Art and Awareness Unite to Educate Society About the Sikhs

June 9th, 2006 by admin

Restoring The Pride provides a multi-media outlet to promote knowledge of the Sikh religion.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (PRWEB) March 9, 2006 — Do you think everyone with a turban and beard is from the Arab world? Have you ever met someone who is Sikh? A new website offers answers to those questions through a medium which all find enjoyable: watching videos. The new web initiative RestoringThePride.com provides a multi-media outlet to learn about Sikhism, as well as an opportunity for the Sikh community to display their creativity with a focus on visual artworks.

The followers of Sikhism, a monotheistic faith based in India, still continue to face unwanted scrutiny in the post 9/11 era due to their unique identity of colorful turbans and uncut hair. Worse, many are unaware of their contributions to the fields of medicine and technology, their heroic bravery as soldiers in both World Wars, or civil service as elected legislative officials in several democratic countries. To date, the Sikhs are often mistaken to be followers of the Islamic faith in today’s news media enriched world. Even with multiple outreach efforts, they are often incorrectly affiliated as members of the Arabic community.

“Through use of art, the time has come for all to appreciate the beauty of the Sikh culture,” stated Sartaj Singh Dhami, co-founder of RestoringThePride.com. Also as the founder of Dashmesh Pictures, a film production team focused on promoting Sikhism, Dhami feels that RestoringThePride.com can offer another venue for society to learn who the Sikhs are. Additionally, it reminds members of the Sikh community to recapture their pride. Dhami went on to say that, “With recent world events, unfortunately some people in our community allow peer pressure or lack of exposure to prevent them from being proud of their rich cultural heritage. It is our sole hope that this website will allow all to be more comfortable, and welcoming, towards the followers of Sikhism.”

The website inaugurates with several videos created and produced by Dashmesh Pictures highlighting how Sikhism was started, the Sikh martial arts of Gatka, as well as the “Sikh on the Street,” a short film containing interviews of Non-Sikhs as they share their thoughts of who the Sikhs are. Supreet K. Rekhi, co-founder of RestoringthePride.com, emphasizes the need for community members (Sikh and non-Sikh alike) to submit their creative work. Dashmesh Pictures will also continue to produce and post additional videos with similar messages.

About RestoringThePride.com
002.jpg The sole purpose of RestoringThePride.com, home to Dashmesh Pictures, is to provide a creative art media outlet, with an emphasis on visual works, to help promote a positive image for Sikhism. The mission can be divided into two subcategories:

1.) Provide knowledge to society of who the Sikhs are through creative works, as a mechanism to promote educational awareness, acceptance, and communal harmony.

2.) Provide inspirational works for members of the Sikh community, as a mechanism to aide in restoring their pride, as experienced by their ancestors in previous generations.

Media Contacts:
Sartaj S. Dhami
703-929-9285

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