M A I N   N E W S

New law may hit UK Sikhs

London, December 16
British government’s plans to bring a new immigration law to prevent religious leaders with little knowledge of English or the west to come and teach in Britain may adversely affect the Sikh community here.

The law, supposedly aimed at stopping extremist Islamic leaders from coming to Britain as Imams would also affect the 500,000 strong community as they rely on visitors from Punjab in India to instruct young British Sikhs in the absence of a theological college for their religion, The Times reported.

“Sikhism is a universal world faith with a message for all men. We teach self-respect and to respect each other. We do not have extremists,” Swarn Singh Kandola, the general secretary and community leader of a large Gurdwara in Ilford said.

Already, Sikhs are wrestling with how they should pass on their values and scriptures to a young British-born generation. — PTI