Thoughts on Iran...
Some are so blindly anti-West and anti-Zionist, they lament the death of a tyrant who brutally oppressed innocent people.
The only thing I lament is that the Khalsa did not get him first and earlier. Now, it looks like Iran will be taken by others (although, let’s see, even this is no guarantee), where it should have been a target for Khalsa Imperialism, an Imperialism that would have truly served the interests of the people, enabled prosperity and distributed power to each and every Iranian to pursue their own destiny.
Read the following for more details on how exactly:
I hope the West will be able to fulfil at least some steps towards that rather than establish a fake facade of “development” that is really just a nice face they show the world whilst they plunder and exploit beneath the surface. But given the track record of Western imperialists, I doubt it. It may even just turn out to become a long, protracted war that further decimates the region and plunges the population into generational poverty. All the while, still expropriating the wealth.
However, in a better case scenario, perhaps a pro-West puppet government (provided it’s stable enough, which is a big assumption) would at least mean that people are out of under the thumb of radical Sharia/Islamic law. Many may now be more free to officially leave Islam, connect back to their Persian roots and culture that was there before the Islamic invasion, or even consider new ideas.
In such an environment, maybe Sikhs can more freely re-enter the region and form genuine connections with the people. The Khalsa is an Indo-Persian synthesis after all, so being able to connect with Iranians and build upon potential synergies may be strategic to one day revive an Indo-Persian culture, leading to the emergence of an Indo-Persian Empire led by the Khalsa. That may form a key holding of a wider Khalsa Raaj that Sikhs around the world declare intent for in their Ardaas each and every day.
So for those of you thinking “that sounds like a fantasy”, then stop saying “Raaj Karega Khalsa” in your Ardaas you hypocrites! If you don’t aspire for a Khalsa Raaj that expands across the world(s), then stop blindly repeating it!
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕਹੈਂ ਮੰਗੋ ਜਗੀਰ ਘਨੇਰੀ । ਜਿਤਨੀ ਚਾਹੋ ਸੋਊ ਲੇਹੁ ਘੇਰੀ ।
ਸਿੰਘ ਸ਼ਰੀਕੇ ਮੈਂ ਬਹੁ ਪਚੈਂ । ਕਹੈਂ ਲਵੈਂ ਬਦਲੇ ਹਮ ਸਚੈਂ ।੧੭।
While the Guru exhorted them to aspire for a very large territory,
And exhorted them to occupy as much territory as they wished,
But the nit-witted Singhs preferred to remain confined amongst their own kin,
And aspired to settle scores with their own fraternal adversaries. (17)
ਅਪਨੇ ਅਪਨੇ ਘਰ ਕੇ ਨੇਰੇ । ਚਹੈਂ ਮੁਲਕ ਹਮ ਸੋ ਲੇਂ ਘੇਰੇ ।
ਹੁਤੇ ਗਰੀਬਨ ਕੇ ਵਹੁ ਜਾਏ । ਯਾਂਤੇ ਕਰਨ ਨ ਲੰਬੀ ਦਾਏ ।੧੮।
They preferred to settle in the vicinity of their own home,
And wished to occupy the home land territory alone.
These Singhs being the offsprings of the poor impoverished parents,
How could they envision on a large vision and imagination. (18)
ਸ਼ਰੀਕੋ ਸ਼ਰੀਕੀ ਢਿਗ ਢਿਗੈ ਮੰਗੈਂ ਪੰਜਾਬਹ ਪਾਸ ।
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਦੇਇਂ ਵਿਲਾਯਤਾਂ ਵਹਿ ਕਰੈਂ ਨ ਉਨਕੀ ਖਾਹਸ਼ ।੧੯।
Since narrow fraternal ties keep people confined to their own fraternity,
The Singhs, demanded to get settled in the vicinity of Punjab.
