Barbaric Acts carried out in the name of Religion are a threat to ALL Humanity

Weeks ago, the world was shocked by the killing of Jordanian pilot - Moaz al-Kasabeh, who was doused in petrol and trapped in a cage before he was set alight by Islamic State terrorists.

 

Both in the past and present, Sikhs have always stood for FREEDOM and JUSTICE for all. They have given their lives to uphold these values. The Sikh nation is no stranger to barbaric acts carried out against them, in the name of religion.

 

In 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur (9th Guru of the Sikhs) was publicly beheaded on the orders of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, for his opposition to the forced conversion of Kashmiri Hindu's to Islam. Guru Tegh Bahadur's sacrifice for the religious freedom of India earned him the title 'Hind di Chaddar' or 'Shield of India'. Along with Guru Tegh Bahadur, Bhai Sati Dass was wrapped in cotton, doused in oil and set alight. Sati Dass was offered a chance to save his life, if only he converted to Islam. Yet, he voluntarily chose to sacrifice himself, so all peoples could practise their religion freely.

From 1748-53, Sikh women and children were kidnapped from their villages and imprisoned in the jails of Lahore by Mir Mannu. Every woman was given forty pounds of grain to grind each day and heavy stones were placed on the chest of those who were unable. The young children and babies of these women, were tortured, speared and cut into pieces before their very eyes.

More recently, in 1984, Sikh men and boys were singled out and pulled from their homes, from trains, buses and cars, rubber tyres were placed around their necks before flammable chemicals were used to burn them alive. For 3 days and nights, these public executions of Sikhs continued in broad daylight on the streets of India's capital city. Just as the IS terrorists have swept through Iraq brutalizing the minority Yazidi women, in 1984 Sikh women and girls who had been left vulnerable and unprotected were kidnapped and gang raped. Those who were not killed, were left as good as dead.

Terrorists have no nation, state or religion. They are the enemies of ALL humanity and therefore, a threat to us all.