I thought it was really great of the Windsor Star to post this article about what is happening in the Sikh community.


Sikh temple 'dictators' protested


By Dylan Kristy, The Windsor Star July 26, 2010
StoryPhotos ( 1 )


Members of the Sikh community protest outside the temple on County Road 42 Sunday.
Photograph by: Dan Janisse, The Windsor Star, The Windsor StarAbout 300 members of the Sikh community gathered Sunday to protest the current governing of Windsor's Sikh temple.

The congregation of Gurdwara Khalsa Parkash, Windsor's 26,000-square-foot temple, has been steeped in conflict since the current executive committee was acclaimed in December 2009.

Hoisting signs reading "religion is a right, not a privilege" and "we need leaders, not dictators," members young and old protested peacefully outside the temple's formidable gates.

"It's all about our human rights and our freedom of religion," said Satinder Aujla, a 16-year member of the temple.

She said her main concern is the surveillance cameras that were recently installed throughout the temple, including in the prayer hall.

"How can you pray and be at peace when you have cameras shooting down at you and recording your prayers?

"It totally contradicts what you are there to do and praying should be between just you and your God."

While some protesters chanted "peace not police," inside, members continued to pray in silence without disruption.

Windsor police stood by during the protest "just in case," but left without incident.

The current executive committee's secretary Harjinder Singh Kandola said the actions of the protesters are only hurting the already damaged image of Sikhs in the community.

"We come here to worship and praise God, not to come and start making accusations against people," Kandola said.

"Since 9-11 things were really different for minorities so we should be working on productive things like promoting Sikh brotherhood, Canadian values and how we can improve our image."

Kandola said the cameras were installed for security after someone broke into the temple.

He said cameras are commonly found in temples throughout India as well.

Two Sikhs have been issued trespass notices by the executive in recent months, accused of causing disruptions in the temple. Another has had her membership in the local Sikh society revoked and another Sikh is facing a membership revocation.

Windsor allergist Dr. Sukdev Singh Kooner, a former executive committee member, said the exiled Sikhs have followed the outlined procedures to appeal their ousters, but their requests have gone unanswered.

"More than just surveillance, the issues are that nobody can speak there, people have been given trespass notices and they cannot attend the service," Kooner said.

For 13-year-old Gurleen Dhaliwal, the temple should be a place of worship, not politics.

"We come here to pray to God, not somebody else and that's just not happening because of all the drama," said Dhaliwal, who was among the group of protesters.

"The temple needs to be respected and you shouldn't be able to just change it, it has to stay the way it is."

© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star

Read more: http://www.windsorstar.com/entertainment/Sikh+temple+dictators+protested/3322583/story.html#ixzz0uw5IGGkW