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A little sensitivity can help avoid
inanities
Following the
insensitive and hurting remarks on turbans made by the Radio Host
and Political Commentator, Al Rantel, host of a daily KABC 790AM –
Los Angeles radio program, several Sikh organizations have demanded
a public and unqualified apology from him. His rather diplomatic
apology has been widely rejected. This is a letter by Dr. Baljeet
Sahi, Spokesperson, Coalition of Gurdwaras of California, and Sikhs
for Preservation of Sikhism and Sikh Heritage to the radio host.
Mr. Al Rantal,
Host
Talk Radio 790 KABC
3321 S. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90016
Dear Mr.
Rantal
The intent of
this letter is by no means to educate an illiterate mind. It will
however, attempt to enlighten you about Sikhs, Sikhism and issues
affecting all of us. Sikhism, as you may not be aware, is the fifth
largest religion of the world. It was founded in the fifteenth
century by Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469 – 1539), and the Sikh scriptures;
Guru Granth Sahib, were compiled in 1604 by Guru Arjan Dev Ji
(1563 – 1606) during the regimes of the Moguls. The Sikh scriptures
clearly moralize and centrally sermonizes that discrimination and
segregation based on cast, creed, race, and religion is sinful. It
is a religion that in the name of the almighty promotes tolerance
and essentially preaches desegregation. Sikhs of today practice core
values inscribed in the scriptures and treat all humans as equal. On
the contrary desegregation in the U.S. had to be implemented through
the intervention of the Supreme Court after amendments and
challenges to the constitution of this great nation in the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Obliviously
wavered and racist individuals should note that when Francis Scot
Keys penned “Star Spangled Banner” on September 14, 1814, a Sikh,
Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780 – 1839), was ruling Punjab
that consisted of thirteen confederacies spanning from Khaiber Pass in
west to the River Sutlej in the east and from northern tip of Kashmir
to southern deserts of Sindh. It was an area that comprised of
approximately 100, 436 square miles of territory which in fact is
equal to seven American States; South Carolina, West Virginia,
Maryland, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, or
as large as 61.35% of California.
In historical
perspective there are numerous examples of heroism and martyrdom of
turbaned Sikhs and Sikh Gurus. It is prudent to note that the turban
of a Sikh is an identity, a religious symbol of honor and integrity
bestowed upon him by the tenth Guru – Guru Gobind Singh Ji (1666 –
1708) during the regimes of Moguls; Aurangjeb, and Bahadur Shah. The
statements you made “…I talked about a story that was in the news
involving airport security…people who are in the Sikh religion
….wear those large hats…those large head gear thing wrapped
around…..large and folded looks, I don’t want to insult anybody,
from description looks like a diaper”. “Let me tell Sikhs something.
If I have to take off my Nike tennis shoes as an American and if my
80 year old mother has to take off her little slippers to get on a
plane then we need to look at your head gear”, hurt the sentiments
of 26 million Sikhs across continents. As a global phenomenon, when
it comes to religion and world history, there is abundance of
ignorance brewing in generation such as yours which suffers from
egoism and narcissism. Self styled radical radio hosts need to be
reminded that during India’s struggle for independence from Briton
121 men were hanged by the British of which 92 were Sikhs. A total
of 3697 Sikhs laid their life for Indian independence only to be
rebuked by the religiously driven radical fundamentalist leaders of
independent India. After partition of India and Pakistan 40% Sikhs
lost their land and became refugees in India at the mercy of its
government.
Sikhs gallantly
fought and supported the west in World War I and II and perhaps
remain the largest ethnic minority community to have sustained
maximum number of casualties in their quest for world peace.
Independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan in 1971 is also credited to
Sikhs. A Sikh Brigadier Shabeg Singh single handedly orchestrated
insurgency operations from Delta Sector of Assam, India, deep into
Central and Eastern Bangladesh. Deserters from Pakistan Army,
Colonel Osmani, Major Zia-Ur-Rehman, and Mohammad Mustaq, were
placed under his command to direct the clandestine operations. His
strategy and effective tactics resulted in surrender of Lt. General
Ameer Abdullah Khan Niazi of Pakistan Army. His surrender to Lt.
