Kirpan

Kirpan
An example of a kirpan, a type of religious dagger, worn at all times by Sikhs
Type	Sword
Place of origin	Punjab

The kirpan (/kɪərˈpɑːn/; Punjabi: ਕਿਰਪਾਨ kirpān) is a ceremonial sword or knife carried by Sikhs. It is a religious commandment given by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 that Sikhs must wear five articles of faith at all times, the kirpan being one of five articles.

The word kirpan has two roots: the first root is kirpa, which means "mercy", "grace", "compassion" or "kindness"; the second root is aanaa, which in turn means "honor", "grace" or "dignity".

Sikhs embody the qualities of a Sant Sipahi or "saint-soldier". One must have control over one's internal vices and be able to be constantly immersed in virtues clarified in the Guru Granth Sahib. A Sikh must also have the courage to defend the rights of all who are wrongfully oppressed or persecuted irrespective of their colour, caste, or creed.

Kirpans are curved and have a single cutting edge that may be either blunt or sharp. They are often between 3 and 9 inches long, and must be made of steel or iron.

History

Sikhism was founded in the 15th century in present day Punjab. At the time of its founding, this culturally rich region had been conquered by Muslim invaders from central Asia. During the time of the founder of the Sikh faith and its first guru, Guru Nanak, Sikhism flourished as a counter to both the prevalent Hindu and Muslim teachings. The Mughal emperor Akbar was relatively tolerant of non-Islamic religions and focused on religious tolerance. His relationship with Nanak was cordial.

The relationship between the Sikhs and Akbar's successor Jehangir was not friendly. Due to a large number of Muslim converts to Sikhism and references to Muslim and Hindu teachings in the Guru Granth Sahib, the fifth guru, Guru Arjan Dev was summoned and executed.

This incident is seen as a turning point in Sikh history, leading to the first instance of militarization of Sikhs under Guru Arjun's successor Guru Hargobind. Guru Hargobind trained in shashtravidya, a form of martial arts that became prevalent among the Sikhs. He first conceptualized the idea of the kirpan through the notion of Sant Sipahi, or "saint soldiers".

The relationship between the Sikhs and the Mughals further deteriorated following the execution of the ninth Guru Tegh Bahadur by Aurengzeb, who showed high levels of intolerance to Sikhs, partially driven by his desire to impose Sharia.

Experiencing another execution of their leader and facing increasing persecution, the Sikhs were forced to officially adopt militarization for self-protection by creating the Khalsa; an incident that also formalized various aspects of the Sikhs faith. The tenth (and final) guru, Guru Gobind Singh formally included the kirpan as a mandatory article of faith for all baptised Sikhs, making it a duty for Sikhs to be able to defend themselves and others from oppression.

Legality

In recent times, there has been debate about allowing Sikhs to carry a kirpan that would otherwise be an unlawful weapon, with some countries allowing Sikhs a dispensation.

Other issues not strictly of legality arise such as whether or not to allow carrying of kirpans on commercial aircraft or into areas where security is enforced.

Belgium

On 12 October 2009 the Antwerp Court declared carrying a kirpan a religious symbol, overturning a € 550 fine from a lower court for "carrying a freely obtainable weapon without any legal reason".

Canada

In most public places in Canada a kirpan is allowed, although there have been some court cases involving the carrying on school premises. In the 2006 Supreme Court of Canada decision of Multani v. Commission scolaire Marguerite‑Bourgeoys the court held that the banning of the kirpan in a school environment offended Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, nor could the limitation be upheld under s. 1 of the Charter, as per R. v. Oakes. The issue started when a 12-year-old schoolboy dropped a 20 cm (8-inch) long kirpan in school. School staff and parents were very concerned, and the student was required to attend school under police supervision until the court decision was reached. A student is allowed to have a kirpan on his person if it is sealed and secured.

In September 2008, Montreal police announced that a 13-year-old student was to be charged after he allegedly threatened another student with his kirpan. The court found the teen not-guilty of assault with the kirpan but he was found guilty of threatening his schoolmates and granted an absolute discharge on 15 April 2009.

