driving for three years. Judge Rebecca Poulet, KC, said unfortunately by the spring of 2021 Mr Singh was in a 'very vulnerable state' and was 'deeply depressed, apparently suicidal and, I am told, suffering from alcoholism'. She told Abassi: 'Before your approach two men completely unknown to each other had taken up positions in front of Mr Singh's body seeking to protect him. 'You did not slow down at all as you approached the two men who were by now urgently gesturing at oncoming vehicles to avoid Mr Singh and drive into the other carriageway. 'You did not slow or steer to avoid either of the men. Both men had to jump out of your path, as one of them said, 'to save my life'.' 'In my judgement you were impatient, and fatally misjudged the situation ahead of you.' The judge said Abassi did not initially realise he had driven over a body and accepted that the cleric had shown remorse. 'You have now clearly expressed very deep remorse for the loss of Mr Sing's life, and you now accept the jury's verdict. This is a very tragic case'. The Imam was driving at 25mph in a 20mph zone when he hit Mr Singh, the court heard. Prosecutor Alexander Agbamu said two members of the public had stood in the road, warning Abassi of the imminent hazard ahead. 'Mr Abassi disregarded those warnings and did not slow his approach, causing the members of the public to jump out of the way to avoid being hit themselves. 'He drove over Mr Singh and continued to drive on without stopping. Mr Singh sustained devastating injury and was pronounced dead later that morning.' Giving evidence through an Urdu interpreter, Abassi said he had not stopped when he saw the men because he thought they might have been drunk. He said: 'While I was driving I saw two men standing on the road and they were showing some gestures towards me and I thought why are they doing these gestures with their hands towards me? Either they want a lift or they are drunk. 'There was something lying on the road which I thought was a bin or briefcase or something, and these men with their gestures. 'So I was thinking "Why are they doing this to me for being a human being, so I made some comments which were sweary". 'It was never in my mind that some human being or person was there. When people ask you to stop and you don't know those people, you don't stop for that reason.' The prosecutor asked him: 'Do you think you did anything wrong?' Abassi replied: 'No'.

