Sikhism is a minority religion in Belgium, but Sikhs have played a role in Belgian history; during World War I, many Sikhs fought in Belgium. In the First Battle of Ypres, an entire platoon of Dogra Sikhs died. [1]
The first eight Sikhs who came to Belgium as private citizens arrived on 8 November 1972 as political exiles. They were expelled from Uganda; at the time, it was under the dictatorial rule of Idi Amin, who drove all Indians from the country. [2] Other Sikhs who arrived before 1985 (only a handful, among them Jarnail Singh Alhuwalia) were workers at the Indian Embassy. Most Sikhs arrived in the wake of Sukhdev Singh Jalwehra in 1985, after the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar by Indian troops the previous year. When Jalwehra arrived in Belgium, a ban existed on the wearing of turbans in passport or identity-card photos. Jalwehra fought the case and won, and Sikhs were no longer required to remove their turbans.[ citation needed ] In 1993, when King Baudouin I died, Sukhdev Singh Jalwerha paid their respects at the palace with a group of other Sikhs as representatives of the Belgian Sikh community.
The first Sikhs in Belgium were predominantly male laborers with limited education, sharing a rented house and dividing the costs. Since they were accustomed to working in agriculture, they looked for work in that sector and found seasonal jobs in the Flemish province of Limburg on fruit farms. Later Sikhs immigrated for economic reasons; they had been living in impoverished regions of the Punjab and came looking for a better life in Belgium. At first they also found employment on fruit farms but when they could afford to do so they established their own shops, particularly shops remaining open at night in Brussels. [2] As immigrants, completing the necessary paperwork was challenging. Sikh women are now arriving in Belgium in greater numbers, many to reunite their families.
In 1994, the government of the United States noted that while Belgium has freedom of religion and has not seen much systematic violence directed against religious minorities or newcomers, an exception occurred in 1993 against Sikhs. In Sint-Truiden, Sikh workers in agriculture were bullied by some citizens and one Sikh was shot. A house belonging to Sikhs was bombed, with no fatalities. There were arrests in the aftermath. [3]
Following problems with immigration documentation which gave rise to concerns about possible human trafficking, the Mayor of Vilvoorde closed the local Gurdwara between October and December 2014, and following disturbances in the Temple, again in September 2016.
There are seven Gurdwaras in Belgium; the oldest was founded in Sint-Truiden in 1993. [2] Gurmit Singh Aulakh (who came to Belgium in November 2007), made a speech and invoking Khalistan slogans at Gurudwara Sangat Sahib in Sint-Truiden.
Gurudwaras in Belgium are:
According to a Dutch newspaper, there are approximately 10,000 Sikhs in Belgium. [4] A Sikh stronghold is Sint-Truiden (Limburg), where the first Sikh Gurdwara was built. There are about 3,000 Sikhs in Limburg, 2,000 in Liège and more than 2,000 in Brussels.[ citation needed ] The remainder live throughout Belgium.
Cities with significant Sikh populations are:
The following outline is provides an overview of Sikhism, or Sikhi.
Anandpur Sahib, sometimes referred to simply as Anandpur, is a city in Rupnagar district (Ropar), on the edge of Shivalik Hills, Indian state of Punjab. Located near the Sutlej River, the city is one of the most sacred places in Sikhism, being the place where the last two Sikh Gurus lived, Guru Teg Bahadur Ji and Guru Gobind Singh Ji. this is the place where Guru Gobind Singh Ji founded the Khalsa Panth in 1699. The city is home to Kesgarh Sahib Gurdwara, one of the five Takhts in Sikhism.
The principles of Sikhism state that women have the same souls as men and thus possess an equal right to cultivate their spirituality with equal chances of achieving salvation. While technically woman can participate in all religious, cultural, social, and secular activities including lead religious congregations, take part in the Akhand Path, perform Kirtan, and work as a Granthis, although equality for women has always been a major attribute of Sikhism and a great number of women have made significant contributions, it is important to note that it is still a work in progress.
