ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂਜੀਕਾਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ॥ ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂਜੀਕੀਫ਼ਤਹਿ ॥
CN: Discussion of violent and targeted attacks towards Sikhs
First and foremost, we would like to send our sincerest love and support to each and every one of you during these uncertain times. We hope that you are all safe and imbued in the spirit of Chardi Kala.
This is the first in a series of emails we will be sending you every two weeks or so, comprising of a list of various links and sources about a topical issue or theme.
Building on feedback from our previous email, we wish to keep you guys engaged on current affairs, and conversations taking place across the panth. Hopefully these biweekly bulletins are a way to inform, educate and spark conversation. The aim is to present you guys with a variety of articles, blog posts, essays, documentaries and more, as a way to keep you guys up to date with what’s going on. Feel free to engage with as many or as little of them as you wish – but we’ll try to offer you as much context as possible in an approachable format. We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions for future topics to cover; as well as things you think we might have missed.
The topic of our first bulletin is a sombre one. As you may already know, Sikhs in Afghanistan have undergone numerous challenges in recent years. Under several tyrannical regimes the community has shown remarkable resilience under very real threats to their livelihood, marked by decades of conflict and trauma. Despite large numbers in the past, many families have left their homes in order to settle in India, the UK, Europe, or Canada, whilst those who are left continue to be exposed to harassment, discrimination, and violence. This has culminated in the deadly attack at the Dharamsala Gurdwara in Kabul that took place on the 25th March, which claimed the lives of 25 Sikhs who were in attendance of the Guru Ji’s court.
In their memory, please find below a series of links that deeper explain the struggles faced by Afghan Sikhs. We’ve also tried to include some links that are in the spirit of celebration – beyond tragedy it is also important to note that Sikhs were once a flourishing community in Afghanistan. The community retains a strong connection to Afghan culture, alongside a deep dedication to their Sikhi, and is vital we see both the positives and negatives of their lived experience.
News Reports and Articles
Digestible overview of and reaction to current events – Kabul Gurdwara massacre: Breakdown and Reaction [Sikh Press Association]
News report focusing on the background of the community and struggles of past decades [Asia Times]
News report from 2014, when Afghan Sikhs were found in a shipping container in Tilbury, explaining the perilous journeys taken to reach safety [BBC]
Press Release from World Sikh Organisation of Canada, about the 2020 Gurdwara attack and their subsequent efforts to offer refuge to Afghan Sikhs in Canada [WSO]
Academic Writings
- Essay surrounding the social and political issues faced by women who belong to religious minorities in Afghanistan [accessible with raven login]
- Analysis of Afghan religious minorities and their struggles over the last 100 years [accessible with raven login]
- Anthropological essay about the role of technology and social media amongst Afghan Sikh refugees [accessible with raven login]
Miscellaneous Media about Afghan Sikhs
- 25 minute documentary which was aired on the BBC in 2019 about the Afghan Sikh community in the wake of the 2018 bomb attack
Article from 2018 following the lives of the two last Sikhs left in Helmand province [The Diplomat]
Aghan But Sikh by Naseer Ahmad Tabish
- Award-winning short film about the Afghan Sikh community, featuring interviews with Afghan Sikh Youth
Article chronicling the life of an activist who lost his life in the 2018 bomb attack. [Foreign Policy]
Press release from 2009 about Dr. Anarkali Kaur Honaryar, an activist and politician focusing on the rights of women and the Sikh community. Since, she has received an award from UNESCO, and became the first non-Muslim woman in the Afghan senate [RadioFree Europe]
Archive footage of Guru Nanak’s Gurpurab celebrations from the early 2000’s, at the Kabul Gurdwara (translation of Farsi in the description) [Associated Press Archive]
We hope this hasn’t been too overwhelming, but instead educational and informative. We would be very grateful for any feedback.
All the best,
Your Sikh Society Committee