My Malice and Bias

The Yazidis (Yezidi, Êzidî; Persian: ایزدی ‎‎ ɪzadi) are a Kurdish religious community whose ancient religion is linked to Zoroastrianism and ancient Indian religions. Yazidis live primarily in Iraq, where they make up an important minority community. Estimates of the size of these communities vary significantly, between 70,000 and 500,000. They are particularly concentrated in northern Iraq in the Nineveh Province. The two biggest communities are in Shekhan , northeast of Mosul, and in Sinjar , at the Syrian border Yezidis celebrating the Fast of Sacrifice by lighting fires Religious Belief The Yazidis are monotheists believing in God as creator of the world, which he has placed under the care of seven holy beings or angels, the chief of whom is Melek Taus , the Peacock Angel. The Peacock Angel, as world-ruler, causes both good and bad to befall individuals, and this ambivalent character is reflected in myths of his own temporary fall from God's favor, before his remorsefu

The Khalistan movement is a nationalist political liberation movement, which seeks to create a separate country called Khalistān (Punjabi: ਖਾਲਿਸਤਾਨ, "The Land of the Pure") in the Punjab region of South Asia. But is this concept a reality or just figment of imagination? Imaginary Khalistan Map Background The Punjab region has been the traditional homeland for the Sikhs . Before its conquest by the British it was liberated by the Sikhs after centuries of rebellion against the oppressive Mughal rule. The region had been ruled by the Sikhs for almost 100 years. However, the region also has a substantial number of Hindus and Muslims. When the Muslim League demanded a separate country for Muslims via the Lahore Resolution of 1940, a section of Sikh leaders grew concerned that their community would be left without any homeland following the partition of India between the Hindus and the Muslims. They put forward the idea of Khalistan, envisaging it as a theocratic state cove

Hindu Sikh Relationship - Tales of Betrayals It is said that the relationship between Hindus and Sikhs is like " Nails to Skin ". It's seamless and been there for generations. The Sikhs never deny that their origin comes from Hindu background and many Hindus continued the tradition of making their firstborn as a Sikh. Even our Gurus also came from traditional Punjabi Hindu families. But it is important to state that Sikhism is a distinct religion with its own theology, scriptures, definitions, and practices. However, we share the same cultural heritage, family traditions and values. The celebrations of festivals is shared and inter-marriages between the two communities has always been there. The relationship survived the bloody partition of Punjab and the violent period in 1980s. Hindu Girls Tying Raakhi on Sikh Soldiers Shared Heritage My own family comes from a mix of Hindu and Sikh traditions. Sardar Gurditt Singh, the grandfather of my grandfather  was m

Indus Valley Seals - Unicorn or Holy Cow? Unicorn Seal from Harrapa, Punjab I have been fascinated by the Indus Valley civilization ever since I studied the subject in my junior high school in India.  One of the unique identifier for the Indus Valley is the so called "Unicorn Seals". A number of variations of this seal has been found across various Indus Valley sites. But most of the characteristics are the same.  The seal from Mohenjo-daro measures 29 mm (1.14) inches on each side and is made of fired steatite. Steatite is an easily carved soft stone that becomes hard after firing. On the top are "pictographs" of an as yet undeciphered Indus script, one of the very first writing systems in history. Below is the well-known unicorn figure of Indus Valley culture. Whether it designates a real or mythical animal is also disputed. Beneath it is a "sacred object," which could have been anything from a tree, religious banner, an animal's trough, an