On May 20, local Sikh leaders donated books, DVDs and pamphlets to Queens libraries in an ongoing campaign to increase awareness of Sikh culture, history and religion.
Community activist and the leader of the Sikh awareness project, Jagir Singh Bains explains that the awareness campaign was launched by the Sikhs because of the confusion and mistaken identity about them after 9/11. The Sikh community suffered a wave of hate crimes by assailants who mistakenly associated Sikh men with members of al Qaeda.
“I’m not advertising my religion, I am trying to explain my religion. Sikhs believe God is one, he is the creator and lives within his creation. Sikhs believe in equality, compassion, tolerance, human rights and universal love. Sikhs are peace loving and law abiding people,” Bains said.
Bains currently is a member of his local community board and he hopes to acquaint New Yorkers as to the Sikh ethic of hard work, lawfulness and community service.
There are 25 million Sikhs worldwide making Sikhism the fifth largest religion. In India Sikhs are about two percent of the population, mostly from Punjab. Today they can be found living around the world.
Of 62 community libraries in Queens, 56 now have the books on Sikhism. For more information on Sikhism, call 212-380-8571
http://www.qgazette.com/news/2011-0...te_Materials_To_Queens_Libraries_Improvi.html
Community activist and the leader of the Sikh awareness project, Jagir Singh Bains explains that the awareness campaign was launched by the Sikhs because of the confusion and mistaken identity about them after 9/11. The Sikh community suffered a wave of hate crimes by assailants who mistakenly associated Sikh men with members of al Qaeda.
“I’m not advertising my religion, I am trying to explain my religion. Sikhs believe God is one, he is the creator and lives within his creation. Sikhs believe in equality, compassion, tolerance, human rights and universal love. Sikhs are peace loving and law abiding people,” Bains said.
Bains currently is a member of his local community board and he hopes to acquaint New Yorkers as to the Sikh ethic of hard work, lawfulness and community service.
There are 25 million Sikhs worldwide making Sikhism the fifth largest religion. In India Sikhs are about two percent of the population, mostly from Punjab. Today they can be found living around the world.
Of 62 community libraries in Queens, 56 now have the books on Sikhism. For more information on Sikhism, call 212-380-8571
http://www.qgazette.com/news/2011-0...te_Materials_To_Queens_Libraries_Improvi.html
