Author Topic: International Turban Day (Read 1432 times)

♥(ਛੱਲਾ)♥ · « **on:** August 28, 2012, 12:41:16 AM »

International Turban Day is celebrated on April 13th every year. This event was started in 2004 to bring awareness of the strict requirement on Sikhs to don the turban as a mandatory part of their religion. In the West since 9/11 in 2001, the turban, has attracted negative attention due to the wrongful linking of this garment with Osama bin Laden, the Muslim leader of al Qaeda who has often been pictured wearing a turban.

Due to the vast news and media coverage of Osama bin Laden following 9/11, many men wearing a turban and beard and Punjabi styled clothing articles (long vest or longer shirt) have been looked upon with suspicion, with some innocent people even being killed or wounded by uninformed and even deranged westerners bent on revenge, who just assumed that any Bearded man, wearing a turban and beard was a Muslim.
However, this perception is wrong, as the vast majority of people in Western countries who wear turbans are actually Sikhs. Given that many thousands of Sikhs died fighting against the same sort of Muslim fundamentalist terrorists that bin Laden's group al Qaeda and the taleban espouse today, the irony of such an uninformed assumption is tragic, especially since most Muslims living in the West do not wear turbans.

The turban or "dastar" or "pagri" often shortened to "pag" are different words in various dialects for the same article. All these words refer to the garment worn by both men and some women to cover their heads. It is a headdress consisting of a long scarf-like single piece of cloth wound round the head or sometimes an inner "hat" or patka. Traditionally in India, the turban was only worn by men of high status in society; men of low status or of lower castes were not allowed or could not afford to wear a turban.

Although the keeping of unshorn hair was mandated by Guru Gobind Singh as one of the Five Ks or five articles of faith, it has long been closely associated with Sikhism since the very beginning of Sikhi in 1469. Sikhism is the only religion in the world in which wearing a turban is mandatory for all adult males.

Since 2004, on Turban Day, Sikhs worldwide organise various events to give information about the turban to the general community in their locality. Turbans of every hue are represented at these events and posters highlighting information about Sikhi are also displayed and handed out.

Turban tying session are arranged so that youngsters and others get a chance to wear a turban for the first time and have their photos taken. Many non-Sikhs take part in these events and sport the traditional headgear of the Sikhs to show solidarity with the community.

Many famous personalities are also invited to these events to bring more media attention to the plight of the Sikhs since 9/11.

Sikh organisation in northern India has called on all Sikhs to observe 13 April as "World Turban Day".

The Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) said the purpose of the day was to improve international awareness of Sikhism.

It believes that distrust and aggression against Sikhs is caused by a general ignorance about the religion. Turban wearing Sikh men , especially those wearing beards and clothing styles similar to those in which bin Laden has been pictured, have been mistaken for Islamic fundamentalists since the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US.

There has been more than one instance where US-based Sikhs have been attacked and even killed.

SGPC secretary Manjit Singh Calcutta told the BBC the idea for the day was mooted as a way to try to tackle the suspicion and hatred directed against turban-wearing Sikhs living abroad.

Amritsar, Punjab, India -- Young Sikhs stand outside the Akal Takht after doing Ardas to mark April 13 as "World Turban Day" - declared by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

The SGPC said that Sikhs have been targets because of general ignorance about their religion. Since 9/11, Sikhs have experienced a spike in the number of hate crimes in the United States and Europe. Sikhs have also been caught in the middle of a French law banning religious headwear, originaly targeting Muslim women. The pracitice seems to be spreading in other countries in Europe.

SGPC secretary Manjit Singh Calcutta told the BBC the idea for the day was mooted as a way to try to tackle the suspicion and hatred directed against turban-wearing Sikhs living abroad.

In Amritsar, SGPC volunteers tied religious bands on the turban-wearing devotees entering the Golden Temple.

Author Topic: International Turban Day (Read 1432 times)

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International Turban Day

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