Sikhs have asked me many times, "does it really matter what you look like on the outside? Is it not what you are on the inside that God is pleased with?" They are asking me, as Sikhs, whether we need to keep uncut (long) hair. Their reasons for asking this question are: they don't want to be ridiculed by their class-mates in school, they want to fit into or be accepted in this society's norm. They feel keeping long hair is not a requirement to be a Sikh and it's what is on the inside that truly matters. They don't want to have to keep explaining to the ignorant society around them, who ask them questions, about the significance of keeping hair, and the other gifts given to the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. All in all, they want to feel to belong and blend in with western society and not stand out as some funny looking icons.

It is an ironic fact that they talk about wanting to be "individuals". They talk about carving out their own identity. Yet they do not see, by blending into society, they are giving up more and more of what they are, their history, their culture, their traditions, and eventually their values and religion.

I would just like to give my reasons why Sikhs should not give up so easily and cut their hair just to blend into society and make life easier for themselves which I believe is the greatest myth sold to them by western society.

To be a Sikh, is to want to be a "student, disciple, a son/daughter" of the Guru, and obey in humility, His wishes and teachings, which are set out in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib to help us attain the ultimate Truth (Mukti/Awareness of the Presence of God while living in the world), the purpose of this gift of human life.

Ask yourself, are we as Sikhs today so weak, so shallow, so selfish, so egoistic and without a sense of pride that we fear this world, which will not kill us if we maintain the Sikh form. Have we forgotten the countless Sikhs who gave their lifes, in times much harsher to maintain this gift given to us by our Guru and God.

These Sikhs sacrificed their lives but did not accept Islam. They fought for the right for Sikhism to exist but did not give up their faith, and the gifts given to us by Guru Gobind Singh. Today we voluntarily let go of Sikhi, so we can gain material things and other worldly pleasures.

Are we Sikhs today so ignorant to the sacrifices of our Gurus as well as the many Sikhs who kept long hair, such as Bhai Taru Singh (who told the Muslim who was to carry out the sentence of cutting his hair off... not to cut his hair, but cut his scalp off instead, so he would be able to keep his Guru's command!) Such is the strength, courage, and love of true Sikhs for their Guru's teachings.

I would like us Sikhs to look at the "American" (White-convert) Sikhs who have a lesson to teach us. Though they are white in appearance, and are part of the dominant culture by their birth and easily fit into the western culture, and gain all the materialistic things we all yearn to gain by trying our hardest to assimilate into this culture and giving up our faith and religion. They have instead done the reverse. They have adopted a foreign religion, they have become "outcasts" amongst their own people, have given up a lot of friends and family and still have not been able to integrate amongst the Sikh community.

Why have they given up so much? Yet we lustfully try to gain those things! Simply because they have taken the time to understand the Sikh religion, it's message, it's history, and it's greatness. They have spent time reflecting on the Gurus wisdom, the divine knowledge the Gurus shared to us and the love and sacrifice they gave to humanity. They see the strength and courage the Gurus had to uphold their conviction and by their actions they showed this to the world and taught their Sikhs how to lead their lives.

Jaswinder Singh, Toronto