The Wisconsin Gurdwara Shooting

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        It's been a while since posting on the blog largely because I've been dealing with my reason for doing the blog in the first place (and reaffirming the initial reasons: the interactions with people, learning and discovery). I'm writing today about the shooting in Oak Hills, Wisconsin at the Sikh Gurdwara by a white supremacist.  

    For those who don't know much about the Sikh community here is my post from a while back:
http://thereligiousoutsider.blogspot.com/2011/05/meeting-babaji-redmond-wa-april-30th.html

    The Sikh community is one of the kindest and welcoming communities I've ever known.

      The reasons behind the shooting were fear and hatred of the Other. In this case Muslims, though I think for the guy the fact that the they weren't Muslims mattered very little. He was part of an organization that believed white supremacy, a philosophy based not only in fear and hatred of the other, but a belief that superiority exists in something as superficial as the color of ones skin.

     One thing I think needs to be done is to approach this kind of terrorism the way we approach any other kind. There is a reason that there haven't been any successful terror attacks from radical Muslims, the same should apply to any other group that targets people because of their ethnicity and beliefs and believes that murder is right. The government should do monitoring and action before the evil occurs to prevent it in the first place.

    This is not the only thing that should be done though, education is also key. People don't tend to fear what they understand. That's one thing where we as people as well as our education system can do better. How exactly, like my idea above should be done, I'm not sure. I think whatever is done should be based on whatever is most just and true.

    The philosophy of any sort of supremacy of race is built on a lie. It falls when held up to the light of the truth. It's broken base cannot be supported and it crumbles. This is the importance of education, people who choose to be good can change when they (white supremacists, fundamentalists who believe in killing for their ideology) realize just how flawed and wrong the ideology is.

   I shall end with a quote from the first Guru of Sikhism which is relevant on the actions we take:

"In the whole wide world that I see around, Nothing can be without good actions."

(Guru I, Japji)

     May we remember the bad that is done in the world and create good.
   

Meeting the Babaji - Kent, WA - April 30th, 2011

        Have you ever had something never quite pan out? I've noticed that this has happened to me a few times since starting the blog. I've been meaning to visit United Church of Christ, one of my friend Churches with her, it took till the end of the quarter for the Islamic Center of Olympia visit to finally occur, and going to Gurudwara with two of my good friends Ipreet and Sukhneet was another event that has yet to pan out.

    I still was fortunate enough to spend the day with them and and meet the Babaji, or honored Elder within Sikhism.

     First, what do Sikhs believe? Sikhs believe in reincarnation, in a God that is all-loving, good, formless and transcendent and that heaven and hell are in our experiences and attachments (Maya) here on Earth. We stop the cycle when we release ourselves from our attachments in our worship of God who resides within, around and outside of us. The faith was founded by the first Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the fifteenth Century. After him there were 9 more Gurus before the book of their teachings was made the eleventh guru.

     In the car we all talked together about conflict and the "Othering" that people do to one another, as well as how easy it is within that for conflict to occur. Examples: Religious violence, riots after sports games, ect. We talked about post undergraduate or current undergraduate life and healing within conflict. We then arrived at the house where the Babaji was at.

     When we arrived at the house the shoes were all outside the door. This brought back memories of when I visited the Gurudwara years ago. At the Gurudwara there is the washing of the arms, wearing of a head covering for men and women and the wearing of long shirt and pants. This reminds me of Islam a little bit (taking shoes off before entering, wearing long shirts and pants), and is good at having reverence and reflection from the beginning (like dressing up to go to Church, ect.). Like at the Gurudwara, at the house we sat on the floor, the Elders who were quite old sat on the couch with their walking canes nearby.

     At the house was the Babaji, an old man with a large white beard and turban and a black scarf. He was ancient and had a kind demeanor about him. He was with another man who is in charge of the largest religious school in the world. It's a Sikh school that specializes in teaching a whole range of subjects, from music and English, to the study of Sikh and other Holy Books and more.

     I was given chai and a sweet snack and talked about the school and religion with the President of the School for a while, and think I may visit their sometime...I have the opportunity to possibly teach there after I'm certified to teach English, which would be lovely.
     
    Later the Babaji talked about the problems going on in Punjab, such as drugs and poverty. Sukhneet translated for me.

     After Sukhneet and I talked about religion, and life for a while in the car at the Gurudwara, but then I had to go so I wasn't able to visit the Gurudwara proper that day due to work. I do hope to return though. Two friends became adopted siblings that day in the sharing of what it means to be human, conflict and resolving conflict (both inner and outer), and transformation. I look forward to seeing them both again and attending the Gurudwara, which is one of my favorite places to visit because of the community, music and reflection of God the place of worship brings (as well as the equality of the sexes within the community).