Last Thursday, due to the Havilah AGM, we met at Peppas and heard a fascinating talk from the President of the Sikh Council of Australia, Ajmer Singh Gill. Ajmer Singh provided us with an overview of his history and the beliefs of the Sikh Religion. Ajmer came to Australia in 1981, and settled in Western Australia, but has since moved around quite a bit. The Sikh council is concerned with both the well being of Sikh people in Australia, as well as general; humanitarian concerns such as issues of poverty, religious freedom and domestic violence. (The Sikh's tackle this with a program called "Domestic Bliss") The Sikh religion is the 5th largest in the world, and it is a fairly young religion with a focus on spirituality. They believe in one God for all religions - "If you don't see God in all, you don't see God at all". They emphasize that followers should share what they earn, remember God in all that they do, and honour the family. Ajmer Singh showed us the symbolic items that all Sikhs carry, including the sacred knife or "kirpan" for which Sikhs have official permission. After his talk, Ajmer Singh presented Chair, Peter Haywood with a book explaining the Sikh beliefs. See "Read more" for more pics.
