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Summary of Question:	The Last Word On White Sikhs
Category:	Other
Date Posted:	Monday, 8/04/2003 11:19 AM MDT

Sat Sri Akaal.

Yesterday in Gurudwara I received the shock of my life. There seems to be a contingent of young people who object to my attendance in the Punjabi classes, and the Gurudwara generally, saying that as a "white American" and a "fat slob" I have no business there.

I have not seen any postings on white Sikhs in a long time, and I hope to God this will be the last one to ever appear on this site. It is bad enough to trash my weight in the House of God, but inexcuseable to trash my skin.

The first convert, I am told, was a Persian, not an Indian, who so loved Guru Nanak that he left his homeland and followed the Guru. Yet no one trashes Mardana for not being Indian.

The founder of the Christian faith was a Middle Eastern, Jewish man named Yeshua, called Christ in the Greek language. Yet no one says a word about all the Christians of clearly non-Mideast descent.

I am an American Sikh. I also happen to be white. DEAL WITH IT. The only reason the young people were trashing me is because they were apparently taught that prejudice is okay, and that it is perfectly acceptible to turn a person away from God's Home just because of skin. I'd like to know who is teaching this; and can we just have an end to it? PLEASE? I have a right to learn the language of the faith, and to worship. The God we worship gave me this skin because it was His pleasure to do so, not to give others some misdirected reason to feel superior. If there was as much attention given to helping and healing this world as there is given to the petty garbage about skin, we wouldn't be collectively trying to kill each other.

I don't ask that the Sangat fall over me. I do ask for the same respect and consideration that one member would give to another, regardless of my ancestry.

I love the Sikh faith and will not leave it. But I am really disillusioned with those who teach others, especially their own children, to be bigots in the name of God. If a rainbow were all one color, it would be really boring to look at, and I hope above all that there are others who agree.

Blessings,

Elizabeth

************reply*******************

Dear Elizabeth... Good for you! and the only question to ask them is now I know how a Indian person felt when other people discriminated against him or her... is that not what you Punjabis are doing as well.

Stand tall, we are with you... go to Punjabi class and dont let them bother you. Be Proud and ask them if they really know what sikhism means - Sikhism is action not just words and you are a true sikh... Bravo

By the way post this email on the Gurudwara notice board so they can see that many Khalsa will stand with you.

PS dont let them hide... shine the light on their racism and they might just be shamed into looking at themselves.

SSM
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