Sikhs Allowed To Carry Kirpan (knives) To Olympic Events

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
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No. Ban weapons or change the law for everyone, or change your religion. Some religious sects see it fit to carry improvised explosive devices. I don't support that either and don't feel it requires keeping away reading materials simply to keep IED's out.
Clubs you over the head with my Mum's 20 pound Bible. ;)
 

Kreskin

Doctor of Thinkology
Feb 23, 2006
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But that's the same argument gun owners make. Should we allow handguns and rifles into the games just because Anna's violent bible-carrying Mum is there?
 

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
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But that's the same argument gun owners make. Should we allow handguns and rifles into the games just because Anna's violent bible-carrying Mum is there?
I betcha that's how wars are started. lol I mentioned thumping Kreskin on the head with my Mum's Bible, which he knows I would never do, and he says my Mum is violent.
 

Kreskin

Doctor of Thinkology
Feb 23, 2006
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I betcha that's how wars are started. lol I mentioned thumping Kreskin on the head with my Mum's Bible, which he knows I would never do, and he says my Mum is violent.

She's a serial bible thumper.
 

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
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She's a serial bible thumper.
I suppose so. She's also a serious Bible-thumper. You should have seen her turn color when I said gods weren't relevant. :D

Anyway, ban it all or ban nothing is my advice.
 

Outta here

Senate Member
Jul 8, 2005
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Actually gerry, I take very little you say on forum personally - but when you make sweeping comments about the general 'stance' on a discussion and I'm one with that stance, it then follows that you're including me in those comments.

Regardless, for some reason I've gotten way over invested in this issue - and it's certainly not worth it to me to rough up a friendship. I'll agree to disagree and leave it at that.
 

L Gilbert

Winterized
Nov 30, 2006
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Actually gerry, I take very little you say on forum personally - but when you make sweeping comments about the general 'stance' on a discussion and I'm one with that stance, it then follows that you're including me in those comments.

Regardless, for some reason I've gotten way over invested in this issue - and it's certainly not worth it to me to rough up a friendship. I'll agree to disagree and leave it at that.
That's it, Bubba, them's fightin words.
;-)
 

Dexter Sinister

Unspecified Specialist
Oct 1, 2004
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Has anybody actually *seen* a kirpan? They're purely symbolic and ceremonial, not even as dangerous as the jackknife I carry in my right front pocket with my keys pretty much all the time, a good ol' Swiss Army knife. Never know when you might need a blade, or a bottle opener, or a can opener, or a toothpick, or a screwdriver... A kirpan can't do any of those things, I doubt you could even cut up an orange with one, they're functionally useless, about as dangerous as wearing a crucifix.
 

L Gilbert

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Has anybody actually *seen* a kirpan? They're purely symbolic and ceremonial, not even as dangerous as the jackknife I carry in my right front pocket with my keys pretty much all the time, a good ol' Swiss Army knife. Never know when you might need a blade, or a bottle opener, or a can opener, or a toothpick, or a screwdriver... A kirpan can't do any of those things, I doubt you could even cut up an orange with one, they're functionally useless, about as dangerous as wearing a crucifix.
Good point. I think perhaps people are confusing kirpans with the Indonesian keris, although some of those kirpans are more like swords than knives and even if dull could quite easily be used to batter someone to death.
In any case, I think you could probably fetch your SA knife out and have it ready before a Sikh could dig his kirpan out.
 

L Gilbert

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Or maybe the Gurkha kukri knives, which are excellent and dangerous weapons in the right hands.
That could be, too.

keris;


kukri;


kirpan (that's an eating utensil beside it);
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
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They were instructed by a religious leader to wear them for defense. That was a practical reason for 1700 Pakistan, not a religious reason. Times have changed.

That may have been how it originated, but my understanding is that now it is integral part of Sikh religion, a devout Sikh is required to carry it at all times, along with other 4 ‘k’s (beard, hair, turban, bracelet and kirpan).

So kirpan is not like veil for Muslim women. A veil is more a tradition, rather than a religious requirement (there is why it varies so much form country to country). Kirpan is religion, not a tradition.