The Sikh Thread

[Mythago]

THEATRE SCRAPS SIKH PLAY OVER SAFETY FEARS
By Matthew Cooper, PA

20 December 2004

A theatre today abandoned further performances of a controversial play which sparked a mini-riot among Sikhs who claimed it demeaned their religion.

Stuart Rogers, executive director of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, said the venue had been left with no alternative but to end its run of Behzti because of a genuine threat to the safety of theatre-goers.

Speaking at a press conference at the city centre playhouse, he said: "It is now clear that we cannot guarantee the safety of our audiences. Very reluctantly, therefore, we have decided to end the current run of the play purely on safety grounds.

Full story here:http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/story.jsp?story=595065


DROPPED PLAY COULD FIND NEW VENUE
Police at Birmingham REP
The manager of a second Birmingham theatre company wants to stage a play cancelled after a violent demonstration by the Sikh community.

The city's Repertory Theatre dropped Behzti, which depicts murder and sex abuse in a temple, on safety grounds after protesters clashed with police.

Full story here:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/4112985.stm

Not sure where I stand on this one. The right to protest by the Sikh community is obviously important but if the play is forced to close completely as a result then all we get is censorship by mob rule.

 

[ENTIANONMULTI]

i am in two minds on this, the theatre probably should have toughed it out, however given it's location, at the bottom end of Broad Street (Birmingham's main pub and club street) and next door to the Symphony Hall i think it was probably a good decision.

 

[Anonymous]

They should show it on telly..... i wont be told by any religion what is ok for me to see!

 

[Rubyait]

i am in two minds on this, the theatre probably should have toughed it out, however given it's location, at the bottom end of Broad Street (Birmingham's main pub and club street) and next door to the Symphony Hall i think it was probably a good decision.

A good decision in regards to people's safety is about all.If people dont like it then they should stay away or voice their opinion in a structured and non violent manner.Im not saying i agree or disagree with the content of the play but feel people have the right to express themselves as long as they are not breaking any law.

 

[Stormkhan]

The Sikhs had every right to hold a peaceful protest over the content of the play. The theatre had every right to show it ... after all, no one is forced to see it. It was a few 'hot heads' who started the trouble. If the theatre management or the author were aware that the work might offend then so be it. However, being forced to close due to threats of violence is so wrong on many levels. Even the Sikh Secretariat (the major representatives involved in the protest) didn't want the play banned - they just wanted the setting changed (even reviewers admitted a change of setting wouldn't affect the basic work). Anyone, of any faith, would condemn violence to reinforce complaint.

 

[Mal_Adjusted]

Greets

mods

append to

http://www.forteantimes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19448

or vice versa ????

mal

 

[Hot_Cross_Nun]

BBC report:

Sikh pupil's exclusion sparks row

Sarika Singh refuses to remove her Kara, a religious symbol
A leading member of the Sikh community and a south Wales AM have spoken in support of a 14-year-old excluded from school for wearing a religious bangle.

Sarika Singh has been temporarily excluded after Aberdare Girls School said her bangle or Kara broke its code of conduct, aimed at ensuring equality.

The secretary of Sikh Federation UK said the Kara was an article of faith and the school was breaking the law.

Leanne Wood AM said she was "surprised" by the school's decision.

Governors said they had made their decision after significant study of the legal background.

Sarika Singh was excluded for a day on Monday, and on Tuesday her mother said she was told she had been excluded for a fixed period.

Sarika has said of wearing the bangle: "It's very important to me, it constantly reminds me to do good and not to do bad, especially with my hands."

Jagtar Singh from the Sikh Federation UK claimed the school was breaching the 1976 Race Relations Act.

He said: "The department for education and schools in England have said that if a head teacher or governing body were to deny a Sikh child one of their articles of faith such as the bangle then they would be breaking the law.

"If you are a practising Sikh, you have no choice, you have to have the Kara. It is the one symbol that virtually every single Sikh wears."

Sarika's mother Sinita Singh has said the teenager would remove the bangle for gym classes, or wood and metalwork, for safety reasons.

She has spoken of her intention to take legal advice, saying: "She's not asking for anything big and flashy, she's not making a big fuss, she just wants a reminder of her religion."

Aberdare Girls School has a strict uniforms policy

Governors rejected Sarika's request to wear the bangle after a "significant period of research", examining the uniform policy and human rights legislation in detail.

When she continued to wear the bangle to classes, Sarika was excluded by head teacher Jane Rosser.

Ms Rosser said the school's strict code of conduct had been in place for many years and had been established to ensure equality.

She said: "The code clearly states the only two forms of jewellery that girls are allowed to wear in school is a wrist watch and one pair of plain metal stud earrings."