On February 9, 2011, the National Assembly of Quebec unanimously voted to ban kirpan from the provincial parliament buildings. However, despite opposition from the Bloc Québécois, it was voted that the kirpan be allowed in federal parliamentary buildings.

Denmark

On 24 October 2006, the Eastern High Court of Denmark upheld the earlier ruling of the Copenhagen City Court that the wearing of a kirpan by a Sikh was illegal, becoming the first country in the world to pass such a ruling. Ripudaman Singh, who now works as a scientist, was earlier convicted by the City Court of breaking the law by publicly carrying a knife. He was sentenced to a 3000 kroner fine or six days' imprisonment. Though the High Court quashed this sentence, it held that the carrying of a kirpan by a Sikh broke the law. The judge stated that "after all the information about the accused, the reason for the accused to possess a knife and the other circumstances of the case, such exceptional extenuating circumstances are found, that the punishment should be dropped, cf. Penal Code § 83, 2nd period."

Danish law allows carrying of knives (longer than 6 centimeters and non-foldable) in public places if it is for any purpose recognized as valid, including work-related, recreation, etc. The High Court did not find religion to be a valid reason for carrying a knife. It stated that "for these reasons, as stated by the City Court, it is agreed that the circumstance of the accused carrying the knife as a Sikh, cannot be regarded as a similarly recognisable purpose, included in the decision for the exceptions in weapon law § 4, par. 1, 1st period, second part." Conviction number for the case above, is U 2007.316 Ø in weekly justice.

A posted sign in a bank in Bangalore, India, permitting kirpans worn by Sikhs

India

Sikhism originated in the Indian sub-continent during the Mughal era and a majority of the Sikh population lives in present-day India, where they form around 2% of its population.

Article 25 of the Indian Constitution deems the carrying of a kirpan to be included in the profession of the Sikh religion, thus legalizing the carrying of a kirpan by Sikhs.

Sweden

Swedish law has a ban on "street weapons" in public places that includes knives unless used for recreation (for instance fishing) or profession (for instance a carpenter). Carrying some smaller knives, typically folding pocket knives, is allowed, so that smaller kirpans may be within the law.

United Kingdom

England and Wales

As a bladed article, possession of a kirpan without valid reason in a public place would be illegal under section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. However, there is a specific defence for a person to prove that he had it with him for "religious reasons". There is an identical defence to the similar offence (section 139A) which relates to school grounds. Notably, the official list of prohibited items on the London 2012 Summer Olympics venues, while prohibiting all kinds of weapons, explicitly allowed the kirpan.

Scotland

Similar provisions exist in Scots law with section 49 of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 making it an offence to possess a bladed or pointed article in a public place. A defence exists under s.49(5)(b) of the act for pointed or bladed articles carried for religious reasons. Section 49A of the same act creates the offence of possessing a bladed or pointed article in a school with s.49A(4)(c) again creating a defence when the article is carried for religious reasons.

United States of America

The legality of carrying a knife in the United States is typically determined by state and municipal laws. Generally, in most parts of the United States it is legal to have a knife on your person in public, although there may be laws about size and design, and whether or not a knife is concealed. However, there is a strict and nationwide prohibition against bringing knives onto airliners.

Several court cases in the US have addressed the legality of wearing a kirpan in public. Courts in New York and Ohio have ruled that banning the wearing of a kirpan is unconstitutional. In New York City, a compromise was reached with the Board of Education whereby the wearing of the knives was allowed so long as they were secured within the sheaths with adhesives and made impossible to draw. In recent years, the Sikh practice of wearing a Kirpan has caused problems for security personnel at airports and other checkpoints; security personnel may confiscate kirpans if they feel it is necessary, but are advised to treat them with respect. Sikh leaders chose not to attend an 17 April 2008 interfaith meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, DC, rather than remove the kirpan.

See also

• Gatka
• Sant Sipahi

External links

• Explaining what the Kirpan is to a Non-Sikh.
• Press release VDPA Human Rights Conference, Vienna, Austria
• Sword in Sikhism