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
How do you know he was a tyrant and oppressor? Have you been to Iran? Have you spoken to Sikhs there who never migrate to other countries. Seriously wise up. Who knows whats really going on. All I know is most of history is a lie by those who won wars or stole everything. Shias are not usually that bad. What do Northern Ireland, Pakistan and Israel have in common. You need spend longer and dive deeper. The TV or news media is not fact. Did Saddam have WMDs or was it all a clever scam?
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.
With all due respect I think this idea of a Sikh Iran, while pleasant to daydream about, is unmoored from reality.
Islam, and in particular Twelver Shia Islam, is fully integrated into the Iranian (not just Persian) cultural fabric and worldview. This is the result of a process which has gone on for centuries. You point to the idea of Iranians returning to a pre-Islamic Persian culture, but I think you will find that most Iranians within Iran would find the idea of a non-Shia (much less non-Muslim) Iran to be insane. Even dissidents like Reza Pahlavi are firm on the idea of Islam being the foundation of Iranian society and culture. Sikhi might have some Persianate cultural influences, but we'd have as much luck convincing the Iranians to convert to Buddhism as we would in spreading Sikhi.
I mean, look at West Punjab, an Islamic culture which speaks our language and with which we share extensive cultural ties. At best, the Pakistani Punjabi sees Guru Nanak positively (albeit as a Sufi saint as opposed to a Sikh) and has some positive view of Sikhs as a whole. Spreading Sikhi there would be an immensely tall task, and that's with a shared cultural foundation. Trying to do so with Iran would be orders of magnitude harder.
I agree with this take. Now I'm not saying "Sikh resources should only be used on Sikhs or only in causes that help Sikhs." That is going too far into realpolitik thinking, to a point that begins to stray from the meaning of sewa.
But on the other hand, Sikhs should not be getting involved in literally every conflict that happens. In Iran there is a historic Sikh population, particularly in Zahedan and Tehran. We should focus on raising awareness to protect these populations but stay out of the conflict otherwise.
Israel is driving this war and means to turn Iran into a failed state, Syria part 2. You cannot seriously believe their stated motives with a straight face.
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
Well said
How do you know he was a tyrant and oppressor? Have you been to Iran? Have you spoken to Sikhs there who never migrate to other countries. Seriously wise up. Who knows whats really going on. All I know is most of history is a lie by those who won wars or stole everything. Shias are not usually that bad. What do Northern Ireland, Pakistan and Israel have in common. You need spend longer and dive deeper. The TV or news media is not fact. Did Saddam have WMDs or was it all a clever scam?
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.
With all due respect I think this idea of a Sikh Iran, while pleasant to daydream about, is unmoored from reality.
Islam, and in particular Twelver Shia Islam, is fully integrated into the Iranian (not just Persian) cultural fabric and worldview. This is the result of a process which has gone on for centuries. You point to the idea of Iranians returning to a pre-Islamic Persian culture, but I think you will find that most Iranians within Iran would find the idea of a non-Shia (much less non-Muslim) Iran to be insane. Even dissidents like Reza Pahlavi are firm on the idea of Islam being the foundation of Iranian society and culture. Sikhi might have some Persianate cultural influences, but we'd have as much luck convincing the Iranians to convert to Buddhism as we would in spreading Sikhi.
I mean, look at West Punjab, an Islamic culture which speaks our language and with which we share extensive cultural ties. At best, the Pakistani Punjabi sees Guru Nanak positively (albeit as a Sufi saint as opposed to a Sikh) and has some positive view of Sikhs as a whole. Spreading Sikhi there would be an immensely tall task, and that's with a shared cultural foundation. Trying to do so with Iran would be orders of magnitude harder.
Not everything is our concern either
I agree with this take. Now I'm not saying "Sikh resources should only be used on Sikhs or only in causes that help Sikhs." That is going too far into realpolitik thinking, to a point that begins to stray from the meaning of sewa.
But on the other hand, Sikhs should not be getting involved in literally every conflict that happens. In Iran there is a historic Sikh population, particularly in Zahedan and Tehran. We should focus on raising awareness to protect these populations but stay out of the conflict otherwise.
Israel is driving this war and means to turn Iran into a failed state, Syria part 2. You cannot seriously believe their stated motives with a straight face.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HClnbLHWgAAjdoG?format=png&name=900x900