WSC-AR Enews, September 2010

["WSC-AR" <contact@worldsikhcouncil.org>]

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[1]World Sikh Council - America Region (WSC-AR)

>P.O. Box 3635, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA

>Phone: 972.985.9591

>Fax: 888-398-1875

>E-mail: [2]contact@worldsikhcouncil.org

>Web: [3]www.worldsikhcouncil.org

>[4]

>WSC-AR Enews
>September 2010

>In this Issue (click on article to go to it)

>1. 2010 National Sikh Convention, Oct 22-24

2. WSC-AR Participates in Protest at Rochester Gurdwara Sahib
3. WSC-AR Salutes Advocate Phoolka
4. WSC-AR Attends Sikh Genocide Conference in Toronto
5. WSC-AR Participates in NAIN Conference

>6. Ginny Kaur Elected to CPWR Board

>7. Arms Down Campaign for Shared Security

>1. 2010 National Sikh Convention, Oct 22-24

WSC-AR will hold a National Sikh Convention from October 22 to 24, 
2010 in  New
Jersey. The primary objective of the convention is to review the past
accomplishments of WSC-AR, plan for the future, and make some 
important Pan thic
decisions in order to strengthen WSC-AR. Another important objective 
of this
conference is to initiate the process of creating a representative
international Sikh structure. A special session is being planned in 
which t he
representatives of various Sikh organizations from across the world 
will
interact to find the ways and means of creating a region in their 
respective
countries similar to WSC-AR. Every US Sikh Gurdwara (which is managed 
by Si kh
community) and other US Sikh organization that respects the Sikh 
Rehat Mary ada
(Sikh Code of Conduct) is invited to send one representative to the 
National
Sikh Convention. More details and registration information is at
[5]sikhconvention.org.

>Back to index

2. WSC-AR Participates in Protest at Rochester Gurdwara Sahib

>[6]

Dr. Satpal Singh, Chairperson of WSC-AR, addressed a religious protest
gathering organized by Akhand Keertani Jatha on August 15, 2010 
outside
Rochester Gurdwara Sahib in New York. About 150 Sikhs from Toronto, 
New Yor k,
Connecticut area, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Syracuse and 
other are as
along the East Coast attended. In his remarks, the Chairperson of 
WSC-AR
emphasized the Kirpan as the Guru's gift to Sikhs and not something 
to be
afraid of. He added that the Rochester Gurdwara management committee 
had
portrayed the Kirpan as a dangerous weapon from which the Gurdwara 
and its
congregation needed to be protected, rather than as a mark of the 
Guru?s  gift.
The actions of the management committee of the Rochester Gurdwara in 
gettin g a
ban placed on the Kirpan and thereby the entry of formally initiated 
Sikhs  into
a Sikh place of worship under the guise of legal cover is shameful, 
in dire ct
contravention of the Sikh doctrine, and a blatant attempt to 
undermine the
gifts of the Guru. The complete remarks delivered at the gathering 
can be
accessed at [7]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmSPN6wCGw8.

>Back to index

3. WSC-AR Salutes Advocate Phoolka, Urges DSGMC President to Exercise 
Restr aint
and Support Justice for Victims of Sikh Genocide

[8]WSC-AR expresses its gratitude to Mr. Harvinder Singh Phoolka, 
Senior
Advocate of Supreme Court of India, for his tireless efforts in 
prosecuting  the
perpetrators of the November 1984 Sikh genocide in India. Advocate 
Phoolka  has
been a glimmer of hope for the Sikh community worldwide for over 25 
years n ow
for his efforts in working steadfastly with unwavering dedication to 
prosec ute
the perpetrators of the genocide, many of whom are senior Congress 
party
political leaders in India. Due to the efforts of Advocate Phoolka 
and his
legal team, several pending cases against senior ruling Congress 
party lead ers
have recently come to the forefront for their prosecution in the 
Delhi judi cial
system. WSC-AR also calls upon Mr. Paramjit Singh Sarna to exercise 
restrai nt
as President of DSGMC and support the legal efforts of Advocate 
Phoolka in
prosecuting the perpetrators of the genocide. Mr. Sarna is urged to 
serve t he
interests of Sikhs instead of being subservient to the political 
interests  of
the Congress party in India. For more details see [9]Twenty years of 
Impuni ty:
The November 1984 Pogroms of Sikhs in India by Jaskaran Kaur, 2007.

>Back to index

4. WSC-AR Attends Sikh Genocide Conference in Toronto

>[10]

Mr. Satwant Singh, representative of WSC-AR, attended the 1984 Sikh 
Genocide
Conference held on August 15, 2010 in Toronto, Canada. The conference 
was
organized by Sikhs for Justice and focused on the June and November 
1984
planned massacres of Sikhs in India. About 800 Sikhs from across 
North Amer ica
attended the conference. More information about Sikhs for Justice is 
availa ble
at [11]http://sikhsforjustice.org/.

>Back to index

>5. WSC-AR Participates in NAIN Conference

Dr.Tarunjit Singh Butalia, Chair of WSC-AR Interfaith Committee and 
Board
member of the North American Interfaith Network (NAIN), attended the 
NAIN
Connect 2010 annual conference held July 25-27, 2010 in Salt lake 
City, Uta h on
the theme of ?Many Faiths  ? One Family: Building a World of Harmony? 
. Dr.
Butalia was a panelist in the opening panel discussion titled Digging 
Deep:
Personal and Religious Motivations for Interfaith Work. More 
information on
NAIN is at [12]http://www.nain.org/.

