General Channel 4 Discussion Forum Making Fun Of Kirpan Issue?

[Randip Singh]

I was reading this link:

A religious right to carry a knife? - Topic Powered by eve community

The article is this:

MEP launches Sikh Interest Group

An All-Party Sikh Interest Group has been launched in the European Parliament, despite many of the Sikh delegates being denied access to the building due to wearing a Kirpan.

Lib Dem MEP Liz Lynne, said that they had hoped to hold their first meeting in one of the Parliaments main rooms, but that the Parliamentary Authorities had ruled the Kirpan to be a security threat and denied the Sikh members entry.

This is the third time that leading Sikhs have been denied entry to the Parliament due to wearing the ceremonial Kirpan.

The Kirpan is seen as an article of faith by the Sikh religion and not as a weapon.

Liz Lynne, who is also a member of the European Parliament’s Sub- Committee on Human Rights and has campaigned on a variety of Sikh issues, said that it was outrageous that the European Parliament was discriminating against the Sikh community in this way: “This new Parliamentary group is intended to look in particular at how Sikhs are treated within Europe. Unfortunately it would seem that we do not have to go very far to find examples of the discrimination that many Sikh’s face everyday.

“I am deeply disappointed that the European Parliamentary authorities refuse to recognise the right of Sikh people to wear the Kirpan.

"The Kirpan is not a weapon, it is a religious symbol. This is not a question of security but one of religious freedom.

“In the UK the right to wear the Kirpan is enshrined in law. This includes allowing Sikh’s wearing the Kirpan to enter the Palace of Westminster. Therefore I do not see why the rules should be different in the European Parliament. "I very much hope that now we have this all party interest group on Sikh issues that a number of problems facing this community across the EU can be addressed"

and some of the comments are:

Asarualim

Ceremonial or not, it's still a weapon. By allowing Sikh's the right to carry a knife where non-Sikhs aren't, isn't that in itself a form of religious discrimination? Either everyone should be able to carry a knife through security cordons or nobody as far as I'm concerned. We shouldn't have one rule for one and another for eveybody else.

And what kind of message does having a weapon as a symbol of the religion send out? It's hardly a peaceful image is it?

Old Soul

Posted 12-11-08 14:13 12-11-08 14:13 Hide Post well my religion allows me to carry a sawn off shotgun, is that ok
Posts: 4815 Ignored post by Old Soul posted 12-11-08 14:13 12-11-08 14:13 Show Post caboose
Posted 12-11-08 14:14 12-11-08 14:14 Hide Post I think i will start a religion where you are required to carry a ak47 as part of your outfit I wonder if that will be ok ?
Posts: 964 Ignored post by caboose posted 12-11-08 14:14 12-11-08 14:14 Show Post Old Soul

Posted 12-11-08 14:22 12-11-08 14:22 Hide Post Isn't there a religion that permits one to marry underage girls, is that ok then
http://community.channel4.com/eve/forums?a=userposts&sortType=1&u=9150027589 Ignored post by Old Soul posted 12-11-08 14:22 12-11-08 14:22 Show Post Harrap

Posted 12-11-08 14:22 12-11-08 14:22 Hide Post Can't speak for the present day.
But Sikhs would carry minature knives on a key-ring or whatever and that was deemed to be OK.
http://community.channel4.com/eve/forums?a=userposts&sortType=1&u=9890048722 Ignored post by Harrap posted 12-11-08 14:22 12-11-08 14:22 Show Post Voodu

Posted 12-11-08 14:32 12-11-08 14:32 Hide Post

quote:
Originally posted by Old Soul:
Isn't there a religion that permits one to marry underage girls, is that ok then
​

Do you mean the extremist Christian polygamist sects found in America or something more obvious?

As the OP's question - I agree that the current position does seem a bit daft. However I'd imagine allowing some negotiation with Sikh representatives first, rather than steaming in publicly, would better the chances of a successful resolution.

and so the comments go on!

 

[punjabikiren]

other people always have to exagerate!

 

[spnadmin]

randip ji

The lasting impression whenever I read these stories and the reactions from some of the public is always this: There is a sorry lack of understanding of religions of the world. The entire matter of kirpan would be solved in elementary school by having classroom visits with talks by representatives of local religions. It would take one afternoon a month at most. An inter-faith component in the curriculum. When you see a kirpan then you realize how stupid the controversy is. But then some people know they are stupid and are proud of it (please forgive me).

 

[Randip Singh]

randip ji

The lasting impression whenever I read these stories and the reactions from some of the public is always this: There is a sorry lack of understanding of religions of the world. The entire matter of kirpan would be solved in elementary school by having classroom visits with talks by representatives of local religions. It would take one afternoon a month at most. An inter-faith component in the curriculum. When you see a kirpan then you realize how stupid the controversy is. But then some people know they are stupid and are proud of it (please forgive me).

Problem is a lot of the so called "establishment figues" log into the Channel 4 forum, and they should know better!

 

[spnadmin]

Leadership - is it about public approval, or is it about wisdom? You don't have to answer. Just a rhetorical question.