Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

dates back to the early 1900s, where many Sikhs came to the country through British Indian Army in the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. , there are approximately 20,000 Sikhs in Greece. The Sikh population in Greece has grown over the years, with many Sikhs migrating to the country for agricultural work or to start their own businesses.

History

World War I & World War II

Sikhs have fought and passed through Greece in both

World Wars A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...

, in large number as part of the British Indian Army.

Salonika Cemetery

In 2010, Sikhs from Greece and the UK made the first remembrance visit to the Monastir Road Cemetery in

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...

. They also paid respects to the soldiers who died during World War 1. This cemetery is for Indian soldiers whom many included Sikhs. Sikhs are cremated when they die, but many soldiers were unable to be cremated therefore were buried. It is estimated there are 26 Sikh soldiers buried at the cemetery. At the Sikh graves there is an inscription in

Gurmukhi Gurmukhī ( pa, ਗੁਰਮੁਖੀ, , Shahmukhi: ) is an abugida developed from the Laṇḍā scripts, standardized and used by the second Sikh guru, Guru Angad (1504–1552). It is used by Punjabi Sikhs to write the language, commonly ...

, 'Ik Onkar Sri Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh'.

Post 1990s

In the 1990s, Sikh immigration increased. The Sikh community in Athens formed a small organization for their religious and social needs, which led to the building of

Gurudwara A gurdwara (sometimes written as gurudwara) (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ''guradu'ārā'', meaning "Door to the Guru") is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths ...

Shri

Guru Nanak Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated w ...

Darbar. Other Sikh immigrants also made temples in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, Megara,

Chalkidiki Chalkidiki (; el, Χαλκιδική , also spelled Halkidiki, is a peninsula and regional unit of Greece, part of the region of Central Macedonia, in the geographic region of Macedonia in Northern Greece. The autonomous Mount Athos region co ...

and Psachna. Many Sikhs in Greece currently work in agriculture, taxi drivers or construction.

Migration

Sikh migrants have been drawn to Greece for various reasons. Many Sikhs migrated to work on Greek shipping lines as no working visa was required. Also some Sikhs entered illegally by jumping offshore as soon as the boat docked into Greece. The geographical location of Greece is an entry in Europe, therefore has been a favourable destination for people in the

2015 European migrant crisis The 2015 European migrant crisis, also known internationally as the Syrian refugee crisis, was a period of significantly increased movement of refugees and Human migration, migrants into Europe in 2015, when 1.3 million people came to the cont ...

. There is a large Sikh population in Megara, where hundreds of Sikhs take part in the annual Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan.

Discrimination

2014 Sikh Gurdwara attacks

In 2014, Gurdwara Sri Dasmesh Singh Sabha and Gurdwara Bhagat Ravidas Darbar were attacked by gunfire in Greece. As per

Sikh Channel The Sikh Channel is a United Kingdom-based, free-to-air, Sikhi-focused satellite television channel. It broadcasts across Europe on satellite television, in Canada and is also streamed live on the internet. The Sikh Channel began to broadcast on ...

report, there were no casualties, however some buildings were damaged.

Gurdwaras

There are various Gurdwaras in Greece in locations such as

, Megara,

and Psachna.

References

* {{Europe topic, Sikhism in

Religion in Greece Greece–India relations