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Controversial Man Stands By Email: "Lose The Traditions, Or Stay In India"

bscheema

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Jan 4, 2010
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http://www.cknw.com/Channels/Reg/NewsLocal/Story.aspx?ID=1754208

copied from above link

Saying they must respect what he calls the 'Canadian way of living,' a man who wrote an offensive email in the wake of a deadly shooting at a temple in the U-S is standing by his comments against members of the Sikh community.

Dave Foran initially sent the email to Sher-e-Punjab Radio.

This morning, he defended its content with CKNW's Philip Till.

"There's nothing wrong with it if everybody kind of blends in and looks the same, but these people don't do that, they bring that religious thing with them."

"But how does it impact you?"

"I have to look at it. Other people have to look at it. I'm not the only here and I don't believe I'm prejudiced. I know lots of people from India. they blend in. they wear blue jeans. I don't want to live in India."

In the email, Foran insists he doesn't condone violence, but he believes 'Sikhs are disrespectful' because they don't 'blend in' after moving to Canada.

He goes on to say, 'your long beards, turbans, clothes and waddling as you follow each other down the street is enough to make us sick. Lose the traditions or stay in India.'

Dale Badh's family owns Sher-e-Punjab Radio.

He says Foran's comments are offensive because --as someone who's lived in Canada since 1975-- he's still not considered 'Canadian.'

"How are we disrespectful? It was very, very disturbing to me when I read that email and it still bothers me because what we've gone through in Wisconsin, what we've gone through after 9-11."

Badh says he doesn't wear a turban or beard, yet people keep calling him Indo-Canadian or South Asian, instead of simply Canadian.

Badh was speaking with CKNW's Philip Till
 
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Luckysingh

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Dave Foran may sound offensive and racist, but he is speaking for the majority.
There are many people that feel the same way as him.

They feel that we sikhs don't blend in or make an effort. - But they should look at the bigger numbers of chinese and far east that normally have 2 generations in a house of which NONE of them can speak a word of English!!

I mean in UK we have islamics that demand their own schools and they already have their own parliment. Compared to all this, I think the sikhs make a very good effort, be they taxi drivers, pizza delivery, bus drivers or security guards.
- The ones I come across in Canada can certainly speak more english compared to their chinese or far eastern counterparts.

The Problem is because a Sikh with a Turban stands out in a crowd of different immigrants, then we become easier targets for these people. It becomes easier for them to accuse us for the problems created. Just think, a Mr Singh standing in a turban next to a vietnames,chinese,phillipino,mexican, puerto rican, african and brazilian.- Out of this crowd of 8 nationalities, only Mr Singh with his turban will stand out.
Therefore, he becomes the grabbable and easier target!!
 

Joginder Singh Foley

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Stoke On Trent
WJKKWJKF


If I lived and worked in Canada and I worked for/ran/owned a radio/TV station and the next knucle draging Dave Foran rang in and started on about Sikhs or {any other ethnic minority} not fitting in I would take great pleasure to politly ask them as to which first nation tribe they belong to and seeing what sort of response I would get, and I take it then that dave foran has never seen a white Sikh {or a white muslim} then??


:happysingh:
 

Ishna

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Before turbans it was black skin. If it wasn't turbans it would be slanty eyes, or tanned skin, or red hair, or hooked noses. There will always be variety throughout the human race. I wonder if Dave would view a court judge and a slack-jawed yokel from the trailer park in the same way even thought they might both be white? One is polite and educated the other wears jeans two sizes too small and never washes their hair - one of them ain't trying to blend in...
 

Inderjeet Kaur

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Check out my avatar. It says, "Why try to fit in when you were born to stand out?" Conformity has never appealed to me. I have always been the square peg that didn't fit into the round hole - and I never wanted to fit in. I never wanted not to fit in either. I just wanted to be me.

I wish these narrow-minded people would learn that a Sikh turban is like a sign saying "May I help you?" And I wish the people, mostly men, swith the turbans would learn enough English to really be able to help.
 
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Harry Haller

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I wish these narrow-minded people would learn that a Sikh turban is like a sign saying "May I help you?" And I wish the people, mostly men, swith the turbans would learn enough English to really be able to help.

With the hugest of respect, Bhenji, a Sikh turban is no guarantee....., stocks can go down as well as up!

forget learning english, just being able to smile would be a start!
 
Nov 23, 2010
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"But how does it impact you?"

"I have to look at it.


It's really impressive how infantile people like this man are. Everything really is just about them. "mom!!!!! he's looking at me funny"
I've pointed out before that Sikhs have been here longer than some of my ancestors, for example my paternal grandmother came from Germany in 1910.
 

Ishna

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Harryji, when I went to Gurdwara on Sunday I was very nervous selfishly wondering if people would feel upset by a whitey being in their Gurdwara after the shooting in Oak Creek so I was all like keeping to myself... and one of our Granthis who always tends to look grumpy saw me on the way to Darbar Sahib and he gave me a massive smile and a hearty Sat Sri Akal Ji! and it just made me feel so at ease.

He should smile more, it's a beautiful thing.

And then, in the langar line (we line up with plates to get food instead of people bringing it to us), I was standing behind an old Sardarji, and one of the younger guys (I say in his 30s) who was already sitting down said to the man, "Hey, you should invoke your Senior's Card and get straight to the front of the line!" and we all laughed. Smiles and laughter - beautiful things. Gotta love the chardi kala.
 