Although the Guru, wished to grant them sovereignty over distant lands,
They lacked the imagination to aspire for a greater sovereignty. (19)
ਸ੍ਰੀ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਉਨਕੋ ਕਹਿ ਦਯੋ । ਤੁਮ ਝਗੜ ਝਗੜ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਰਹਯੋ ।
ਤੈ ਜੈ ਸਿੰਘ ਗੈਲੋ ਭਯੀ ਆਈ, ਤਿਸਕੋ ਔਰ ਵਲਾਇਤ ਬਤਾਈ।੨੦।
Finally, the Guru told them in clear unmistakable terms,
That they would remain confined to Punjab in fratricidal brawls.
But the Singhs who had joined the ranks a little later,
They were directed to settle in other distant lands. (20)
— Prachin Panth Prakash, Shaheed Rattan Singh Bhangu, Chief Propagandist of the Sovereign Order of the Guru Khalsa Panth (1785-1846)
The Guru has urged us to possess large ambitions, and as a Sikh of the Guru I intend to set my dream as that, and as a member of the Khalsa, and thus as part of the Guru, since the Khalsa is the Guru, I intend to work towards that goal with my Sangat as much as we possibly can in our lifetimes. Whilst we may not be able to fully materialize the space empire we envision any time soon, we can at least plant the seeds of trees that we may not in our lifetimes tastes the fruits of, but the next generations will. But depending on your support as a Sangat today, we may be able to sit in their shade.
The Khalsa needs to modernise. We as Sikhs must rebuild hard power and soft power, and once again get into positions of real influence and capability. The beauty of our Grand Strategy is that this can all be done legally, ethically and effectively. If you support us as a Bunga, we will try our best to change how Sikhs and the Khalsa operate over the next hundred years. No longer will be some fringe religious group, insular and isolated, but instead deeply embedded as value generators in whatever societies we reside in. We will change the reputation of Khalsa so that it becomes known by all, that wherever Sikhs of the Guru settle, prosperity, justice and liberty soon follow. Not just for us, but for the welfare of all mankind (Sarbat Da Bhalla).
So, follow along as we make effort to realising this vision. Consider supporting us through donating a portion of your Dasvandh, which helps build our fund pool which we are prepping as a Sikh endowment fund. Purchase our publications at Shop.BungaAzaadi.com, or join the Sikh Investors Club as a paying member. Also stay tuned for an entrepreneurship related project coming very soon which will help us bring together further talent and competence. Then we will begin ramping up projects like the Dharam Yudh Pipeline and also Mislisation too. The pace at which we can operate depends wholly on the support of the Sangat. So we humbly request the Saadh Sangat to keep us in your consideration.
Lastly, support for liberty for the people of Iran, the destruction of the dictatorship and theocracy that oppressed them, doesn’t equate to support for Zionism. The same way support for the people of Palestine doesn’t equate to the support of Hamas or anti-Semitism.
Further reading:
Sikh's first-hand experience of insurgency and it's impact on innocent people has meant they're sick of government BS, the US and Israel in this case (I too am sick of their BS!). Unfortunately, that's led them to show support for Khomeini. The same way Iranian immigrants hold up Israeli flags, they go from one extreme to another. We need to stop jumping between extremes but education and critical thinking skills need improving in the panth to achieve this
Who says we'd need to convert them? During Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Empire, the population was something like 70% Muslims. As per modern nation-state standards, it would be considered a Muslim country. But that's the the thing, it wasn't a modern a nation state. It was an empire. In much the same sense Sikhs should broaden their conception of the types of polity we consider. Whilst I agree, the task is a very tall order (likely not one we'd be able to do this generation), the point I wish to get across is that the Khalsa has been urged by the Guru to aspire for vast ambitions. But manh Sikhs today think too insularly and pessimistically. Once we get out the nation-state sized box the European colonists established for us, we can start considering alternatives methods for Raaj, beyond nationalism.
You don't need a lot of people to create a lot of change. You just need a few people where each one is worth 125,000. That's the calibre of individual the Guru crafted the Khalsa.
Additionally, the goal shouldn't be to "spread Sikhi" in my view, but for Sikhs to spread prosperity, security, justice, opportunity and liberty.