Ian Blake, chair of the school's governing body said the school continually reviewed the code to reflect the population of the school and its surrounding community.

"The fact remains the code has to be upheld and we made our decision only after a significant period of research into previous cases across the UK, interrogation of the law, including human rights and race relations legislation and seeking legal guidance from the Local Education Authority," he said.

'Discrimination issues'

South Wales Central AM Leanne Wood called for the assembly governnment to issue clear guidance for schools about pupils wearing religious symbols.

She said: "I'm surprised and disappointed at the decision of Aberdare Girl's School to exclude Sarika, and I've yet to be convinced that they've got a good reason for doing so."

A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said there was no legislation in place specifically covering school uniforms, and whether a school's policy unlawfully breaches the Race Relations Act 1976 was a matter for the courts.

The spokesperson added: "School uniform and appearance issues including the wearing of jewellery, are local matters for individual schools to decide upon.

"The Welsh Assembly Government will shortly be issuing guidance on a range of issues associated with school uniform policies and the wearing of school uniform including equality, health and safety and discrimination issues."

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/7083315.stm

I feel this is another case of special pleading on behalf of a particular religion.

This report of the story by the Times: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/commen ... 827491.ece
says:

The school bans all visible religious symbols, including Christian crosses and Muslim headscarves.

In my view, this is not a case of discrimination. The school does not allow jewellery to be worn and it does not allow religious symbols to be worn.

If this case goes ahead, I am tempted to design and manufacture a Flying Spaghetti Monster necklace, which I could attempt to flog to Monsterist* schoolgirls at Aberdare market.

* ETA: My apologies, the correct term is Pastafarian, and not "Monsterist".

 

[rynner2]

Jingle Jangle

Bingle Bangle...

This is really another one for Stupid Rules...

Sarika has said of wearing the bangle: "It's very important to me, it constantly reminds me to do good and not to do bad, especially with my hands."

And you can't argue with that.

Let us have kids who want to do good, rather than stupid Jobsworths looking for instances of regulation breaking (whether real or assumed).

 

[Yithian]

"It's very important to me, it constantly reminds me to do good and not to do bad, especially with my hands."

Might be some happy schoolboys if she loses the case...

 

[Yithian]

...whether a school's policy unlawfully breaches the Race Relations Act 1976

Sikhism is not a race, it's a religion.

 

[ArthurASCII]

AFAIK, the Kara is one of the five "K"s, and integral to Sikhism. If the school concerned was prepared to welcome this girl as a student, they should have done their homework!

Kara - a steel bracelet
A symbol of restraint and gentility.
A symbol that a Sikh is linked to the Guru.
It acts as a reminder that a Sikh should not do anything of which the Guru would not approve.
A symbol of God having no beginning or end.
A symbol of permanent bonding to the community-being a link in the chain of Khalsa Sikhs (the word for link is 'kari').
The Kara is made of steel, rather than gold or silver, because it is not an ornament.

 

[Fizz32]

As far as I know, Sikhs have allowed a relaxation of the 5 Ks to accommodate the regulations on the kirpan, the traditional Sikh sword that all baptised male Sikhs are supposed to carry with them. The kirpan isn't allowed in many schools, and Sikhism has adapted to accommodate this.

 

[Hot_Cross_Nun]

I don't think it's reasonable that rules which apply to everyone else may be bent or broken in order to accommodate someone's superstitious beliefs.

 

[ArthurASCII]

I don't think it's reasonable that rules which apply to everyone else may be bent or broken in order to accommodate someone's superstitious beliefs.

But why hamstring yourself by clinging to an unreasonable rule?

 

[Stormkhan]

Perhaps they think that if they make an exception for this girl's bangle then the precedent is set for girls to demand being able to wear the hijab etc. which, as we've seen, plays straight into the hands of the meeja and others with a bigger agenda than school uniforms.
Couldn't the lass herself compromise (without shame) and put the bangle on a long necklace, under her top, while at school? Thus she's still wearing it - for her own religious comfort - and it isn't so overt.

 

[OneWingedBird]

didn't the parents know about the school's policy before they sent her there? or are there no other schools in their area that would have been more accomodating?

 

[rjmrjmrjm]

I see no problem. School says no jewelery so that means NO JEWELERY.

Doesn't matter if its Sikh, Muslim, Christian or Jew. No jewelery.

 

[jefflovestone]

I see no problem. School says no jewelery so that means NO JEWELERY.

Doesn't matter if its Sikh, Muslim, Christian or Jew. No jewelery.

I don't know, since the Sikh's themselves don't see it as jewelery, I think we should actually see it along their definition.

