Current Events
British Columbia Sikhs Come To The Rescue:
Pledge To Assist 2000 Syrian Refugees
CBC NEWS
The Lower Mainland Sikh community in British Columbia, Canada, has come together to offer housing, schooling, food, clothing and a slate of services to help support to the Syrian refugees who are expected to arrive in the area over the next few weeks.
Officials estimate around 2,500 refugees could land in the region within the next few weeks, as part of the federal government plan to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by the new year.
"The Sikh community has come to Canada themselves in many different ways, from the early 1900's and onwards," said Surrey Centre MP Randeep Singh Sarai.
"Welcoming others, newcomers, was part of their life, whether they knew them or not. Whether immigrants came from Punjab, or whether they were refugees in tumultuous times during the 80s, the Sikh way, the Canadian way, was always to give them a home, help them at the gurdwara and help feed them" he said.
Over the weekend Randeep Singh facilitated a forum of Sikh organizations which had all expressed a desire to answer the Canadian government's call for help in resettling the refugees. The result is a list of wide ranging services:
* Free tuition for 1,000 students at Khalsa School for one year.
* Free meals, clothing and blankets for 2,000 refugees from Gurdwaras in Vancouver, Richmond, New Westminster, Abbotsford and Surrey.
* A province-wide campaign to find free housing for an expected 200 families.
* Transportation from the airport.
* Pro bono medical services.
* Childcare for as many as 100 children.
SCHOOLING FOR ALL RELIGIONS
The Khalsa School, which has two campuses in Surrey and one in Mission, offers K-12 education based on the standardized B.C. Dogwood curriculum.
"We even have several teachers who speak Arabic, and we will do whatever we can to help the new students feel welcome." said principal Kamalpreet Singh Bagga in a statement.
At the schools one period a day is set aside for Sikh religious or cultural studies, but Randeep says refugee students would not be required to take those courses and that interfaith teaching will be offered.
"Obviously they're not going to be Sikh. They're probably going to Shia or Sunni Muslim or Christians," said Randeep.
"So [the schools] would help facilitate any religious teachings that they may need. They basically want to make them feel welcome, feel at home."
The group that met over the weekend has adopted the name Sikh Societies of British Columbia, and says the value of donations being offered is as high as $5 million.
"The community was grateful to take upon this challenge while being mindful of the fact that there might be some cultural and language barriers," the group said in a statement.
"Other community organizations are invited to join this cause as it affects our community as a whole and not just the Sikh community."
[Courtesy: CBC News. Edited for sikhchic.com]
November 24, 2015
Conversation about this article
1: Kulvinder Jit Kaur (Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada), November 24, 2015, 9:01 AM.
A befitting gesture. I looked up and found over 40 registered gurdwaras in Ontario. Perhaps they can follow the same example and offer to look after 50 refugees per gurdwara for the 3 coldest months of the year. Not all gurdwaras have equal resources/funds but some can do more and some less but an average of 50 per gurdwara will help 2000 refugees. A great start to 2016. I hear large sums of hard earned money of the sangat has been wasted on legal battles and other unproductive matters. Helping out refugees will put the sangat's donations to a much better use. Just a suggestion. Also noted on the internet that there are more than 15 registered mosques in Ontario alone. Perhaps a similar step can be adopted by them too, if possible.
2: Sunny Grewal (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada), November 24, 2015, 12:19 PM.
I am beginning to accept the proposition that we as a community are more willing to help others than our own.
3: Ari Singh (Sofia, Bulgaria), November 24, 2015, 6:11 PM.
I totally agree with you, Sunny ji! I have noticed this in the news. People in Punjab also need help desperately, especially farmers and our youth. Punjab is in bad condition:( We must find a way to help our people as well. Or, do they need to be in extreme distress?
4: Jasbeer Singh (New Delhi, India), November 25, 2015, 5:19 AM.
That's great. Also, can you please provide such inspiration to gurdwara managements here in 'Incredible India'? If not to others, at least they should provide good education and facilities to help build careers of Sikh youth. I'm sure Waheguru will be happy and bless all in this work.
5: Kulvinder Jit Kaur (Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada), November 25, 2015, 6:09 AM.
I fully agree with Sunny ji and Ari Singh ji. Similar thoughts cross my mind every time the Sikh organizations step forward to help out other communities. However, "charity begins at home..." No organisation has ever stood up for the Sikhs or ever come forward to help when the Sikhs were/are subjected to severe suffering no less cruel than what the Syrians went through. All suffering is suffering, it does not discriminate among different communities. Sikhs in Punjab/India cannot escape from their misery and insecurity as it is geographically difficult and there is no one outside the country offering them a helping hand. However these very Sikh organizations and individuals could have put their heads and pockets together and found ways to help them. It is very possible to find ways to do it. Sikhs are busy fighting each other and completely indifferent to the suffering of their own. They find it more convenient to help others. I am all in favour of helping all humans irrespective of their religion, nationality and colour but I strongly feel that one should ALSO help one's own in the same way. If we don't,then who will? Perhaps it is time for Sikhs to give this subject some serious thought.
6: Jasvir Kaur (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), November 26, 2015, 10:22 PM.
We need a similar initiative for the education and housing for the displaced Sikhs in Delhi from the pogroms of 84. We lost young Manmeet Singh Bhullar in Alberta this week; he was working on an initiative to help the Sikh & Hindu families in Afghanistan. We need to pursue that project to its conclusion.
7: Harinder Singh Kohli (Alberta, Canada), November 30, 2015, 11:17 PM.
It is commendable seva and we should do as much we can. Yes, many Sikhs also need support but we should not mix these two; they can be parallel projects. Similar efforts should be taken up in other cities as well. We can all support this noble cause without any diversions.