About www.thefauj.com
This is a series of posters I have created in the last 2 years. The word fauj means army, and it implies the army of God, which is a concept in Sikhism that says the Sikhs are the army of God who fight to defend the Truth and protect the rights of others. After creating the first image, merely for my own enjoyment, I was told that young Punjabi boy had decided that he was inspired by the image and had decided to stop cutting his hair (one of the most important practices in Sikhism) and wanted to be more involved with practicing the Sikh lifestyle. He had said that the people in the poster looked so cool and he wanted to be like them. After hearing about this, I shot several images of friends and created the following 8 images in an attempt to create a similar effect amongst the global Sikh youth. These images even inspire me, and push me to practice my own Sikh lifestyle with more passion because I want to look like the ideal Sikhs that Ive created in the posters.
Source: http://photosingh.blogspot.com
Wanted Sikh Volunteers
Every time I hear of a hate crime against a Sikh or even non-Sikh, I just feel so helpless and wished I could do something to bring awareness about Sikhism to my fellow American citizen. I dont want to go out there and preach Sikhism to them, but I do want them to be at least aware of as to who we are, what we believe in, why we wear turbans, we are not Moslems or Hindus, and most importantly we are as much part of American life as anybody else. What does being in an American norm mean anyways? I guess it depends whom you ask. If you ask an Italian, it would be different than an Irish or a woman, a child, or a Jew, a Christian, or a Cuban or an African or an environmentalist. Yes! If a Sikh is an initiated (baptized) Sikh, he or she does not drink, smoke, and eat meat. Now would you consider that person being not a normal American? Is a Catholic more normal than a Baptist or a Jew or a Sikh? Is a cowboy hat more normal than a baseball hat, a rappers hat, or Santa Clauses hat or my turban? I dont know.
Anyways, without going off track further, what I want to say is that if more and more Sikhs with turbans volunteer for various causes, and take active role in learning normal American life, things will definately change over time. If every Sikh man or woman in the country, starts to volunteer to tutor kids during or after school, help in hospitals, shelters, sports activities, speak kindly, be good role models things will change. You dont even have to mention the word Sikh even once, it is your turban along with the actions that will be enough to show future generations and other people that Sikhs are good. I don’t even consider my self a kind speaker and learning how to be one. If you have a music talent or know how to do kirtan or story telling, go out and play music at the senior centers or kids hospitals or voluteer to tell stories at a camp etc. My kids and I did that in Espanola, New Mexico along with 15-20 other Sikh kids and adults in a senior hospital, the joy we brought to the faces of those seniors was just amazing. It is all seva after all.
I look at this way, if 100 people in America, see my turban and my good actions out there today, those are the hundred in whose minds, the curiousity I have raised. We have to be conscious about every action that we take, even little things such as showing a smile or shaking hands or saying hello or Sat Sri Akal or Namaste go a long ways. But it is us that have to make the effort even if we feel other person looks or sounds rude. In Martinez, my wife and I know probably around 500-1000 people if not more. First thing, we stand out as a couple, she being non-Sikh, white and I being an Indian with a turban. Then we have three kids in different schools, in different sports, soccer coaching etc. A lot of the times, people know me and talk to me but I have no clue who they are. We love this town where we live, since it brings a community feeling and people are very nice. The number above would just be 10-20 if we would just stay in house, watch TV most of the times and not be active in the community. The point is that it is we as Sikhs that have to make a lot more effort to bring a change in the mindset of our fellow Americans before the next terrorist attack happens and more Sikhs are attacked because of ignorance.
Sikh orphans given to Christian missionaries?
Mother Committs Suicide
Being a young person/adult being bought up in a western country, Sikh religion/culture bit bit of panjabiness mixed in its not easy. The pressures of doing well in education, getting a job, getting married, making your family and parents proud, etc doesn’t make life easy.
Our community doesn’t seem to understand the problems or they chose to ignore it eighter way the problems just growing. Family life seems to be neglected, parents are not spending time with children as they have been tied up in making a living for there family and giving them everything people around them have. You cant blame parents entirely at the end of the day they have there children present and future in mind.
On the other hand I find in the same home religion has been neglected and ignored and the basic teachings of Sikhi are ignored. If every Sikh child was thought the basics of Sikhi I think it would be a great help to the current situation of depression, drink, drugs, and self harm, amongst the youth, as well as girls vanishing or running away from home in the name of “love.” Is it not time Gurdwaras played a more active role in family life not only in encouraging the youth but family activities.
Sikh art – Sikh girl carrying Guru Ji
Continuing on with my highlighting the works of Gagandeep Singh; here is another of his works. He describes this as depicting a sikh girl with dastaar carrying Guru Granth Sahib and the nagar drum plays as a collage.
Click here to view the artwork: http://solarider.org/my-pics/gs-guruji-singhni-25-10-2005.jpg
Please respect the artist’s work and do not steal the drawing. Provide proper credit like above.
If you have some interesting sikh youth related articles, please send them to us at sikhyouth@shaw.ca
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