As for it creating a precedent, there's a big difference with this and the hijab, for example. The Kara is actually religious and mandatory as opposed to cultural and optional - which the hijab is. Similarly, where a crucifix, for example, may be a nice way of showing faith, it's not as if wearing a cross became a guideline or law in the New Testament. Also, it's not as if Christians carry a 10ft cross around with them, what they actually wear is jewelery, albeit jewelery having iconic and symbolic value. The Kara isn't representative of something, it is actually the thing itself and therefore functional rather ornamental as with jewelry.

 

[Xanatico]

Saying "she doesn´t see it as jewelry, therefore it is not jewelry" would create an even worse precedent.

There must be a joke in here somewhere about her parents giving her a sikh note.

 

[Yithian]

I see no problem. School says no jewelery so that means NO JEWELERY.

Doesn't matter if its Sikh, Muslim, Christian or Jew. No jewelery.

I don't know, since the Sikh's themselves don't see it as jewelery, I think we should actually see it along their definition.

No Miss. I didn't murder Johnny, i was merely carrying out a fatwa in line with the prophet's wishes.

 

[Pietro_Mercurios]

I see no problem. School says no jewelery so that means NO JEWELERY.

Doesn't matter if its Sikh, Muslim, Christian or Jew. No jewelery.

I don't know, since the Sikh's themselves don't see it as jewelery, I think we should actually see it along their definition.

No Miss. I didn't murder Johnny, i was merely carrying out a fatwa in line with the prophet's wishes.

The Sikhs, as a group, are probably one of the most law abiding and well integrated of all those which have arrived in Britain, in the last 100, or so years. They are also, not Muslims. Does the girl's wearing of a bangle impinge on anything, but the school's arbitary and miserable, jobsworthy, set of rules?

There's a new level of mean spiritedness and intolerance seeping out of and through the fabric of British society, these days. Blaming it all on the Muslims, justifying it by referring to them, or their beliefs, doesn't make it any better.

It's still nasty.

 

[Yithian]

I wouldn't object to her wearing it if i were making the decisions. I was merely parodying the idea of relativistic definition as suggested by jefflovestone.

 

[jefflovestone]

I wouldn't object to her wearing it if i were making the decisions. I was merely parodying the idea of relativistic definition as suggested by jefflovestone.

'Ere, take your paradiddles somewhere else.

The point I was making is that, typically, it's not jewelery; purposely plain looking and functional. Jewelery is ornamental rather than functional. To me a Kara is no more jewelery than chain gang shackles*.




*That sounds like old tchwat from Dawkins last book.

 

[Yithian]

I'd say it was as functional as standard non-superstitious jewelry. That functions to look nice, attract attention, and advertise wealth. If i say my supersized gold clown shoes help me focus my mind and promote morality will you let me where them to school? What if my religion states that supersized gold clown shoes aid enlightment and please the lord and/or lords?

 

[Yithian]

If it's discretion we need to consider, my clown shoes can be un-super-sized and dull not shiny. They merely have to break the dress code.

 

[ArthurASCII]

I'd say it was as functional as standard non-superstitious jewelry. That functions to look nice, attract attention, and advertise wealth.

Except that a Kara bracelet is made of iron (although some Sikhs wear steel ones).

 

[Hot_Cross_Nun]

I don't think it's reasonable that rules which apply to everyone else may be bent or broken in order to accommodate someone's superstitious beliefs.

But why hamstring yourself by clinging to an unreasonable rule?

But I believe that it's perfectly reasonable for a school to operate a strict uniform policy.

Parents who feel otherwise are free to send their children to another school with more relaxed dress codes, should they wish to do so.

 

[Yithian]

I'd say it was as functional as standard non-superstitious jewelry. That functions to look nice, attract attention, and advertise wealth.

Except that a Kara bracelet is made of iron (although some Sikhs wear steel ones).

I didn't know that.

I'd like there to be enough lattitude to say 'fine' to all such little things but would want to draw the line at full facial covering. However, some would call this discriminatory so i'd just opt to ban the lot - if the decision were mine. Christian crosses included.

What do the French do? They are pretty secularised in these matters...

 

[jefflovestone]

I'd say it was as functional as standard non-superstitious jewelry. That functions to look nice, attract attention, and advertise wealth.

Except that a Kara bracelet is made of iron (although some Sikhs wear steel ones).

I didn't know that.

That's the point I've been trying to make throughout this. Whilst there are some pretty-looking, ornate Kara*, by-and-large, they're generally purposely plain dull objects with very little aesthetic value - the antithesis of jewelery.

 

[Xanatico]

I believe the original news story even mentioned the fact it was a simple steel ring she was wearing.

I believe the french have banned all religious symbols, such as wearing crosses and headscarfs. Which certainly seems like going too far to me.