In a remarkable interfaith gesture, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed was honored with a siropa (robe of honor) on May 11 at Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh Ji in Las Vegas (USA).
Siropa was presented by Board member Dr. Amarjeet Kaur Pannu while Gurdwara President Rajinder Singh Dhaliwal and Dr. Upinder Singh spoke about Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism.
Talking on the occasion, Rajan Zed stressed that all religions should work together for a just and peaceful world. Dialogue would bring us mutual enrichment, he added.
Zed has taken-up interfaith, religion, Roma (Gypsies) and other causes all over the world. He has read opening prayers in United States Senate in Washington DC, various State Senates and State Assemblies/Houses-of-Representatives, various County Commissions and City Councils all over USA. He was invited by President of European Parliament in Brussels (Belgium) for a meeting to promote interfaith dialogue. Many cities in USA have named October 25 as “Rajan Zed Day”. Bestowed with “World Interfaith Leader Award”, he is Senior Fellow and Religious Advisor to Foundation for Religious Diplomacy and Spiritual Advisor to National Association of Interchurch & Interfaith Families and has been invited and participated in World Economic Forum. He has raised lot of voice to end apartheid like conditions faced by about 15-million Roma populace of Europe. He has been panelist for “On Faith”, a prestigious interactive conversation on religion produced by The Washington Post, and currently leads a weekly interfaith panel at a Gannett publication for the last over three years.
Rajan Zed has extended his support to various Sikh causes; including Sikh monument issue in Kisumu (Kenya), reserving a seat for Sikhs and Hindus in the Afghanistan Parliament, Komagata Maru memorial monument in Vancouver (Canada), burning of Sikh immigrant issue in Italy and against the turban ban in Quebec Soccer Federation (Canada).
Zed was presented with a siropa in Golden Temple complex, which contains the holiest shrine and highest seat of Sikhism; besides siropa and a shawl by Giani Balwant Singh Nandgarh, Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, and by Giani Tarlochan Singh, Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib.
Establishment objective of Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh Ji, incorporated in 1998, is: a place to learn, practice and promote religious, cultural and social values based on the concept of One God and Universal Brotherhood as taught by the Sikh Gurus and Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
Sikhism is fifth largest religion in the world and Sikhs believe in one immortal Being; Ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh; the Guru Granth Sahib; the utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus; and baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru. Personal contact with Sikhs usually impresses the outsider with energetic hospitality. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.
Las Vegas, also known as “ultimate escape”, and whose Strip is designated as a “National Scenic Byway”; hosted about 40 million visitors and over 22,000 conventions last year.