Vancouver, Canada: Sikhs will be able to carry a kirpan (Sikh article of faith), to Olympic events if they adhere to a number of conditions, the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit has announced.
ISU doesn’t expect the religious item will pose an additional risk at venues.
Anyone wearing a kirpan must inform security personnel when being screened at an event and must also be wearing the other symbolic articles of Sikh faith.
Additionally, the length of the knife’s blade must not exceed four inches, and the total length – including sheath and handle – must be no longer than seven and a half inches.
If those stipulations and others are not met, the ISU officers can refuse admittance.
Comments
When referring to the kirpan, we as Sikhs must be careful to use the correct language and description. It must be made clear that the kirpan is not and should not be referred to as a ‘ceremonial knife’. It can only be described as a Sikh article of faith which most closely resembles a sword and has a very deep spiritual meaning for Sikhs. The use of the term “ceremonial knife” leads to numerous problems for Sikhs because it is inaccurate and imprecise. It also leads to misunderstandings such as what ‘ceremonies’ Sikhs perform with such a ‘knife’, etc.
I would request that the article be edited to remove the term “ceremonial knife”.
Thanks,
Balpreet Singh
Legal Counsel, World Sikh Organization of Canada
I think when you have taken amrit, that you must get registered in an international register.
Then you should initially be allowed to where a small kirpan like the one described in this article. However, it must have a serial number and be registered like a fire arm.
There should be an international agreement that Registered Baptised Sikhs can where the Kirpan as long as the Kirpan has been registered.
After wearing this kirpan for two years without any incident then you should be allowed to wear a larger kirpan at your discretion.
I think this would be a fair system and if you loose your kirpan you can report it to the police as it will have a serial number and can be traced if misused.
I hope this can be a basis for a more detailed agreement between the Khalsa and the international community.
Regards
Harminder Singh
Khalsa is army of Akal Purkh and no body in this globe has the right to prohibit any body to wear any body his religious signs. But i have seen that sikhs when give a protest against any thing in india, they move the swords in air,this is 21st century and the whole world watches this on electronic media and we pose a wrong picture about sikhs in the minds of other world.Kirpan should come out only when our great tenth master Guru Gobind Singh JI have told us.