Daily mail website Why white British children as young as eight are pledging their lives to Allah By SUE REID PUBLISHED: 20:54 EST, 19 February 2024 | UPDATED: 02:33 EST, 20 February 2024 Eyes shining with excitement, the nine-year-old English boy in a dark Parka jacket holds up a certificate showing he has just converted to Islam. ‘You’re a Muslim, Rudi!’ cheers the imam as he hugs the child, whose hand he has held throughout a short ceremony at a Lancashire mosque. In his piping voice, the youngster has just recited the words of the Shahada, a strict Islamic creed pledging that there is ‘nothing worthy of worship but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger’. The mantra means he must now wash before praying five times a day, never eat pork and — when he is grown up — shun Western habits including drinking alcohol or sex, except with his own equally devout Muslim wife. We know about Rudi, and that his mother, charity volunteer Claire, willingly agreed to his conversion, because we have seen a video of the event in January 2021. Sign of the times: A Muslim cleric pictured with a young convert to Islam. Their identities have been obscured for legal reasons The Mail has discovered that child and teenage Islamic conversions have become commonplace at the UK’s 1,500 mosques during the past five years. Identities have been obscured for legal reasons It was posted online by the mosque and has been plastered over numerous Islamic TV channels as well as social media sites including Facebook, TikTok and YouTube, ever since. During the video, Imam Muhammad Bilal can he heard asking Rudi if he has made his decision to become a Muslim of his free will and without any pressure from anyone. The boy answers yes, nodding his tiny, mopped head enthusiastically. At that moment, Rudi became one of the youngest UK converts to Islam, according to the Greengate mosque in the former cotton town of Oldham. But he is one of many hundreds of British children whose ancestors were largely Christians who are converting to the creed. Type ‘Islam convert’ into an internet search engine and you will see scores of clips of British youngsters embracing the religion. Many have been posted by mosques to showcase the ‘phenomenon’ of mass conversions by disenchanted young Christians and non-believers, some still at primary school. The number of converts — or ‘reverts’ as they are also known in Islam faith, which decrees that every person is born a Muslim — has grown into a tidal wave since the horrific massacre of Israelis by terror group Hamas last year, which has provoked a pro-Palestinian fervour among the young which has provoked a pro-Palestinian fervour among the young. But the Mail has discovered the scene was set long before the October 7 atrocities. We have found that child and teenage Islamic conversions have become commonplace at the UK’s 1,500 mosques during the past five years. Even in the cathedral city seat of the Church of England’s Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, a mosque has posted a film online entitled Two English Brothers Accept Islam. It shows the boys, perhaps aged 14 and 15, repeating the Shahada watched by groups of young Muslim men, some sitting on the floor, and nearly all recording the event on mobile phones. At the end, the bearded and gowned imam, waving a bottle of water and a microphone, smiles as the brothers hug each other and then embrace some of the watching worshippers. In another astonishing video, a minuscule ten-year-old English child called George in a black and white headdress says the Shahada as he converts to Islam on a pavement under the shadow of Big Ben during a massive pro-Palestine protest in London last December. The cherubic-looking child is told by the Islamic cleric with a strong South London accent (who is not shown on screen): ‘Our main aim is paradise, [as Muslims] we will never die.’ The child is standing by his unnamed and straight-talking father in a flat cap, holding a Palestinian flag. He tells the camera that he once converted to Islam ‘25 years ago’ but has since strayed from the faith, even visiting Anglican churches to pray. The father insists that he is encouraging his son to convert. The boy himself pipes up that he is anti-Islamophobia and wants to have a new life during what appears to be an impromptu ceremony. The number of converts — or ‘reverts’ as they are also known in Islam faith, which decrees that every person is born a Muslim — has grown into a tidal wave since the horrific massacre of Israelis by terror group Hamas last year ‘This is amazing, you’re a believer. Go to the mosque and learn Arabic,’ instructs the imam as he finishes the Shahada with the child grinning in delight. Behind him as a backdrop to this extraordinary scene are flag-waving protesters, the statue of Winston Churchill and red London buses. This video of George has now gone viral across the world, along with those of other British boys and girls becoming Muslims. One mosque welcoming the child converts with alacrity is Lewisham Islamic Centre in South-East London. Its outspoken chief imam Shakeel Begg, 44, is a persuasive and voluble speaker who, as the Mail revealed last December, told his worshippers at Friday prayers after the October 7 Hamas attack: ‘Grant victory to the people of Palestine, the people of Gaza, support them over their enemy, your enemy. Punish the oppressors (Israel) ... destroy them, tear them apart.’ He went on to claim that, despite filmed evidence to the contrary, the West and Israel were lying by saying Muslims ‘had killed innocent children in Israel’. Begg is a controversial figure. He once launched an unsuccessful libel case against the BBC for calling him an extremist. The judge warned him that he was in the perfect position to ‘plant the seeds of extremism in a young mind’. Yet now he boasts of his growing following, particularly among school-aged children and students, from within his own deprived borough and across London. On Islamic channels, the imam explains that he has welcomed 30,000 new Muslims to his mosque over two decades, two of the recruits only eight years old. ‘People are looking for the truth... spiritual guidance and not finding that in the materialistic world that we are living in,’ he claimed. ‘So they are getting the answers and solutions in Islam.’ In a film, Meet The Imam Converting Tens of Thousands Of Brits To Islam, published recently on the 5Pillars news site, he continues: ‘Islam is being normalised. It is... cool to be a Muslim. Because you find footballers, boxers, rappers, celebrities, so it is OK with the general public.’ In another recent podcast he is interviewed with a fellow Muslim, Fatima Barkatulla, for a show entitled Londoners Converting To Islam. It was broadcast on the social media site UMMAH (‘community’ in Arabic) TALK, which has a growing UK following. In the Barkatulla podcast, Begg says his mosque is giving out 30 to 40 copies of the Koran every week to passers-by who come in and ask for them. Many are non-Muslims. He gives details of the two recently converted eight-year-old English children. ‘The girl was with her father, a Muslim who had taken the Shahada before. The primary-school boy came with his friends who attended the mosque,’ he says. ‘In the last three or four years, a lot of people are becoming Muslims from the white community.’ When asked by Ms Barkatulla (pictured behind a blue veil) how he sees the future in 100 years’ time, the imam says that every household in the UK will have someone in it who is a Muslim, ‘a daughter, son, a cousin, or an aunt’. He expects in Lewisham, if Allah is willing, that almost all the population will have joined Islam by then. Dig a little deeper into events at Lewisham Islamic Institute and you find on social media the short film of a pale-skinned English child — perhaps the eight-year-old girl he mentions — taking the Shahada there. She looks incredibly young and has certainly not reached puberty. Her head, shoulders and thin chest are shrouded in a brown hijab, the modest Islamic covering for women, as she repeats her promises solemnly in a quiet voice to a cleric. ‘You are now a Muslim, Sister Layla,’ the man tells the child as he congratulates her warmly. Although we are told on the mosque footage that she is called Layla, that is the name many new Muslim women and girls adopt after the ceremony because they shed their previous, often Christian, persona. It holds a special meaning in Islam because it is shared by a female contemporary of the Prophet Muhammad’s who was married to one of his most successful generals. The video of Layla could easily be viewed as a publicity blurb fuelling the mosque’s uptick in conversions. Begg would tell you that she — and her family — agreed to her being filmed during the momentous decision to devote her life to Islam at such an early age. And this surge in British youngsters converting to Islam shows no sign of slowing. Many mosques make it clear they are willing to welcome non-believing recruits sporting ‘tattoos, braided uncovered hair, or even immodest clothing’, without criticism or judgement. One of these eager forward scouts is another imam at the Lewisham Islamic Institute. He is Ashraf Dabous who recently appeared on the Thinking Muslim podcast to talk of the ‘phenomenon’ of youth conversions. He said that a really dramatic rise of 60 or 70 youngsters, some just 13 and 14 years old, took Shahada there during Ramadan, the month of holy fasting, during spring last year. The imam said many of the converts had watched their friends and fellow Muslim pupils praying five times a day at school, being friendly, disciplined in behaviour, and liked what they saw — so wanted to copy them. ‘There are a new generation [of young people] in our society who live Islam confidently. They say they are British, yes, but they are Muslim first,’ he explained during the interview. He added: ‘Our doors [at the mosque] are always open.’ He suggested that controversies around gender and LGBT issues have driven a wedge through society, helping to encourage the avalanche of male converts to Islam. ‘It is difficult for young men to find their way in a society that is feminising and erasing them. We as Muslims are very black and white on these issues . . . a man is a man and a woman is a woman.’ This is confirmed by the Leicestershire-based Convert Muslim Foundation where a ‘leading light’ who wished to withhold her name told us this week that youngsters are being inspired by Islam amid turbulent world events. ‘They, and others of all ages, are worried about the moral bankruptcy of modern society,’ said the spokeswoman to the Mail, revealing that she herself had converted from Roman Catholicism. More converts had come forward since October 7 after what she claimed, in an extraordinary outburst, was the ‘genocide’ Israel was inflicting on Palestine in its ongoing military action. Other films seen by the Mail reveal English teenage males turning to Islam. Lancashire’s Masjid as-Sunnah establishment in Accrington has posted one of Mitch, 17, solemnly saying the Shahada as he sits on the floor next to an imam last year. He stands up afterwards and, smiling, is hugged by members of the congregation. In nearby Nelson, teenager Dylan, in a grey hoodie, is filmed accepting the Shahada in a local mosque in 2022. A message posted under the online film written by him and signed in his full name a year later says: ‘It’s me on this video . . . It is still the best decision of my life and all the blessings that come with Islam.’ This weekend Rudi — now 12 — does not regret his decision. After he converted, he changed his name to ‘Muhammed Muzammil’, referenced in the Koran as meaning a person enwrapped in the Islamic faith. In photos and film taken at the mosque and distributed on social media, he is portrayed dressed in Islamic regalia praying next to adult male worshippers. His mother, Claire, 45, can be seen hugging her son at the mosque after his conversion. An outpouring of messages congratulate them both for their decision. ‘This is really beautiful,’ says one. ‘Nine-year-old Rudi has accepted Islam, the youngest person to take Shahada with the [Imam] Muhammad Bilal.’ The message praised his mother Claire for ‘beautifully saying she is happy with whatever decision her young son makes’. ‘May Allah honour Imam Bilal, bless Rudi, and allow this entire country to accept to Islam [sic],’ added the enthusiastic message. This week the family of Rudi confirmed that he — and they — have no regrets about his conversion three years ago at such an early age. Rudi still attends some of the weekly Friday ceremonies at the mosque half an hour’s bus journey away from his terraced house where he lives with his mother, sister and brother. The fresh devotion of Rudi, and so many other British boys and girls, to Islam shows no sign of waning. And it has to be said those who lead our mosques seem very pleased about the way this religious revolution is turning out.

https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2024-02-14/rapists-tried-to-charge-victim-20-after-truly-disturbing-attack-in-taxi the middle one and one on the right look like socioopaths Three rapists tried to charge their victim £20 after 'horrific' attack in 'taxi' in Hull Wednesday 14 February 2024 at 5:47pm L-R: Bakhtullah Safi, Kehan Safi and Habibullah Ahmadzai are due to be sentenced in April.Credit: Humberside Police Three men who raped a woman in what she believed to be a taxi and tried to charge her £20 for the journey will be sentenced in April. The victim was walking home from a night out in Hull on 30 July 2023 when she got into one of a queue of cars parked on Ferensway, believing it was a taxi. The car then drove off, before the three men raped her. Following an eight-day trial at Hull Crown Court, a jury found Bakhtullah Safi, 18, of Margaret Street, and Habibullah Ahmadzai, also 18, of Wellsted Street, guilty of rape. Kehan Safi, 26, of Wellington Lane, pleaded guilty to rape at an earlier hearing. During the course of the journey, the trio continued to deceive the woman that it was a licenced taxi. Having raped her, Bakhtullah then requested a £20 fare for the journey. The woman refused and fled to safety after she was allowed to get out of the vehicle. Det Con Ashley Webster of Humberside Police said: “This was a truly disturbing case and I’m pleased these men are now behind bars and are being punished for this horrific attack. “I cannot begin to put into words the bravery the woman has shown throughout the investigation and court proceedings, and I want to offer my sincerest thanks as she has helped take these abhorrent men off our streets.“Kehan Safi, Bakhtullah Safi and Habibullah Ahmadzai are what I can only describe as ‘sexual predators’ who subjected a lone woman who had just been on a night out with friends, to a horrific and utterly traumatising ordeal for their own perverse needs," he said.

Please report back on your experience in Amritsar

https://news.sky.com/story/sikh-activist-in-the-uk-on-indian-hit-list-in-constant-fear-of-being-killed-at-any-time-13070771 'We can be killed in the UK at any time': Sikh activist fears for life after being named on Indian 'hit list' Kulwant Singh Mothada supports a Sikh homeland, separate from India, called Khalistan. He is one of several activists - some of whom are dead - accused of violating terror laws by India's counter-terror department. He spoke to Sky News in his first TV interview. By Tom Cheshire, Data and Forensics correspondent @chesh Wednesday 14 February 2024 07:28, UK

https://news.sky.com/story/jagtar-singh-johal-brother-of-imprisoned-briton-tells-david-cameron-his-life-is-in-your-hands-13070109 Jagtar Singh Johal: Brother of imprisoned Briton tells Lord Cameron 'his life is in your hands' The brother of Jagtar Singh Johal has revealed to Sky News that he told Lord Cameron "his life is in your hands" as the foreign secretary gave assurances the government was doing "the right thing" by the British national. Monday 12 February 2024 15:18, UK The brother of a British man who has been held in an Indian prison for more than six years has told Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron "his life is in your hands". Jagtar Singh Johal from Dumbarton, Scotland, was in Punjab, northern India, for his wedding in 2017 when his family said he was arrested and bundled into an unmarked car. He is said to have been tortured, including with electric shocks, and faces the death penalty as a result of his campaigning for Sikh rights. Politics live: Cameron holds 'very important meeting' over detained Briton Mr Johal's family have continually urged the British government to help secure his release and, after a meeting with Lord Cameron on Monday, Mr Johal's brother has said there is "hope" that the former prime minister can be the one to bring him back to the UK. When asked what he said to Lord Cameron during the meeting, Gurpreet Singh Johal told Sky News: "I have reiterated to him that my brother's life's in your hands, and if he doesn't do anything then my brother could be in there a long time. "Jagtar is also facing the death penalty, which will be on the foreign secretary, so I have put it on him so he understands the urgency." Mr Johal added: "The family requires answers, six years on, six foreign secretaries, but there is hope on my side that an ex-prime minister who was in charge of this country can use his skills to bring my brother back home. "The UK government has said it is looking for a resolution, this should be that my British-born-and-bred brother should be brought back to his family in the UK where he can continue his life." 'No promises' It comes as Lord Cameron vowed to review the government's involvement in Mr Johal's case to "make sure we are doing the right thing". Speaking after the meeting with the family, he said: "I wanted to meet there with the family and hear from them what they think. And I want to really stress, as an incoming foreign secretary, you don't just accept what the government has said up to now, you really look at it, really ask the questions." Making "absolutely no promises" Lord Cameron said he would look through all the paperwork again, urging the Indian government to "speed up this case". "I am going to take into account what they have said and see whether there is a different approach we should be taking," Lord Cameron told reporters. Lord Cameron made 'no promises' during the meeting with the Johal family "I am going to re-examine everything and make sure we are doing the right thing. Revealing more about his brother's imprisonment, Mr Johal said the last time the family had any contact was on 18 October, the date of the imprisoned blogger's wedding anniversary. "We are supposed to have video calls with Jagtar but those are not being allowed by Indian authorities," he said. "He is supposed to have at least a monthly phone call with the family - that's not been allowed either. Instead, there is always an excuse for them not happening."

They go again... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-68271364 Delhi: Farmers face tear gas trying to resume march to India capital By Arvind Chhabra in Haryana & Meryl Sebastian in Kochi BBC News Indian police have used tear gas for a second day to stop farmers demanding minimum crop prices from marching on the capital Delhi. Mostly from Punjab state, the farmers are still 200km (125 miles) from Delhi at the Shambhu border in Haryana state. The capital is ringed by razor wire, cement blocks and fencing on three sides to block their entry. On Tuesday, Haryana police had fired tear gas after farmers began removing barricades on the way. Later at night, farm leaders called a "ceasefire" and said they would resume their march in the morning. Video footage on Wednesday morning showed thousands of riot police and paramilitary troops deployed along Delhi borders to keep the protesters away. Farmers on the Shambhu border have been distributing protective eyewear to protesters as police deployed tear gas shells to stop their march. Farm leaders there also held a press conference, alleging that plastic and rubber bullets had been used against them. They also criticised the media coverage of the protests saying a perception was being created that farmers were "terrorists" or aligned with opposition parties. "We have nothing to do with anyone else," farm leader Sarwan Singh Pandher told reporters. "Our demands have been the same from the very beginning." ... More than 200 unions are participating in the march and the farmers aim to reach the capital after crossing the state of Haryana. On Tuesday, images from the city of Ambala, 200km north of the capital, showed thick clouds of tear gas. At the Shambhu border, clashes broke out between police and protesters as they tried to press past the barricades. Police dropped tear gas on the crowd using drones. Several protesters were injured in the police action. Security personnel also suffered injuries from stones pelted at them by the protesters.

@chatanga1 @kdsingh80 @Sajjan_Thug https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/how-maharashtra-government-has-taken-control-of-sachkhand-gurudwara-board-nanded-and-why-the-sgpc-is-upset-9150282/ Nanded gurdwara: How Maharashtra govt has ‘taken control’ The Maharashtra government’s decision to amend The Nanded Sikh Gurudwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Apchalnagar Sahib Act, 1956, has angered the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. Here’s why Written by Kamaldeep Singh Brar Follow Amritsar | Updated: February 8, 2024 17:57 IST The Maharashtra government’s decision to amend The Nanded Sikh Gurudwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Apchalnagar Sahib Act, 1956, to increase the number of its nominees to the religious body’s board has drawn criticism from Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami who said it was “sad, condemnable and a direct interference” in Sikh affairs “which cannot be tolerated”. Dhami has now written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, seeking an appointment to discuss this issue. Here’s a look at the amendment and why it has irked the SGPC: What is the Gurudwara Sachkhand Board, Nanded? The Takhat Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, is one of the five Takhats (high temporal seats) of Sikhs and is of great historical importance as the 10th Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, passed away here. As per the 1956 Act, the Gurudwara Sachkhand Board, Nanded looks after the management of the Takhat Hazur Sahib. It has an annual budget of around Rs 100 crore and property worth crores. What will the amendment change? According to the 1956 Act, the 17-member Takhat Hazur Sahib board comprises four nominated SGPC members, four members from Sachkhand Hazur Khalsa Diwan, two Sikh members of Parliament, one from Chief Khalsa Diwan, three directly elected from the seven districts of Marathwada, one member each from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, and the Nanded collector. According to the new amendment, out of 17 members, 12 will be directly nominated by the Maharashtra government, three will be elected, and the SGPC can now nominate only two. There will be no representation from Parliament or other organisations. ... What happened in 2015 and why the SGPC protested then? In 2015, the BJP government in power in Maharashtra had trimmed the powers of the Gurudwara Sachkand Board, Nanded by amending Section 11 of the 1956 Act to empower itself to directly appoint the president of the board. Earlier, the president was elected by the board members. BJP MLA Tara Singh had become the first government appointee to the president post in 2015. The SGPC had opposed the amendment in 2015 but to no avail. In 2019, the SGPC had blamed the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for allegedly using the amendment to indirectly take control of Sikh gurdwaras.

Interesting topics

Some interesting topics, already started a thread on some health-related ones here are others

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-68126078 Met Police officer found guilty of assaulting crime victim A serving Metropolitan Police officer has been found guilty of assaulting a man he believed was the perpetrator of a crime rather than the victim. PC Jonathan Marsh, 33, went to a report of a man making threats to kill and damaging a shop in Atlanta Boulevard, Romford, east London, in November 2022. He mistook Rasike Attanayake, who had called 999, for the suspect, arrested him and punched him in the head. At City of London Magistrates' Court, Marsh had denied common assault. Mr Attanayake was arrested and later de-arrested at the scene. Speaking outside court following the conviction, Mr Attanayake said he had been in pain during the incident and had believed he was being suffocated. He said what had happened demonstrated a need for policing tactics around stop-and-search to be reassessed. Marsh had denied using excessive force during the incident, after responding to reports that a man had been making threats to kill and was throwing a shopping trolley around. The court heard that Marsh mistook Mr Attanayake for the suspect, and that he matched the description that had been given to officers. 'Not justified' Police-worn bodycam footage played to the court showed Marsh pulling Mr Attanayake to the floor, swearing at him and punching him in the back of the head. He was also handcuffed and put in the back of a police vehicle. District Judge Amanda Pilling said Marsh had used "gratuitous violence" and his actions were not "necessary, justified or proportionate". She said Mr Attanayake "barely had time to begin to understand what was happening". Marsh, of Canvey Island, Essex, was charged following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). He has been on restricted duties. The IOPC said Mr Attanayake "was a law-abiding member of the public, who had called the police to report a crime, when he became a victim of mistaken identity". It said it was in "correspondence with" the Met Police "over whether PC Marsh should also face a misconduct hearing". Marsh is set to be sentenced on 29 February.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/251115/turban-style-thickness-affects-head-injury/#:~:text=They then compared their findings,helmets and with bare heads.&text=They found that turbans greatly,the risk of head injury. HomeCollege and CampusScienceEngineeringHealthBusiness Turban style and thickness affects head injury risk in Sikh cyclists by Caroline Brogan02 February 2024 A new study from Imperial College London has revealed that the style and thickness of turbans affect the risk of serious head injury in Sikh cyclists Sudden impacts or jolts to the head can cause skull fractures and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). TBIs can cause bleeding, unconsciousness, and potential changes to the brain leading to memory loss, mood and personality changes and lack of concentration - sometimes many years after the initial injury. However, very little research has been done to ascertain the extent and mechanism by which turbans might mitigate impacts to the head during cycling incidents. Now, researchers from Imperial College London and the Sikh Scientists Network have studied the performance of turban styles worn by male and female Sikhs under the types of impacts common to cycling incidents. The findings allowed them to make evidence-based recommendations so that Sikhs who wear turbans might benefit from the best head protection possible. The research is published in Annals of Biomedical Engineering. Performance and style Using crash test dummy heads, the researchers tested five different turbans, distinguished by two wrapping styles and two different fabrics with size variations. They then compared their findings of injury risk with conventional cycle helmets and with bare heads. They found that turbans greatly reduced the risk of skull fractures in areas covered with a thick layer of fabric, compared to bare heads. Also, the style of the turban greatly affected the risk of head injury. For impacts to the front of the head, the Dastaar turban style with 3 metre long and 2m wide Rubia Voile fabric performed the best, with a 23 per cent reduction in the force applied to the head compared to the worst performing turban style. For impacts to the side of the head, the Dumalla turban style with 10m long and 1m wide Full Voile fabric performed the best, with a 59 per cent reduction in the force applied to the head compared to the worst performing turban style. They also found that although the risk of skull fractures and brain injuries was higher with all turbans than conventional bicycle helmets, the risk might be reduced using the following recommendations: Covering a larger area of the head with a thick layer of fabric. Placing energy absorbing materials between the layers of the fabric to increase impact duration and reduce force, reducing the risk of skull fractures. Reducing the friction between the layers of fabric to reduce the rotational force transmitted to the head, thus the risk of brain injuries. Lead author Dr Mazdak Ghajari, from Imperial’s Dyson School of Design Engineering, said: “From our previous work, we have a good understanding of which types of impacts are common in cyclists and how we should assess the efficacy of head protection equipment in the lab. This project was a great opportunity for us to apply our expertise to empower Sikhs to protect themselves from head injury.” The study set-up, including the different turban styles, on crash test dummy heads Co-author Dr Gurpreet Singh, from Imperial’s Department of Materials and the Sikh Scientists Network, said: “Sikhs have earned the right to wear the sacred turban with pride for centuries now. However, being just 0.5% of the world population, very little has been done to scientifically empower Sikhs to continue practicing their faith with advanced, protective materials that are in-line with their religious requirements. Due to a lack of research into advanced fabrics, Sikhs currently face varying degrees of risk. “Our findings show that simple Sikh turbans have the potential to mitigate head impacts. This provides important evidence that we hope will point the wider scientific community to invest in the best headgear fabrics to absorb shock, which indeed will open commercial markets to people from all walks of life that deal with concussions and head impacts.” Force-absorbing materials The researchers now plan to use their findings to develop a force-absorbing turban material to offer Sikhs who wear turbans better head protection in situations where helmets might otherwise be worn. The findings could also be used to benefit Sikhs in other areas where head protection is worn. For example, due to religious tenets, Sikhs who wear turbans are exempt from wearing hard hats and motorcycle helmets in several countries where it is a legal requirement, including the UK, India, some Canadian states, Denmark, New Zealand, Sweden and Thailand. Ruth Purdie OBE, Chief Executive of The Road Safety Trust, which funded the research, said: “Cyclists are classed as vulnerable road users, and therefore it is important to think about different ways to improve their safety. “The findings of this study could really support Sikh cyclists and help reduce their risks of head injury.” This work was funded by The Road Safety Trust and supported by the Sikh Scientists Network. The research was undertaken with Rehat Maryada – the Code of Sikh Conduct and Conventions – in mind. "An Assessment of Sikh Turban’s Head Protection in Bicycle Incident Scenarios” by Xiancheng Yu, Gurpreet Singh, Amritvir Kaur, Mazdak Ghajari. Published Friday 2 February 2024 in Annals of Biomedical Engineering. Article text (excluding photos or graphics) © Imperial College London. Photos and graphics subject to third party copyright used with permission or © Imperial

That's what I thought

Don't give them ideas...!

http://www.ealingtoday.co.uk/default.asp?section=info&page=concrime416.htm

Great idea. Can you get a BrahmGiani ji involved ? is the Haap meant as additional to any personal Nitbem? thanks