I read it today and appreciate the concern. In my view, some influential Sikh businessmen should join hands and impress upon Qatar govt. for official permission to hold congregation. They may get help from Dubai gurdwara owner, SS Kandhari, who has his business connections in Middle east.
We Sikhs are, by culture, connected to weekly attendance at Gurudwara, listening to kirtan, hukamnama followed by langar. Sentiments attached to confiscation of Swaroops is fully understandable. Follow up by Sikhs for release also makes complete sense. However, what I see lacking here is an appeal to Sikhs that wherever we go, we should respect the local laws of the country. We go and work in countries which do not allow freedom of religion, out of choice, and are well aware of the laws. We should not break those laws. I know few of our Sikh brothers who live in Riyadh, Dammam in KSA, and they come to Baharain to visit Gurudwara Sahab at Salamabad there. I think SGPC and Sikh scholars should appeal to all Sikhs to abide by the local laws.
That’s one perspective, but if Qatar has allowed some concessions for the churches, there is no reason why should it it should not allow at least similar limited liberty for the Sikhs and Hindus.
Yeah, they can and they should. But, it is their country. I think the right approach for Sikh scholars and SGPC should be to lobby through Modi and Jaishankar to request these countries to legally allow religious freedom to Hindus and Sikhs.
I read it today and appreciate the concern. In my view, some influential Sikh businessmen should join hands and impress upon Qatar govt. for official permission to hold congregation. They may get help from Dubai gurdwara owner, SS Kandhari, who has his business connections in Middle east.
I think the second "swaroop" of Sri Guru Granth Sahib has since been returned to the Indian Embassy in Doha.
We Sikhs are, by culture, connected to weekly attendance at Gurudwara, listening to kirtan, hukamnama followed by langar. Sentiments attached to confiscation of Swaroops is fully understandable. Follow up by Sikhs for release also makes complete sense. However, what I see lacking here is an appeal to Sikhs that wherever we go, we should respect the local laws of the country. We go and work in countries which do not allow freedom of religion, out of choice, and are well aware of the laws. We should not break those laws. I know few of our Sikh brothers who live in Riyadh, Dammam in KSA, and they come to Baharain to visit Gurudwara Sahab at Salamabad there. I think SGPC and Sikh scholars should appeal to all Sikhs to abide by the local laws.
That’s one perspective, but if Qatar has allowed some concessions for the churches, there is no reason why should it it should not allow at least similar limited liberty for the Sikhs and Hindus.
Yeah, they can and they should. But, it is their country. I think the right approach for Sikh scholars and SGPC should be to lobby through Modi and Jaishankar to request these countries to legally allow religious freedom to Hindus and Sikhs.