If there's unanimity of opinion on this issue here at SPN, I guess free discussion isn't possible, and I shall have to gather a fuller spectrum of information elsewhere. This would suggest to me that the SPN membership as a whole considers the EDL's stated cause itself invalid and unworthy.
Although I’m not a regular poster, I’ve been a 'lurker' for a very long time (most of it when I was researching Sikhi) and I would say that SPN is the
best Sikh forum I’ve been on simply because it allows far more open discussion and you get to see both sides. And from the posts I’ve read and my own experience, it’s a site where people on here go out of their way to help you.
I was attempting to point out that what may begin as a valid and worthy cause can be co-opted by others with somewhat different agendas. This is hardly spot news, and I've seen it happen many times. Having worked in media, I have observed how hate speech (and action) is selectively condemned, depending on the political proclivities of those who make editorial policy. The Guardian is a good example on the left side of the divide, but hardly the only one.
On the issue of the EDL, I defer to those in the UK who are more aware of the actual situation on the ground. I ask the same indulgence when the topic may turn to the situation in my present place of residence. As I see their mission statement calling for mutual respect and the right to peacefully express one's beliefs within the greater framework of British society, I figured that this was a message that would resonate with the Sikh philosophy - at least enough to pause to consider.
You pointed out the The Guardian is a left wing newspaper, which in my opinion, implies that naturally they would write negative articles on EDL. So what about the Telegraph – they are a right wing newspaper and again another respected broadsheet.
Here is an article from The Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8885128/EDL-members-arrested-on-Armistice-Day.html
EDL's intelligence level is so impressive and they apparently are able to hold a mature conversation in trying to get their points across that they, and I quote:
"They resisted to the point they were throwing stools at the police and bar staff."
Wait... Doesn't their mission statement state they don't believe in violence?
Infact, in supposedly being only anti-Islamic only and
not racist….
"They were not happy that a number of our bar staff were not English."
It is highly unlikely that those bar staff would be practicing Muslims or identifiable as Muslims, so if Islam is their only problem, why were they unhappy with them not being English?
The EDL mission statements may sound somewhat reasonable but if you read their comments on twitter, you find that they are nothing but vile, immature and far off from what they claim their objectives are. And their tweets alone show how often they contradict this mission statement that you mention in your post.
If the leader of the EDL is so set on his objectives then why on earth does he keep getting arrested for stupid things including for threatening others with violence? If he’s so much better than an extremist Muslim that he’s trying to fight against, why does he participate continuously in dishonesty and associated again and again with violence. Is that an example of a good Christian/human that he sets to the Muslim community or any other minority community?
Let’s take a look at another article from the Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...nt-after-entering-US-on-friends-passport.html - isn’t falsifying information not just morally wrong but also taught as wrong in religion as it accounts to the same as lying? In this particular incident, the UK community learned that Tommy Robinson/Stephen Lennon isn't his only name. He had a third name that the judge himself didn't know which one was real!
At the very least, I'd be interested in hearing from a representative of the EDL's Sikh division.
Any takers?
There are a few Sikhs who have been with EDL and you’ll find many of them on twitter/facebook. Although I hope God guides those men/women away from EDL as they are simply being used to generate hate and do not realise this. The EDL have picked up on previous tensions between the Pakistani Muslim community and the Sikh Community over various issues and have used this as a platform to recruit some Sikh members who are predominantly young and are angry over these issues. They constantly refer to Sikhs as “their friends” and when there have been issues between these two communities; the EDL quickly get involved in an attempt to get Sikhs on their side to make them appear as anti-Islamic only and not racist.
You said you were interested to hear of a Sikh who was part of the EDL, the most notable Sikh EDL member is Guramit Singh. I’m not going to go into so much details about it but here are some articles for you about him:
http://edlnews.co.uk/index.php/12-news/the-leadership/15-guramit-singh?COLLCC=1683043177&
(this is written from a Sikh perspective although the writer points out they are not a practicing Sikh)
http://www.pickledpolitics.com/archives/12404
http://www.turbancampaign.com/updat...unce-edl-by-vaisakhi-or-face-excommunication/
On his facebook page, his friends were mainly EDL people who often referred to him as a "P*k*" (note that I mentioned in my previous post, what a derogatory term this is). And it is also a term he uses freely to describe other Asians. And the use of this word was not used as a joke by those members either. It is common knowledge that this is a racist term, has nothing to do with Islam or extremism what so ever.
If you look at some of the videos used in these links of actual EDL demonstrations and members, does this look to you like their objective statement was being met? If so, why is profanity so regularly used in trying to get their point across?
Let’s assume that Muslims no longer existed or that all followers of Islam left the Islamic faith and followed the other major religions in the UK. What do you think the likes of EDL would do? Who do you think they will then pursue in their missionary objectives? Most likely Sikhs or Hindus and anybody else who isn’t from the indigenous population.
I sincerely apologise if my views offend any of you and I hope you forgive me - I have no issues with people who want to question different areas of faith or start a group about protesting against extremism that can affect communities. However, I do have an issue when people vilify other people’s faith and show disrespect to it as well as (findingmyway writes) tar all followers with the same brush. Faith is something that is important to each individual and whichever path they choose to take, it is one that we should respect as human beings providing it is not used as a reason to harm others. And I have a major issue, when others who are not part of the said target group also suffer harassment and abuse simply because they are also different.
I’m sorry to say Awakeand Singh-ji but having seen their demonstrations and heard the vile words that have come out of their mouths while they are standing meters away from me, the missionary statement you refer to might as well be printed on paper then ripped up and thrown in the recycling bin because it is something that the
majority do not follow.
Sikhs Against the EDL are an amazing group mostly run by Singhs from what I have seen in my interactions with them. And those Singhs and Kaurs are an
ASSET to the UK. They act as role models to UK society, not just for Sikhs but for Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Jews and other communities. Similarly these communities also display a high level of respect to them, continuously applauding them on their work.
I’m sure you must be familiar with Mark Twain’s quote “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” Such a shame the EDL’s Tommy Robinson/Stephen Lennon and the majority of his followers, never paid attention to it.
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