Monday, January 31, 2011

Sikhs hope to take edge off over ceremonial dagger in Plymouth-Canton school

"It's not an assault weapon," said Tejkiran Singh, 47, of Canton, a Sikh community leader. "It's so small, so blunt. ... The whole purpose of wearing it is that it's a reminder of our spirituality."

So this came about in December, when a young kid brought a Kirpan to school with him.

What is a Kirpan you say, Not much just a ceremonial knife.
boys, after being baptised in the Sikh religion, are required to wear one at all times.
but... you are not supposed to bring weapons or anything resembling a weapon to school.

Ah but the school superintendent even said,

"the right of all students to practice their religion and wear religious symbols," the district will ban "all religious emblems that resemble a weapon."

Nice eh? To bad they just said that they can wear them in school now.

I guess if some of the Hezbollah supporters that live in Dearbornistan, send their kids to school with "Non working suicide vests" it will be O.K., you know they aren't real!

How about a mock AK-47, some Islamists praise those so much they put them on their Flag!


The Detroit Free Press
Tensions over a Sikh boy who brought a religious sword to an elementary school have prompted a public meeting tonight to introduce the Sikh religion to metro Detroiters.

Last month, controversy erupted after a fourth-grade boy at Bentley Elementary in Canton was found with a 3- to 5-inch saber.

After they are baptized, Sikh males are expected to carry the religious symbol, called a kirpan. The principal initially decided to allow the boy to have it, since it had a blunt edge and was a religious item. The district did not identify the boy.

But after concerns expressed by parents and a legal review, the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools district decided to ban the kirpan because it violated local, state and federal polices against bringing weapons or items that look like weapons to school.

That concerned some Sikh parents, who say the kirpan is a nonthreatening item that symbolizes their commitment to fighting against evils, such as greed. Similar disputes have erupted in other parts of the U.S.

"It's not an assault weapon," said Tejkiran Singh, 47, of Canton, a Sikh community leader. "It's so small, so blunt. ... The whole purpose of wearing it is that it's a reminder of our spirituality."

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