By Jasmine Kaur Age 15 Vancouver, B.C

Sikh youth living in Canada face a number of problems associated with their identity, beliefs, heritage and way of life. The appearance of a Sikh is unique and very distinctive. People who are ignorant towards Sikhs and their dress resort to making fun of the way they dress.

Also, a Sikh is instructed never to lie or cheat, therefore when his/her peers cheat or lie, they compel him/her to join them. When a Sikh refuses, they fail to see this as an attribute but rather as “forwardness”. This case also applies to drinking, smoking and doing drugs. ‘The intake of such intoxicants is prohibited in Sikhism, and Sikhs hold true to their faith. Outsiders tend to ignorantly laugh and tease them about being afraid to try.

Such people who believe in this low kind of fun are only fooling and hurting themselves and creating problems for society. Instead of enjoying their lives they seem to be ending them. By the time they come to realize their mistakes they have become morally and physically incapable of healing themselves and finding true peace and enjoyment.

There are easy and harder ways to deal with the problems put up by such people. Unfortunately, some of the “new generations” of Sikhs decide to give in to this peer pressure and just flow with the wave, instead of standing up and saying, “this is my belief and I stand by it” They decided to give up their identity and go by the cheap, “western ways” because they don’t know what to say when someone questions them about their unshorn hair or their practices and the reasons and morals behind them. Learning about the Sikh Faith and the great philosophy behind it, can give the strength to a person to face such peer pressure and tell their convictions firmly and resolutely. Although there are many hardships associated with living in the West, there is also a great advantage, the freedom to express one’s faith entirely, without restriction. It is our fault if we don’t take advantage of it. Let we the Sikh youth decide to appear as Sikh and act as Sikhs and there by enjoy being Sikhs.

Article extracted from this publication >>  July 28, 1989