Inderjeet Kaur

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With the hugest of respect, Bhenji, a Sikh turban is no guarantee....., stocks can go down as well as up!

forget learning english, just being able to smile would be a start!

Respectful disagreeing is a fine art, which you have mastered.

If this is indeed the case, then we need to give these Singhs a kick in the behind (figuratively) and remind them.

As for the smile, I have found that a smile given is returned and we should be the first to give.

Anyway, this narrow-minded man annoys me.
 

Harry Haller

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As for the smile, I have found that a smile given is returned and we should be the first to give.

I smile at everyone, its just habit. A smile brings everyone down to a common level, I do find that our Sardars can look very intimidating, rather than jolly.

Round the corner from my shop is a tattoo parlour, it is owned by a very nice chap and his girlfriend.Very often I walk by and there are fierce looking biker types, I always smile and chat, the very people you think are hoodlums and thugs turn out to be bank managers, accountants, doctors. The other day walking to open the shop, I came across a skinhead, with a tattoo covering one side of his face, complete with spider web on his head, piercings , and a cattle ring on his nose. Worried mothers rushed by him, he looked pretty intimidating, so I caught his eye and smiled, he smiled straight back, after a few weeks of nods and smiles, he came in the shop and enquired about a PC, a really nice down to earth fella.

As Sikhs I feel it is our duty to lift those around us, without prejudice, we must never be guilty of what this chap is guilty of, which is judging God's Creation without speaking to its heart.

Those that live like this, closed minded, deny themselves the joy of discovery, of bonding, of elevating, of living.

I like men like this, they may as well paste a label on their head 'don't waste too much time on me, and don't expect too much'

Creator is so wonderful to allow these folks to advertise who they are, it saves us so much trouble in giving ourselves to those that would appreciate it, understand it.
 

Harry Haller

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Before turbans it was black skin. If it wasn't turbans it would be slanty eyes, or tanned skin, or red hair, or hooked noses. There will always be variety throughout the human race. I wonder if Dave would view a court judge and a slack-jawed yokel from the trailer park in the same way even thought they might both be white? One is polite and educated the other wears jeans two sizes too small and never washes their hair - one of them ain't trying to blend in...

Yes, there have always been prejudices, brave indeed is the person who embraces what will make them stand out.

I mean what are the chances of finding a white, ginger haired, long bearded man, with say, an Irish background, who was also a Sikh, and also wore a turban, with a penchant for death metal and motorbikes.

Surely such a person would be quite in a state of Naam to be able to make a strength of so many different visual prejudices, although I do not believe such a person could exist.

:)
 

Inderjeet Kaur

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Yes, there have always been prejudices, brave indeed is the person who embraces what will make them stand out.

I mean what are the chances of finding a white, ginger haired, long bearded man, with say, an Irish background, who was also a Sikh, and also wore a turban, with a penchant for death metal and motorbikes.

Surely such a person would be quite in a state of Naam to be able to make a strength of so many different visual prejudices, although I do not believe such a person could exist.

:)

I'd very much like to meet him, if he exists...we might need to negotiate the music, though, just a bit.icecreamkudi
 

Ishna

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In this day-and-age I think the chances of finding someone just as you described are getting higher by the day!

Who would have thought we'd have our very own submarine navy ninja woman with pasty white skin (her words not mine!!) and a knack for wearing red salwar kameez in our midst? peacesignkaur
 

Gyani Jarnail Singh

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harry Ji..smiling as just a habit ?? ha ha..Over here in the Supermarkets they have installed a software that AUTOMATICALLY and LOUDLY says" THANK YOU..Come again....the moment the cashier rings up the sale and receipt comes out...so the cashier is RARE who says THANK YOU SIR manually after the cash register has spoken...habits indeed...
 

Harry Haller

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harry Ji..smiling as just a habit ?? ha ha..Over here in the Supermarkets they have installed a software that AUTOMATICALLY and LOUDLY says" THANK YOU..Come again....the moment the cashier rings up the sale and receipt comes out...so the cashier is RARE who says THANK YOU SIR manually after the cash register has spoken...habits indeed...

smiling is indeed very important, I often wonder why those sat in Gurdwara do not smile more. As a child I recall thinking that the whole 'God' thing must be very serious, as no one ever smiled, and everyone looked very stern and serious.

The best Gyani's. in my opinion, are so happy and smiley, that you want what they have, you want that Naam because at the end of the day, what are we here for? to be happy! The problem with happiness is that most people, like myself, want a quick fix, we want it here and now, without working for it, or even understanding it. We can buy love, sex, happiness, we can have it in an instant, the youth of Punjab is quickly discovering that money can buy happiness. Sadly happiness through heroin quickly brings misery when there is no heroin, happiness through the purchase of love brings reality, nothing can be bought, everything has to be earned, worked for, if Gyanis were high on life, on Sikhism, if everytime you met one, all you could remember was that this was the happiest person you ever met, believe me, you would be wanting to know the source of that happiness. Maybe one day, instead of gangsta rappers, or film stars, kids will look up to Gyanis and say, I want what he's got.

For the record Gyaniji, I have seen one of your photos, you were smiling in it

:)
 

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