While being held captive, Hadji bides his time by meditating, part of Sikh religious practices
One of the most important parts–if not the most important part–of Hadji’s character is his religion. While not directly addressed on the ’60s cartoon, mostly because I think it was an ignorant assumption back then that everyone wore turbans in India without any respect to what they might actually be for, the later Real Adventures of Jonny Quest outright state again and again that Hadji is, at least in this incarnation of the show, a Sikh.
Firstly, I just want to be really blunt and say this: a Sikh is not a Muslim–both are associated with turbans, but the religions are not the same. Similarly, Sikhs and Muslims are not terrorists. Just because you wear a turban does not make you a terrorist. That’s like saying a person’s smart because they wear glasses, or a person’s dumb because they’re blonde. (And since I brought it up, not all Muslims are the stereotypical-looking ones. A ton of black Americans are Muslims– take, for instance, part of my family.) Also, a lot of the rhetoric behind hating other religions is not necessarily because of the headwear associated with it; the headwear is just an external thing. The real rhetoric is due to some folks not even bothering to understand the religion they’re condemning. So, I think it’s especially powerful that people can be able to learn about Sikhism through a cartoon character like Hadji due to his accessibility. So, with that said, I’ll dive into the general overview of Sikhism.
Sikhism was founded in the fifteenth century in the Punjab region between India and Pakistan by Guru Nanak Dev. While there were eight other Gurus, the 10th Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), is one of the most well known. He is the last human Guru of Sikhism; on his death day, October 7, he declared the last and permanent Guru to be the Sikh scripture, The Guru Granth Sahib, itself.
His biggest contributions to the religion are his teachings and philosophy, shaping Sikhism into what it is today. Part of Guru Gobind Singh’s philosophy was the Khalsa. Khalsa, meaning “pure” is used to refer to all baptized Sikhs. It was originally set up as a military order of “saint-soldiers” by Singh in 1699; all Khalsa Sikhs would have to go through the baptism, or Amrit Sanchar abide by the Five Ks or panj kakkar/kakke. The tenets of the Five Ks are:
- Kesh (unshorn hair)–hair is one of the many gifts from God, so Sikhs honor that gift by not cutting their hair
- Kanga–a wooden comb that is used for combing the hair to keep it neat under the turban
- Kara–an iron bracelet worn to remind Sikhs to remain true to their faith and follow its morals
- Kachera–a specific style of cotton underwear worn to remind Sikhs of the Guru’s philosophy regarding the Five Evils (Kam, or lust; Krodh, or rage; Lobh, or greed; Moh, or attachment; and Ahnankar, or ego).
- Kirpan–a strapped, curved sword that represents the safety of all people and the responsibility Sikhs have to protect the innocent in the name of peace.
(counterclockwise) Kara, Kanga, and Kirpan by Harisingh under the Creative Commons license)
Khalsa Sikhs must also accept either the name Singh (lion) or Kaur (princess). I wrote extensively on the last name Singh in this post, but as a quick overview of what the name means, here’s an excerpt from that post:
“Singh” is the honorific last name given to those who are members of the Sikh faith. In 1699 Punjab, the name was adopted by Guru Gobind Singh. Before then, it was used by the Hindu Kshatriyas, or warrior social class. Singh is optional as a last name for some people; this is one of the reasons why some people, like the Rajput–members of the Kshatriya class– have it as their middle name rather than their last. But for those fully practicing Sikhism, “Singh”must be their last name; it’s a mandatory exercise when, adopted by Guru Gobind Singh, was meant to make those practicing Sikhism to cleanse themselves of the caste system:
From now on, you have become casteless. No ritual, either Hindu or Muslim, will you perform nor will you believe in superstition of any kind, but only in one God who is the master and protector of all, the only creator and destroyer. In your new order, the lowest will rank with the highest and each will be to the other a bhai (brother). No pilgrimages for you any more, nor austerities but the pure life of the household, which you should be ready to sacrifice at the call of Dharma. Women shall be equal of men in every way. No purdah (veil) for them anymore, nor the burning alive of a widow on the pyre of her spouse (sati). He who kills his daughter, the Khalsa shall not deal with him. (Wikipedia)
Naming yourself ”Singh” (or “Kaur”, meaning “princess”, if you’re a woman) is only one of the tenets of Sikhism you must keep. However, another post will have to be set aside for the basics on this religion.
As I alluded to, all Khalsa Sikhs wear turbans. Again, this was talked about in the post about the name Singh, so I’ll pull a quote from that post:
I also think by stressing the idea of castlessness, the Guru was forcing people to focus on building up their individual selves and to realize that being an individual, not a part of a caste, is something to be admired for. Being an individual–a true individual–is tough. Being able to own that is part of the journey–if not the biggest part–of self-conquering. The tenet of wearing a Sikh turban–the Dastar, which signifies a crown– I think is the most outward way to make practicing Sikhs remember all that they are capable of. With all that the Dastar represents–piety, honor, self-respect, courage, and spirituality–the Dastar itself reminds the wearer of conquering the self. I thinkSikhnet says it best:
The turban is our Guru’s gift to us. It is how we crown ourselves as the Singhs and Kaurs who sit on the throne of commitment to our own higher consciousness. For men and women alike, this projective identity conveys royalty, grace, and uniqueness. It is a signal to others that we live in the image of Infinity and are dedicated to serving all. The turban doesn’t represent anything except complete commitment. When you choose to stand out by tying your turban, you stand fearlessly as one single person standing out from six billion people. It is a most outstanding act.
The overall belief system of Sikhism is justice and faith, as well as the belief in one God, or Waheguru. Sikhs also believe that salvation can be obtained through personal , disciplined meditation on God. Sikhs also live by the tenet that all people are equal, no matter what race, creed, religion, or caste. Also, Sikhs believe God has no gender and is Nirankar, or without form. Another thing that separates Sikhism from western religions is that there is no teaching of a final destination after death like Heaven or Hell; what Sikhs believe is a union with God that ends in salvation. Sikhs are encouraged to live an optimistic life, and, according to Guru Nanak, balance work, charity, and worship as well as defend the rights of humans and all other living creatures on earth. The concept of sharing is also strongly taught, and a few of the ways this concept is shown are through free food at the Sikh temples, or gurdwaras, community service, donations, etc.
As I said, this is very general overview of the religion, so if you are interested in learning more, here are the sources I used in this essay as well as some other things of interest that might help you on your quest for knowledge.
SOURCES/Further Reading
Wikipedia:
