Is there a new hybrid culture for Sikhs living in the West?

[ajiboom]

Hi, I live in London, UK and am 17 years old. I just want to know from you guys to what extent has the image of a Sikh in their youth has changed to you?

I have a haircut i admit, along with many other Sikh people who are now cutting their hair to suit a more trendy, modern fashion - but how do you think this changes their attitude to Sikhism? Do you think that young Sikh's are gradually losing touch with what their religion means, and going after time-wasting pursuits with lust chasing women (how many times have you seen Asian boys and girls hanging about on street corners nowadays).

If you live in the UK, you may be familiar with a soap opera called Eastenders, which is watched by a massive 16 million people. Now recently we've witnessed a new asian family moving into the area, possibly Hindu. From the first few episodes we realised that a young modern girl, who's respective duty is to look after her family, has a boyfriend that her father forbids - yet she meets him anyway.

Now moving to my point, is that it showed the attractive girl giving a kiss with her boyfriend on the show. The main issues that come up to me, is the young asian audience of the best rated show in the UK, and how they may be perceiving it as. We know in Bollywood films, that kiss scene are very limited, yet now we face the fear that most young girls will be blindly going after pursuits of lust.

Now this is moving to another issue gradually, but this relates to the new hybrid culture.

[ms514]

Sat Sri Akal:

When a person keeps their kesh and ties a dastaar, they start to get questions asked of them. They themselves might even ask questions, like "Why do I keep my hair long" or "Why do I tie a dastaar". Eventually these questions direct a person to find answers, answers which are written in Gurbani and Sikh History. As a person reads more and more about the religion, they attain knowledge and pride in their religion. Their prespective of seeing the world changes and their personal image changes with it.

Some people simply call it a turban...I see it as the key to a new path.

[simi]

i duno if this directly relates to ur point- but there is a new culture in britain- the culture of british asians

i'm a youth and have kept my hair as my parents have made me understand from when i was 3 what was scarificed so sikhs can keep there hair. When other kids were reading stories about winnie the pooh i was being read stories about our guru's but as i grew up i came into contact with a new culture at skool where kids do stuff behind there parents backs n go out with guys who there parents wud dissaprove of- but i wud never do that as my parents trust me and i wud never betray there trust.

In my opinion this new view towards sikhi depends on how u react to your surroundings- if you decide to change your view on sikhi or keep to the one that you have thats your own choice- at the end of the day if a youth enjoys sikhi and believes in god then thats fine Religion should be something you enjoy - so if the new generation believe and worship god in there own way and there happy thats wot counts i guess and as long as they themselves and waheguru know that they havent commited any sins then who am i to judge?

what i've written above is probably not very clear but i hope you understand what i'm trying to say!

[vaapaaraa]

well written simi =)