By Brian Glaz
Lawrenceville, New Jersey is home to a well-established group of Sikhs (seeks) who worship at Sikh Sabha, one of the eight Sikh Gurdwaras, or places of Sikh worship, in the state. With its beginnings in Mercer County in 1997 as a small group of families practicing religion in their own homes, Sikh Sabha has since flourished into an integral part of the active Sikh community.
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that developed around 1500 in the region that is present-day Pakistan, and is now the fifth largest religion in the world. Sikhism teaches that all humans are equal, regardless of race or gender, and emphasizes the importance of leading a moral and virtuous life.
Distinctive attire
One of the distinguishing characteristics of Sikhism is the uniform that is worn by its followers. The Sikh uniform consists of five articles of the faith, known as the five K’s: Kes, uncut hair kept under a turban; Kangha, a small comb symbolizing cleanliness; Kara, a steel bracelet; Kirpan, a religious sword representing a commitment to defend the oppressed; and Kacch, a type of shorts worn to remind the wearer of self-restraint.
Because of this physical appearance, specifically the wearing of a turban, Sikhs are often confused with Muslims and Hindus. Ever since the events of September 11th, 2001, crimes of bias and discrimination against the Sikh people have been on the rise. Even now in 2008, the Sikhs are still struggling to ensure that their civil rights are respected.
Combatting prejudice
One of the incidents of alleged bias against the Sikh people occurred in Lawrenceville in November, 2004. Gurkirat Singh, a seventh-grade student at Lawrenceville Middle School, was suspended from school because he pushed a classmate on a school bus after the student tried to touch his turban. Despite receiving a letter from the Sikh Coalition, a Sikh civil rights organization, stating that the school did not follow proper protocol concerning the incident, Singh’s suspension still remains on his permanent record. According to the Sikh Coalition newsletter, numerous other alleged hate crimes have occurred, including multiple cases of Sikhs being called “Osama.” In a message posted to a bulletin board sponsored by the Sikh Coalition, Amardeep Singh, the alleged victim of such an incident in Hoboken in 2006, said being called “Osama” “…is like looking at an African-American … and calling him the ‘N’ word.”
To combat the rise of these hate crimes in New Jersey, the eight Gurdwaras along with the Sikh Coalition held the New Jersey Sikh Civil Rights and Civic Engagement Initiative on December 9th, 2003, in order to draft a memorandum to be sent to state and federal officials. The purpose of the memorandum was to outline the Sikhs concerns, and recommend solutions on how their civil rights could be upheld. It addressed four main areas including hate crimes, recommendations for public schools, employment discrimination, and religious profiling.
Despite having had to defend their civil rights and fight against discrimination, the Sikh community and Sikh Sabha in Lawrenceville have become more and more established since their beginnings in 1997. Religious services are held there every Friday and Sunday, and the Sikh Sabha is also the site of many holiday celebrations and festivals. The most recent celebration was the birth of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, or prophet. This celebration was recorded and posted on Sikh Sabha’s website, and can also be viewed above.
Besides holding religious services, Sikh Sabha is also home to the Khalsa School, teaching students Punjabi, the original language in which Sikh scriptures are written. The school also holds classes in Sikh studies, Kirtan, the singing of sacred hymns, and Gurbani, the study of religious scripts.
On March 15, 2008, Lawrenceville’s Sikh Sabha will host the annual festival of Holla Mahalla. For general information regarding this and other activities at the local Sikh Sabha in Lawrenceville, visit Sikhsabha.org.
For more information on Sikhs in general, please visit the Sikh Coalition.
Calls and e-mails to the Sikh Sabha of Lawrenceville and the Sikh Coalition were not returned.
