On 6 th December 2019, City Sikhs was proud to join a number of organisations at the Lord Provost’s offices in Edinburgh to mark the 550 th birth anniversary of the founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The event was all the more remarkable as it was organised by the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society, a Muslim organisation, in order to bring together people of different faiths in the memory of Guru Nanak.

Leading figures from the faith communities of Scotland and national faith leaders from London were invited to attend and share their thoughts about the founder of Sikhi. Jasvir Singh attended in his capacity as Chair of City Sikhs, and he spoke at length about the teachings of Guru Nanak and their relevance today for people across Scotland. The keynote speech was delivered by Bhai Sahib Bhai Mohinder Singh from the Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha.

The event was followed by langar (communal blessed food) at the recently renovated Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Leith, and for some of the interfaith attendees, it was their very first visit to a gurdwara (Sikh place of worship). The day ended with stronger ties being forged between the various faiths in order to work for the betterment of society as a whole.

Jasvir Singh, said “Seeing the work of interfaith communities in Scotland is inspiring, and there has been much discussion about how the Kartarpur Corridor has changed relationships between the Sikh and Muslim communities for the better. Guru Nanak was an interfaith pioneer, but he was also not afraid of calling out religious groups and practices when necessary through the means of respectful dialogue and debate. This reception has been a fitting tribute to his legacy.”

This is the first Scottish event that City Sikhs has been involved in, and City Sikhs is working with local organisations in order to hold further events in Edinburgh in the first half of 2020.
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NOTES FOR EDITORS

The Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society is a faith-based organisation working to meet the needs of the Scottish Shia Muslim community and the breadth of society in general across the cultural, social, political, and religious spectra. It works to engage with other communities and faiths; strengthening ties in an effort to create a setting for religious and racial harmony, equality, and diversity in the nation. It is led by Imam Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi.

City Sikhs is a progressive Sikh charity which strives to build a cohesive and inclusive society in which individuality is respected and diversity is celebrated. We provide a space for people to connect, learn, contribute and share and help people develop their professional careers. The philosophy of Sikhi and the desire to work with other faith communities for the betterment of society underpin all of the efforts of City Sikhs.

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