Sikh temple Shooter Identified – What is the Sikh Religion?

Earlier today, the name of the man who killed 6 people at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin was identified as Wade Michael Page. Page, who was shot and killed in a gunfight with police was a 40 year old former Army sergeant and appears to have had extreme racial views. Perhaps the biggest question brought to life in the wake of the shooting is, “What is Sikhism or the Sikh religion?”

Some of the information released about Wade Michael Page makes it appear that he was a racist with some white-supremacist beliefs. Page also reportedly had a 9/11 tatoo on his arm. It is unclear whether Page targeted the Sikh temple because he thought that the Sikh religion was the same Muslim, or if he understood the difference but disliked them because they were not white.

The Sikh religion is not the same as Islam, and the Sikhs are not Muslims. Because of their dress, including turbans and untrimmed beards, and the ignorance of the public, the Sikh are often mistaken for Muslims. In the years since 9/11 the Sikh Coalition has reported over 700 incidents of violence and threats against its people.

So what is the Sikh religion? According to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in Punjab India, the main principles of Sikhism include a duty to family and community and “leading a pure and moral life, full of noble deeds and kind words. A Sikh does not regard fasting, austerities, pilgrimages, alms-giving and penance as important things.”

Other principles of the Sikh faith are:
i) Faith in God.
ii) Following Truth.
iii) Unattachment and desirelessness.
iv) Control over throught, word and deed.
v) Association with holy men (Satsang)
vi) Humanity and submission to Hukam.

Current estimates indicate that nearly half a million Sikhs live in the United States. Worldwide there are an estimated 27 million followers of the religion and the majority of the faith live in India.