Sikh is spelt S I K H S not sihks, you are a D I S G R A C E to you ancestors, get a life you idiot!

SINGH IS KING

I am more than happy to let you go on top.

Pah! mine is a deadly weapon. Carried solely for protection. Well you didn’t think I was going to accept being a member of the weaker sex lying down, did you?

Though I have to say I agree that it shouldn’t be allowed on airplanes and in other high security areas. Religious freedom can only go so far. In most cases the government and the Sikh community seem willing to compromise, and I know of no incidents that suggest that’s not a workable model.

On a vaguely related note: veils shouldn’t be banned either. They do ‘suck’, but banning? Come on.

Jai is right in that carrying a knife instead of a full sword is a compromise anyway…. so after that size shouldn’t matter (insert pun).

In India though you can carry around a full sword even into banks. They have special exemptions just for Sikhs.

I’m against the banning of the kirpan completely. It is an unarguable tenet of the faith for the baptised. If the Danes can allow people to carry arms for hunting, fishing etc why not something small for religious purposes?

Sunny, do you really think this is going to be an issue? I don’t claim expertise, but I have the impression that low-key compromise and common sense on all sides has more or less managed this over the years.

The sgian dubh, I’m proud to say, has no ethical or spiritual dimension. It’s a chiv. Except these days 90% are plastic decorations without a blade at all.

‘there is no reason that Sikh civil servants or members of the public should not wear the Kirpan in government buildings, except in places where security policy dictates otherwise and similar…’

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/search/?s=section%3Awrans&pid=11113&pop=1&p=5

BAA, however are clear;

Can I carry sharp edged religious/cultural regalia/accessories (eg Kirpans, Sgian Dhub or Dirks) on my person or in my hand baggage?
All such items are prohibited from hand luggage and from being carried on board a plane on your person. Please make sure that they are packed in your hold baggage as items confiscated at security control will not be returned to passengers.

=>”I’m sure Jai can fill us in on the details. Is there a minimum acceptable size?”

Technically the kirpan is supposed to be a full-length sword. Anything less than that is a compromise as per the legal dictates of the wider society one may currently live in.

The kirpan does have certain symbolic qualities, but making it into an ineffectual “purely symbolic” item (either by making it ridiculously small, or sealing the scabbard, or even just wearing a tiny kirpan-shaped pendant around one’s neck) defeats the original purpose. It’s supposed to be a weapon, analogous (in some aspects) to a samurai constantly carrying a katana or a medieval European knight and his sword.

However, it’s worth bearing in mind that Sikhs are not supposed to be excessively bloody-minded about this sort of thing; constantly carrying a weapon is not necessary in a peaceful democratic society where the rule of law is present and fair-minded, so wearing a small “dagger-sized” kirpan is an acceptable alternative to the full-length sword that it’s actually supposed to be.

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Jagdeep — Have a safe trip, mate.

Excellent!

Not sure what the position is with taking your kirpan or your sgian dubh with you on a plane, though.

i agree its silly some countries have nuclear weapons whilst expecting others to not have any – the clearly sensible thing would be to give your own up at the same time as exhorting others to do the same.

next thing you know local govts will be demanding armies and nuclear weapons as well. and if anyone from southwark picks a fight with someone in Lambeth – boom!