An Open Letter to Sikhs in the United Kingdom

Gentle People,

We write as members of the Leicester Secular Society who respect the many contributions Sikhs have made to Britain and to the wider world.

The Sikh tradition has long been associated with courage, service, integrity, and a willingness to stand against injustice. As we understand it the Khalsa emerged during a period of oppression, when ordinary people could not rely upon the state to protect them from tyranny. The instruction that Sikhs should be prepared to bear arms was not a call to aggression, but a call to defend the weak, uphold justice, and resist oppression.

History records many examples of Sikhs living up to these ideals. Sikh soldiers served with distinction in the World Wars and numerous other conflicts. In Britain, Sikhs have repeatedly demonstrated public spirit and courage, including during periods of civil unrest when members of the community have helped protect businesses, places of worship, and neighbourhoods from disorder. The Sikh community has earned a reputation for responsibility, self-discipline, and a strong commitment to both duty and service.

It is because we respect this tradition that we raise a difficult question. We recognise that many Sikhs regard the Kirpan as one of the Five Ks established by Guru Gobind Singh Ji and therefore as an essential article of faith. Thus any proposal concerning the Kirpan touches matters of deep religious conviction. We neither challenge the values that the Kirpan represents, nor question the sincerity of those who wear it, but rather invite discussion about how those values might best be expressed in contemporary Britain.

What began as the expectation that Sikhs should be armed and prepared to resist tyranny is today expressed, for most Sikhs in Britain, through the carrying of a Kirpan whose primary significance is spiritual, moral, and symbolic rather than military.

We therefore invite Sikh organisations to consider whether the principles represented by the Kirpan could be expressed symbolically, without the need for a blade that could cause even minimal harm.

Britain today faces significant concerns regarding knife crime and public safety. There is no evidence that observant Sikhs carrying Kirpans contribute to this problem, but the existence of religious exemptions for carrying a blade inevitably attracts adverse public attention.

We believe there is an opportunity for Sikh organisations to demonstrate leadership by considering whether the symbolism of the Kirpan might evolve in a way that continues to honour Sikh tradition while also addressing contemporary concerns about knives in public spaces.

We are not calling for the revocation of the religious exemption, but we believe there is scope for the Sikh community to discuss the issue and evolve a solution that will remove any perceivable threat from a symbolic kirpan. In doing so, the Sikh community would demonstrate the same moral leadership, confidence, and adaptability demonstrated throughout its history.

A change from within the community would further enhance the regard in which Sikhs are held, contrary to the messages of division coming from those who wish to promote negative images of minority groups.

We offer these thoughts in a spirit of friendship, respect, and dialogue.

Yours sincerely,
Ned Newitt
Chair

Leicester Secular Society