Sunam is a city and a tehsil in Sangrur district in the Indian state of Punjab. The city of Sunam, which falls in Sunam tehsil, was renamed as Sunam Udham Singh Wala in 2006 by the Punjab Government after the Indian freedom fighter and martyr Shaheed Udham Singh.
Shaheedi Sabha is three-day annual religious congregation (get-together) organised every year in December at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib, in the Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab, India to pay homage to the martyrdom of Chhotte Sahibzade Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh, the youngest sons of the 10th sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh.
French Sikhs are a minority group in France. Numbering about 30 000, most of the Sikhs are based in Bobigny. There is one gurudwara in Bobigny.
German Sikhs are a religious minority in Germany. Many German Sikhs have their roots from the Punjab region in India. They number between 15,000 and 21,000. Germany had the third highest Sikh population in Europe after United Kingdom and Italy.
Sikhs are a religious minority in the Netherlands. They number around 12,000 and most of them live in or around Amsterdam. There are Seven gurudwaras in the Netherlands.
The permanent arrival of Sikhism in England is dated to 1850 A.D. with the arrival of Maharajah Duleep Singh. The first Sikh place of worship, called a Gurdwara, was opened in 1911 in London and this was partly funded by the Maharaja of Patiala.
Sikhism in Scotland includes all aspects of Sikh life and Sikhism in Scotland. Sikhs have been present in Scotland for over a century, with the first documented Sikh, Maharaja Daleep Singh, arriving in Perthshire in 1855. The next wave of migration was in early-to-mid 1920s when prominent Sikhs of the Bhat/Bhatra community established themselves in Glasgow and Edinburgh. However, the bulk of Sikhs in Scotland come from families who immigrated during the late 20th century. In Scotland Sikhs represent 0.2% of the population (9,055).
Guru Nanak, also referred to as Baba Nanak, was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated worldwide as Guru Nanak Gurpurab on Katak Pooranmashi, i.e. October–November.
The Sikh Youth Symposium is an annual public speaking and debate competition held for the Sikh youth across the United States of America and Canada, encouraging them to reconnect with their cultural foundations and religious roots. Organized by the Sikh Youth Alliance of North America (SYANA), the competition is open to children between the ages of 6 and 22 and has three levels--locals, regionals, and internationals. The children are divided into five groups, on the basis of age, with the first four groups competing by way of prepared speeches and the final group engaging in a stimulating discussion focused on a yearly chosen topic. The competition aims to ensure that the next generation of Sikh leaders remains firmly connected to the basic principles of its religion.
Gurdwara Janam Asthan, also referred to as Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, is a highly revered gurdwara that was built at the site where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, was believed to be born. The shrine is located in the city of Nankana Sahib, near the city of Lahore in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
Hazur Sahib, also known as Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib, is one of the five takhts in Sikhism. It is located on the banks of the Godavari River at the city of Nanded in the state of Maharashtra, India. The gurdwara within the complex is known as Sach-Khand.
Nanakmatta is a historical town named after the Sikh pilgrimage site, Gurdwara Nanak Mata Sahib, in the state of Uttarakhand in India. Sikh tradition records that the site was once called Gorakhmata, a centre of Siddh-jogis named after the founder of their order, Gorakhnath, at the distance of 30 miles from Reetha sahib. In the Siddh-Gost in Guru Granth Sahib, the story of Guru Nanak on his first udasi is told, wherein he had a long discourse with siddhas on matters of religion and metaphysics. Tradition says that the place was renamed Nanakmatta to perpetuate the memory of Guru's visit. The town is associated with Guru Nanak Dev and Guru Hargobind. It is situated on the bank of Deoha stream, which has since been dammed into a reservoir named Nanak Sagar. The Gurudwara is located 15 kilometres west of Khatima Railway Station on road to Tanakpur. The holy shrine is near the town of Sitarganj. It is one of three Sikh Holy places in the state, with others being Gurdwara Hemkunt Sahib and Gurudwara Reetha Sahib.
Sikhism in Bangladesh dates back to 1504 but has declined after the partition. There were eighteen historical Gurdwaras in Bangladesh but now only seven are left.