News

Sikh girl takes her fight to wear religious bracelet at school to the High Court.

News Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Lawyers representing Sarika Singh, 14, are hoping the judge will rule that she was the victim of unlawful discrimination, in a case which could prove to be pivotal in the debate over religious dress in schools.

Lawyers representing Sarika Singh, 14, are hoping the judge will rule that she was the victim of unlawful discrimination, in a case which could prove to be pivotal in the debate over religious dress in schools.

Aberdare Girls' School in South Wales insisted that Sakira take classes on her own for two months before finally excluding her last November after she refused to remove the small steel bangle, known as a Kara.

The school, at which Sarika was the only Sikh, does not permit jewellery other than wristwatches and plain ear studs.

The kara is one of the five Ks, symbols of the Sikh faith that followers are expected to wear at all times.

In February, Sarika enrolled at Mountain Ash Comprehensive School, which allows her to wear the Kara, pending the outcome of her court challenge.

Her mother, Sinita, 38, has said that, although Mountain Ash is a good school, her daughter's education suffered as a result of the move and the stress involved in the run-up to her GCSEs.

Last Friday, the family travelled to 10 Downing Street to hand in a petition calling on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to intervene in the matter "to show discrimination is totally unacceptable".

The petition gained the backing of 150 Gurdwaras - the main Sikh religious institutions - and over 200 Sikh organisations and 70 non-Sikh organisations.

Human rights group Liberty, which is supporting Sarika's High Court battle, claims Aberdare Girls' School breached race, equality and human rights laws by not allowing Sarika to wear the Kara.

Today's hearing, before Mr Justice Silber, is set for three days.

-By Lucy Cockcroft

Lets not be Narrow minded, and rather support each other

Submitted by baz on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 10:26.
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Feteh Regardless whether she wears the full 5 k’s or just the Kera, the simple fact is that she has the RiIGHT to follow her faith in WHATEVER capacity she chooses. We all know the full set is the panj kekar, and maybe one day this brave girl will take them all. But to denounce what her struggle is actually about based on a formal glimpse is ignorant and self damaging to the panth. Need people be reminded about the principle set out by Guru Teg Behadur Ji. He did not care if the Hindu’s were following a faith with beliefs in contrast to Gurmat. Guru Ji regardless stood firm and gave his life for their RIGHT to practise their faith FREELY in WHATEVER capacity. Why can’t we stand behind our very own on an issue which will affect us ALL, rather than arrogantly nit picking on the obviouse. People are so short sited. We need to wake up and understand, this struggle is about her right to practise her faith. If the Court rules that she can’t wear her kera this will have a huge impact on ALL Sikh regardless whether they keep the full panj or not. Do your really think that if a legal example is set making it lawful to ban the Kera in school the kirpan, keshera etc will have some sort of legal protection. This will go across the board, hitting every Amridhar as well. Rather than slating which is what allot of people are doing her as a member of the Khalsa Panth truly and honestly respect her and her family for figting back. Allot of people in our community would have never gone so far, and would have simply disregarded the Kera, rather than sacrifice a great deal and in practise holding true to the Khalsa principle of fighting against injustice . Gurfeteh.

Davinder brother see the

Submitted by tarveen on Fri, 06/20/2008 - 14:50.
Davinder brother see the point is not to get publicity to our religion. There are many other ways in which people can be made aware of sikhism. i have heard recently some veerji is taking classes in schools to educate childrens bout sikhism. I agree with u that people are facing problems but these people are sikh n not like sarika. Again 4 such awareness effoerts are jointly needed by all the sikh organisations. by u by me, by all of us-SIKHS.

Look it from a different angle

Submitted by Davinder Singh on Wed, 06/18/2008 - 22:19.
Guys, this issue is just not about Sarika...i understand ur point of view but the thing here is that this case will atleast highlight the importance of Kara for a sikh and would serve as a reference in case we do have a amrithdhari sikh facing the same problem in his/her school in Wales.....

I quite agree with the above

Submitted by AmritpalSingh on Wed, 06/18/2008 - 15:25.
I quite agree with the above comments. 5 K's are a single Entity, having just some of them and not keeping others is no good. Sarika Watkins-Singh, where is the Guru's gifted name "Kaur"? If we forget all other gifts from our Guru, the Kesh, the Rehit, the Amrit, then just fighting for one of them doesn't really make our point that strong.

Both tarveen and daffodil

Submitted by Sonalika on Wed, 06/18/2008 - 06:00.
Both tarveen and daffodil are exactly right. We can see how much all five k s mean to you. You are making an issue of such a thing that has no importance atleast for you. There is no point in going till the high court. Its just publicity according to me.

