Why Obama needs to visit the Golden Temple

United States President Barack Obama needs to rise above the politics of fear and visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar because the religious site stands for many of the same ideals that America holds so dear -- equality, universality and freedom. Aziz Haniffa reveals all

Sikh Americans are still hopeful that Barack Obama, President, United States of America, will make a stopover in Amritsar and visit the Golden Temple -- a first for a US president. However, rumours are rife that he will forego the visit and consequently, the community has launched a concerted campaign to get him to visit the Temple.

Reports say that Obama may be advised to wear a headscarf inside Sikhism's holiest temple, which will lead to image misconceptions and give the conservative Christian right-wing even more fodder to pound him with. Remember, he has been accused of being a closet Muslim.

Dr Rajwant Singh, the Maryland-based dentist, chairman, Sikh Council on Religion and Education and executive director of the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, who was in the forefront of urging Obama to visit the Golden Temple, met with White House officials and delivered a letter from the head of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. The letter implored the President not to skip his earlier scheduled visit to the Golden Temple because of the headscarf  issue, and said the Sikh community was "eagerly waiting to welcome him and First Lady Michelle Obama at the Harmandir Sahib, commonly referred to as the Golden Temple.

Any headcover will do

In the missive, delivered to Obama's senior aides David Axelrod and Valerie Jerrett and Peter Rouse, White House Chief of Staff, SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said they had no objection to any kind of head cover the Obamas would wear at the temple, but that an "uncovered head would be tantamount to violation of centuries old tradition in the history of Sikhs."

"Anybody can pay obeisance at this shrine, but as per the set code of conduct, has to cover his or head," Makkar stated in the letter to Obama. "Any type of head cover, other than a military helmet, is not objected to --  any type/size of cloth, hat/cap, etc," the letter said.

Pointing out that Jathedar Akal Takht, Gyani Gurbachan Singh, has already cleared the issue, he urged Obama, "We, therefore, approach you with the request to kindly visit Sri Harmandhar Sahib and give us a chance to welcome you on behalf of the entire Sikh community."

Singh told rediff.com that during his meetings with White House officials, he had made clear that "obviously this issue was mishandled by the members of the planning team and trip planners at the White House and that it certainly showed that people who were communicating on behalf of the President did not demonstrate political maturity and lacked sensitivity towards the traditions of Sikhs and the people of India."

But that the writing is on the wall and that Obama would not make a stopover in Amritsar and visit the Golden Temple was indicative from reading between the lines of White House spokesman Robert Gibbs comments when pressed on this issue that, "the President has decided, or the White House has decided not to send the President to the Golden Temple because of concerns about him having to wear a headscarf."

Although Gibbs did not categorically state that the President would not visit Amritsar, he didn't give any indication that he would do so either, but his focus on only Mumbai and Delhi, administration sources acknowledged, ruled out a visit to Amritsar.

Gibbs said, "We have not finalised the schedule for Asia, including India, yet. Look, it's a big country. We'd love to spend a lot more than the three allotted days that we have in India." Without mentioning Amritsar, Gibbs said, "This trip will focus on our business in Mumbai and New Delhi. We pick where we're going to go based on what we hope to accomplish."

Singh also wrote to Donald Lu, deputy chief of mission, US embassy, New Delhi, and said, "I am sorry to say that some of the blame goes to your team in New Delhi as well." He told Lu that if Obama does not visit the Golden Temple, "he will continue to attract bad press and the trip will be marred by controversy."

'Does not indicate lack of respect'

Lu in his reply -- a communication made available to rediff.com said, "We have not yet released the final schedule for the President's trip to Asia, including India. Please rest assured that any city that may or may not end up on the President's itinerary during this visit is no reflection of any lack of respect for or appreciation for any part of India's tremendously diverse and rich culture, history and population."

Singh told rediff.com, "It is clear that the White House is putting the onus on the Government of India to advise them whether President Obama should go to the Golden Temple. If this is what he [Gibbs] is saying, then the Government of India should do whatever is necessary to put this controversy behind and strongly advise the President to visit the Golden Temple."

But he added, "We are also concerned about this notion, which has been floating around that White House aides to President Obama were trying to avoid making him appear like a Muslim by canceling the trip to the temple, that are so hurtful to the community. This does nothing, but emphasises the negative stereotype, which Sikhs have been working hard to fight since 9/11," Singh said.

The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund in a statement also called on Obama, "to rise above the politics of fear and visit Harmandir Sahib. The religious site stands for many of the same ideals as America --equality, universality and freedom," it said, and warned, "In canceling his visit, President Obama emboldens those who seek to divide us based on race and religion."

The Sikh Coalition in an alert to its members and Sikhs around the world, exhorted them to flood the White House with emails urging Obama to visit the Golden Temple.

It said, "The Golden Temple has always been an embodiment of the principal of religious pluralism. We can think of no better way for President Obama to promote mutual understanding amongst all people during his visit to India than a visit to the Golden Temple."

Another organisation, United Sikhs, told the community to urge Obama to visit the Golden Temple by making postings on the White House Facebook page and also tweet on the issue.

'I had a dream'

Rena Singh Sodhi, told rediff.com, "When my brother was killed on September 15, 2001, only four days after 9/11, in front of his gas station in Mesa, Arizona, just because he looked different from others as a result of a turban and beard, I had a dream.

"My dream was the arrival of a day when a person belonging to a minority community and looking different from the majority could finally walk on the streets of the US or anywhere in the world without fear of losing his or her life," he said. "And now my dream is finally going to be fulfilled by the graceful act of my President."

Administration sources had also acknowledged that there was "a strategic component" to the decision to visit the Golden Temple, and that the President, "has such great respect and admiration for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and this is shared by everyone in the administration from Secretary (of State Hillary) Clinton to Vice President (Joe) Biden, all of who really look up to him (Prime Minister Singh) as a man of immense wisdom and counsel."

Thus, the sources implied, President Obama's visit to the Golden Temple would be a major boost to the Indian prime minister's stature among his community, not all of who have looked upon him favorably.