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Kirpan: Sword of MercyMay 04, 2010 - 10:25 PM
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 By I.J. Singh - Since Vaisakhi 1699 when Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh master mandated it, a Kirpan (Sikh sword) has been one of the five articles of faith for a practicing Sikh who has been initiated into the Khalsa discipline. Its size often varies from a minimal three inches or less to one that may be three feet long. And it often has a sharp blade as any sword would. | |
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All in a Day's LessonApr 09, 2010 - 09:42 AM
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 By I. J. Singh - Easter and Vaisakhi speak to us and our neighbors. These come at about the same time every year and remain defining days Christians and Sikhs, respectively. This year, Easter and Vaisakhi present some unusual but significant lessons for Christians and Sikhs – it has become a time that calls for some reflection and a sobering inward look. | |
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DASAM GRANTH: A Red Herring ControversyDec 04, 2009 - 01:27 PM
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 By I. J. Singh - Just about a year ago I was at a conference celebrating 300 years of Guru Granth. In attendance were people of all religions, including a fair number of Sikhs. For the 30 minutes that I spoke, I never once referred to the Dasam Granth. But during the Q & A, the first question from a Sikh in the audience was: “What is your take on the Dasam Granth?” | |
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The Prison of One-Word LabelsNov 16, 2009 - 11:09 PM
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 By I.J. Singh - The gambler never wins in the end simply because over the long haul the odds are set to favor the house. I am not a gambler but I got roped into a fixed game with odds set against me when I entered a discussion on the Internet with my eyes wide open. In fact, they must have been wide shut. The bait was irresistible with lures glistening like polished diamonds. The angler reeled me in with a few words taken out of context from my own essays. How could any man resist the temptation? | |
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A Lesson for Sarah Palin: Being a Real AmericanDec 01, 2008 - 11:57 AM
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 By I. J. Singh - This is not Obama redux, even though it springs from Election 2008.
First I bristled and then I was horrified as I watched Sarah Palin draw a distinction between “real Americans and those that are not” during the 2008 presidential campaign. | |
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So Large a TentNov 17, 2008 - 12:16 PM
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 By I.J. Singh - The past often looks rosy. Or so we think when we step back into the past, when childhood seemed innocent, and homes and neighborhoods idyllic. | |
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Christian Conversions in Punjab: Battleground AnewOct 03, 2008 - 12:39 PM
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 By I.J. Singh - I must confess that I was appalled when I first read reports of Christians targeting Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and other regions of India for massive conversions to Christianity. Punjab is the land of my religion - Sikhism - and that bothered me even more. | |
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A Powerful and Armor Piercing LanceJun 03, 2007 - 10:37 PM
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 By I.J. Singh - For once, I was utterly confused.
Many historians say that in 1915, the Ottoman Empire was responsible for the death of a million Armenians in an organized campaign of genocide. But there are important voices, admittedly just a few, that deny any such happenings or mass killings ever occurred. | |
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Art, Faith and HistoryJan 08, 2007 - 10:38 AM
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 By I.J. Singh - It is a potent nexus, even explosive at times, as history tells us. Just think of the riots that occurred all over Europe and in parts of the Muslim world in 2005, triggered by the Danish newspaper editorial that included cartoons of Mohammed. And don’t forget how angry many Christians were in the 1990’s over two artistic creations: a photograph that depicted a crucifix submerged in a glass of urine, and a painting of the Virgin Mary featuring an exposed, three-dimensional breast made of elephant dung. Litigation was mounted against the artists; museums lost their grants, while politicians jumped into the fray with both feet to ride the crest of public outrage. | |
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By I.J. Singh - In the past few weeks, the Sojhi project has attracted