General Jagjit Singh Aurora, a Sikh commander of the joint
Indo-Bangladesh force and the chief of Indian Eastern Command
remains a surrender of the largest army to a single general on the
Asian subcontinent or possibly in the world.
We live in a rather volatile era with a short lived memory. One
should never forget that the first terrorist attack on U.S. soil
took place on September 16, 1920 when a bomb was detonated in New
York, killing 35 and injuring 200 people. The crime although remains
unsolved however, it is speculated to have been carried out by the
communist Bolshevists or the Italian anarchists. Modern day
terrorism was
 initiated
by Palestinians on September 5, 1972 at the Munich Olympics with the
massacre of 11 Israeli athletes. Politics of the world and the
aftermath of the massacre implanted the seeds of terror which have
gripped the entire world. The tactics used for avenging the attack
on the athletes, plan ahead with undocumented state support to seek
and destroy, are directly responsible for the emerging strategies
employed by terrorists of today. Devastation of humanity has
methodically escalated ever since the Munich attack. We have tried
sanctions at the UN level, gone into countries as big brother,
helped in every sphere of global economy to uplift the undeveloped
and underprivileged nations, strategically engaged our military,
even then as American we are dictated to live in fear and subjected
to embarrassing security checks at the airports. Embarrassing the
Sikhs at Airports by looking into their turbans is not going to curb
terrorism.
Be very careful
when you sit in a room empowered with a mike and insulated from the
feelings of the people. A momentary sense of power and inflammatory
statement has shown your vulnerability, and contemptible character.
Provocation and professing racially divisive sentiments and making
bigoted remarks makes you sensibly insane and reduce you to a naive
nincompoop. Hard working citizens essentially are an iota without a
voice in the equation of the complexities of world politics,
religions and socio scenarios. However, you and your cronies in
media have positioned your selves to exercise privileges under the
first amendment and boast openly about what ever you think is right.
Impudently you influence and sway the public sentiment without
sensitizing your selves to the feelings of the ones who do not agree
with you.
There are many
pressing concerns that need immediate attention regarding the threat
of terrorism and security. Our great President George W. Bush while
commenting on how to curb terrorism once said “we should follow the
money”. People in your position should be addressing issues
pertaining to the well being of all Americans. Ask your self the
questions – Why did Halliburton Co. move its corporate headquarters
to Dubai?
How did the company Blackwater USA, which in 2001 recorded only
$736,906 in annual government contracts, manage to receive $600
million in annual contracts by 2006? (Los Angels Times, Wednesday,
October 3, 2007).
Who is really benefiting from the gadgetry and technology and the
policies being implemented to secure Airports and other locations?
It is my sincere
hope that a closed mind after being edified will unclog and cease
ridiculous maligning of Sikh religious symbols and hopefully
rationalize before drawing a metaphor affecting millions of people.
After the unfortunate rhetoric about Sikh turban, I am well aware of
your conversation with a member of the Sikh community and your
acceptance of fault and the diplomatic apology. However, the general
consensus of the members of Coalition of Gurdwaras of California and
Sikhs for Preservation of Sikhism and Sikh Heritage is that you have
incessantly and deliberately tried to tarnish Sikh turbans. It is
necessary for us to remind you that such a matter, if not contained,
may compel Sikhs to explore legal counseling. There is no excuse for
such an outrageous inanity. The program director, Mr. Eric Braveman,
and the entire radio staff need to act contrite for the comments you
aired. A written apology is in order with assurance that such
remarks will no longer be allowed or tolerated.
If you have any
questions please feel free to contact me at your convenience at
626-487-6141.
Sincerely,
Dr. Baljeet
Sahi
Spokesperson
Coalition of Gurudwars of California,
and
Sikhs for Preservation of Sikhism and Sikh Heritage
17
October, 2007
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