>Back to index

>6. Ginny Kaur Elected to CPWR Board

[13]The Board of Trustees of the Council for a Parliament of the 
World's
Religions (CPWR) at its last meeting appointed Mrs. Ginny Kaur of 
Chicago to
its Board. Mrs. Kaur is a WSC-AR representative and is on the board of
Fellowship for Activists To Embrace Humanity (FATEH), a nonprofit 
organizat ion
that is involved in service projects. In the Chicago metropolitan 
area, she  has
been instrumental in aligning with other organizations like Habitat 
for
Humanity, March of Dimes, and Make a Wish Foundation to arrange many 
service
oriented projects in the Chicago community. She is an energetic Sikh 
woman  who
has worked tirelessly to well balance a professional career, a 
family, and
engagement with many religious and civic organizations. CPWR 
organized the
December 2009 Parliament of World Religions held in Melbourne, 
Australia th at
was attended by several representatives of WSC-AR. More information 
on CPWR  can
be accessed [14]here.

>Back to index

>7. Arms Down Campaign for Shared Security

[15]Global military expenditure reached the unprecedented level of 
$1.464
trillion in 2008. Only 10% (ten percent) of the total global military 
budget
would be sufficient to enable the full achievement of the UN 
Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). Join the Religions for Peace's Arms Down! 
Campaign
for Shared Security and tell governments to: abolish nuclear weapons, 
stop  the
proliferation and misuse of conventional weapons, and redirect 10% of 
milit ary
expenditure to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 
2015.  For
more information on the campaign, and to sign the petition, visit:
[16]www.armsdown.net/. To join the North American campaign, contact 
Rori Pi cker
Neiss at [17]rori.picker.neiss@gmail.com.

>Back to index

>About WSC-AR

The [18]World Sikh Council - America Region (WSC-AR) is a 
representative and
elected body of Sikh Gurdwaras and institutions in the United States. 
Its
members include 45 Gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) and other Sikh
institutions, across the nation. WSC-AR works to promote Sikh 
interests at  the
national and international level focusing on issues of advocacy, 
education,  and
well-being of humankind.

>Member Gurdwaras of WSC-AR

1. Pacific Coast Khalsa Diwan Society, Stockton, CA
2. Gurdwara Sahib Fremont, Fremont, CA
3. Guru Nanak Sikh Mission, Livingston, CA
4. Sikh Gurdwara of LA, North Hollywood, CA
5. Sikh Gurdwara Riverside, Riverside, CA
6. Colorado Singh Sabha, Denver, CO
7. Guru Singh Sabha of Augusta, Augusta, GA
8. Sikh Study Circle of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
9. Sikh Religious Society of Chicago, Palatine, IL
10. Sikh Society of South, New Orleans, LA
11. New England Sikh Study Circle, Boston, MA
12. Singh Sabha of Michigan, Canton, MI
13. Sikh Gurdwara of Michigan, Rochester Hills, MI
14. Sikh Society of Michigan, Madison Heights, MI
15. Guru Nanak Foundation of Jackson, MS
16. Sikh Gurdwara of North Carolina, Durham, NC
17. Sikh Sabha of Upper Valley, Hanover, NH
18. Garden State Sikh Association, Bridgewater, NJ
19. Guru Nanak Sikh Society of Delaware Valley, Sewell, NJ
20. Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Glenrock, NJ
21. Sikh Sabha of New Jersey, Lawrenceville, NJ
22. Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh, Las Vegas, NV
23. Sikh Cultural Society Inc., Richmond Hills, NY
24. Sikh Cultural & Edu. Society of Western NY, Buffalo, NY
25. Sikh Religious Society of Dayton, Dayton, OH
26. Guru Nanak Found. of Greater Cleveland, Richfield, OH
27. Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Society, Bedford, OH
28. Guru Nanak Religious Soc. of Central Ohio, Columbus, OH
29. Sikh Sadh Sangat, Easton, PA
30. Philadelphia Sikh Society, Millbourne, PA
31. Tristate Sikh Cultural Society, Monroeville, PA
32. Mid South Sikh Sabha, Memphis, TN
33. Sikh Center of Gulf Coast, Houston, TX
34. Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Richardson, TX
35. Sikh Gurdwara of North Texas, Garland, TX
36. Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Fairfax, VA
37. Sikh Association of Central Virginia, VA
38. Sikh Religious Society of Wisconsin, Brookfield, WI

>Other Sikh Institution Members of WSC-AR

>1. Siri Guru Granth Sahib Found., Anaheim, CA
>2. Sikhs Serving America, Topeka, KS
>3. Sikh Youth Federation of North America, White Plains, NY
>4. Sikh Heritage Foundation, Long Island, NY
>5. Sikh Educational & Religious Foundation, Dublin, OH
>6. Sikh Youth Federation of USA, Toledo, OH
>7. Academy of Guru Granth Studies, Arlington, TX

>References

>1. http://www.worldsikhcouncil.org/
>2. mailto:contact@worldsikhcouncil.org
>3. http://www.worldsikhcouncil.org/
>4. http://www.worldsikhcouncil.org/
>5. http://sikhconvention.org/
>6. http://www.nrcat.org/
>7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmSPN6wCGw8
>8. http://www.rcms2010.org/
>9. http://www.ensaaf.org/publications/reports/20years/
>10. http://sikhsforjustice.org/
>11. http://sikhsforjustice.org/
>12. http://www.nain.org/
>13. http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/
>14. http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/
>15. http://www.armsdown.net/
>16. http://www.armsdown.net/
>17. mailto:rori.picker.neiss@gmail.com
>18. http://www.worldsikhcouncil.org/
>This message was sent by: World Sikh Council - America Region, POB 
>3635, Co lumbus, OH 43210

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