Secondly u are not even

Submitted by tarveen on Wed, 06/18/2008 - 03:10.
Secondly u are not even calling it a kara.......that is a bracellet 4 u........gal get some life

I think Daffodil has rightly

Submitted by tarveen on Wed, 06/18/2008 - 03:09.
I think Daffodil has rightly pointed out that u have not kept the k s then y are u making a big fuss bout the kara. it can be easliy figured out what sikhism means to u. every k is as important like the other. If u r oki with the fact that u don have hairs then y do u wanna be associated with sikhism wn u cant preserve it.

Sikh girl takes her fight to wear religious bracelet at school

Submitted by Daffodil on Tue, 06/17/2008 - 18:29.
I don't know what to say. Well it is good to stand for what you believe in but I believe this to be a fight of somethin else. I believe this to be fight of what you want.. The Ks come in set of five. I think that if you can bend one K then you can certainly bend the other. It is not like what they are doing to sikh turban men. They are not asking to remove turban .. Kara can be removed. If you can not keep Kess then you can certainly live without kara. I am very certain she does not wear a Kashera either. So if Kes, Kanga, Kashera,Kirpan are gone.... Kara can go too.. M I right here or what !! making a big deal of something you don't really believe in. Kara is religious but you can certainly live without it. Sikhi starts with Kess, path.. and many other believes... If you choose to just wear kara to explain to others that you are sikh ....?? then I am speechless... This fight shouldn't be about making a point... It should be about doing the right thing. we don't follow anything that Sikhi says and yet we want to argue about something somebody told us not to wear. I support Turban issue because guys are sincere about hair and hair is important... The guy in florida sueing Disney is the case I think is worth fighting for... but ehhhh... not this one.. Don't tell me we are suppose to support anything relating Sikhism... or punjabis...!! Coz m going to support what is right.. After all we are suppose to think about humanity. I am so not signing her petition ... If I can see sikhi in her even 1%, I will do it.

1% of sikhi, maybe if u are looking from a hill of ego?

Submitted by baz on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 10:56.
Daffodil wrote “I am so not signing her petition ... If I can see sikhi in her even 1%, I will do it.”. I am so saddend that you can’t apparently see 1% of Sikhi in her from where your are which you are alluding to, despite her standing up for her right to practise her faith in her capacity (most Sikh’s of the Guru would appreciate that). Furtter more this relates to all humanity as all faiths shaire this universal struggle of religous freedom. Each legal decision impacts each faith as we know from the ban on islamic headscraves and the impact that had on dastars in France.. Can’t see 1 % of Sikhi in her? Good thing our Guru is far greater and with true humility see’s the potential in all He is the Patron of the poor, the Merciful, Luminous Lord, the Redeemer of sinners. Page 137, Line 2 O my Lord, I am a sinner; I have come to Your Sanctuary, and fallen at Your Door, Lord. Page 167, Line 5 The Divine Light of the Infinite Lord, who owns the soul and the breath of life, is deep within the inner being. Page 140, Line 17 Daffodil Please don’t sign the petition, I will sing it instead and if Waheguru gives me the himmat happily accept the outcome. I won’t waste any more time replying, you can have the final say over all. Gurfeteh.

Wake up and support.

Submitted by baz on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 10:53.
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Feteh Regardless whether she wears the full 5 k’s or just the Kera, the simple fact is that she has the RIGHT to follow her faith in WHATEVER capacity she chooses. We all blatantly know the full set is the panj kekar, and maybe one day this brave girl will take them all. But to denounce what her struggle is actually about based on a formal glimpse is ignorant and self damaging to the Panth. Need people be reminded about the principle set out by Guru Teg Behadur Ji. He did not care if the Hindu’s were following a faith with beliefs in contrast to Gurmat. Guru Ji regardless stood firm and gave his life for their RIGHT to practise their faith FREELY in WHATEVER capacity. Why can’t we stand behind our very own on an issue which will affect us ALL, rather than arrogantly nit picking on the obviouse. People are so short sited. We need to wake up and understand, this struggle is about All our right to practise faith. If the Court rules that she can’t wear a kera this will have a huge impact on ALL Sikh regardless whether they keep the full panj or not. Do your really think that if a legal example is set making it lawful to ban the Kera in school the kirpan, keshera etc will have some sort of legal protection! This will go across the board, hitting every Amridhar as well. Rather than slating her which is what allot of people are doing personaly as a member of the Khalsa Panth I truly and honestly respect her and her family for figting back. Allot of people in our community would have never gone so far, and would have simply disregarded the Kera, rather than sacrifice a great deal and in real practise holding true to the Khalsa principle of fighting against injustice . Gurfeteh.

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