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Obama to Skip Sikh Shrine on Visit to India
NYT ^ | 19 Oct 2010 | Lydia Polgreen

Posted on 10/19/2010 10:28:15 AM PDT by smokingfrog

NEW DELHI — The Golden Temple, a sprawling and serene complex of gleaming gold and polished marble that is the spiritual center of the Sikh religion, is one of India’s most popular tourist attractions. Revered by Indians of all faiths, it is a cherished emblem of India’s religious diversity. So it was no surprise when the gold-plated marvel was touted as the likely third stop on President Obama’s visit to India, scheduled for early November.

But the United States has ruled out a Golden Temple visit, according to an American official involved in planning. Temple officials said that American advance teams had gone to Amritsar, the holy city where the temple is located, to discuss a possible visit. But the plan appears to have foundered on the thorny question of how Mr. Obama would cover his head, as Sikh tradition requires, while visiting the temple.

“To come to golden temple he needs to cover his head,” said Dalmegh Singh, secretary of the committee that runs the temple. “That is our tradition. It is their problem to cover the head with a Christian hat or a Muslim cap.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: amritsar; golden; goldentemple; imamobama; india; indian; obama; obamaindiatrip; shrine; sikh; sikhism; skip; temple; visit
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To: Red Badger
...but is Sikh religion not Muslim friendly? Reverse the precepts, and you've got it............. But of course I should have seen that! Thanks!
21 posted on 10/19/2010 10:41:51 AM PDT by ColdOne (GOP. Gutless Old Politicians :^)).....Tolerance for thee but none for me)
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Comment #22 Removed by Moderator

To: smokingfrog

This calls for a picture of Obama in his acorn cap.


23 posted on 10/19/2010 10:47:19 AM PDT by Starstruck
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To: ColdOne

They do not play well together.


24 posted on 10/19/2010 10:47:23 AM PDT by tired1 (Federalize the Fed)
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To: F15Eagle

monkey god = Hindu


25 posted on 10/19/2010 10:47:41 AM PDT by smokingfrog (Because you don't live near a bakery doesn't mean you have to go without cheesecake.)
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To: ColdOne

Sikhs traditionally served the British Empire as cops (in Hong Kong, for instance) or soldiers. Sikhs do not attempt to spread their faith by the sword, but they are religously warriors. They don’t take any shiite from anyone. They are NOT passive like Hindus, or most Christian sects.


26 posted on 10/19/2010 10:48:03 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (Great Season Tampa Bay Rays! Now, kindly send Carl Crawford to Boston.)
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To: smokingfrog

This is telling, indeed. Doesn’t want to enter b/c if he wears Christian head covering, he will be dissing his brother Muslims. If he wears a Muslim head covering, he will be be acknowledging what many of us already know.

As far as I’m concerned, this should really clinch it for those who were otherwise still not convinced that Obama is Muslim.


27 posted on 10/19/2010 10:48:48 AM PDT by Paved Paradise
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To: ColdOne

Army was created from Brave Hindus to protect weak Hindus from Islamist aggression. Later they formed into religion. Till early 20th century, Hindus in Punjab used to give eldest son to Sikhism to protect other Hindus. But this practice completely stopped after 1970s, after some Sikhs got involved in terrorism and started killing Hindus.
Sikhism is in decline due to lack of conversion, abortion and female infanticide.


28 posted on 10/19/2010 10:49:16 AM PDT by jennychase
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To: smokingfrog
“To come to golden temple he needs to cover his head,” said Dalmegh Singh, secretary of the committee that runs the temple. “That is our tradition. It is their problem to cover the head with a Christian hat or a Muslim cap.”

Obama should compromise: wear a yarmulke. ;-)

-PJ

29 posted on 10/19/2010 10:51:24 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too ("Comprehensive" reform bills only end up as incomprehensible messes.)
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To: smokingfrog

Better get in all your free world trips in before you’re fired.


30 posted on 10/19/2010 10:53:25 AM PDT by WKUHilltopper (Fix bayonets!)
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To: smokingfrog

I visited there. Obama can borrow a communal bandana from a box outside the temple. No problem.


31 posted on 10/19/2010 10:53:56 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: smokingfrog

Hell - a ball cap from the USS George Bush or some such would have worked...


32 posted on 10/19/2010 10:58:02 AM PDT by MortMan (To Obama "Kill them all and let [God] sort them out" is an abortion slogan.)
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Comment #33 Removed by Moderator

To: smokingfrog
Hat? No problem.


34 posted on 10/19/2010 11:01:54 AM PDT by USMCPOP (Father of LCpl. Karl Linn, KIA 1/26/2005 Al Haqlaniyah, Iraq)
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To: smokingfrog
A Sikh splinter group occupied the Golden Temple in 1984, and Indira Gandhi ordered an attack to remove them on a Sikh holiday when many innocent pilgrims were visiting, many of them were hurt or killed in the cross-fire.

Two Sikh bodyguards later assassinated Mrs. Gandhi.

I wonder whether India's central government, which I believe is led by a Hindu nationalistic party, have objected to President Obama visiting there, in which case the stated problem of head covering is just a smoke screen.
35 posted on 10/19/2010 11:02:56 AM PDT by kenavi (What drove BP to drill 5,000 feet down?)
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To: nickcarraway

Where’s that goofy picture of him dressed up like a muslim, with a turban?


36 posted on 10/19/2010 11:03:36 AM PDT by lady lawyer
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To: ColdOne

To the best of my knowledge, there have not been any major conflicts between Sikhs and Christians. Or Sikhs and Jews.

However Sikhs and Muslims are like oil and water.


37 posted on 10/19/2010 11:07:18 AM PDT by kidd
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To: Paved Paradise

Couldn’t he just wear his Chicago White Sox cap?/sarc


38 posted on 10/19/2010 11:11:53 AM PDT by Padams
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To: Padams

Obama’s religion is...Obama!


39 posted on 10/19/2010 11:15:30 AM PDT by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannolis. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: MortMan
from the article...

... Baseball caps are not considered appropriate. Sikh scriptures require that men tie a piece of cloth on their heads, not simply put on a hat that can be easily taken off, because the act of tying has spiritual significance. Most non-Sikh visitors tie on kerchiefs sold by vendors outside the temple.

40 posted on 10/19/2010 11:35:12 AM PDT by smokingfrog (Because you don't live near a bakery doesn't mean you have to go without cheesecake.)
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