Sikhs in Cyprus
Sikhism in Cyprus (Greek: Ο Σιχισμός στην Κύπρο, romanized: O Sichismós stin Kýpro; Turkish: Kıbrıs'ta Sihizm) is a minority religion. The Sikh community in Cyprus is a small but vastly growing one. According to the latest available data, there are approximately 13,280 Sikhs in Cyprus, which makes up 1.1% of the country's population.[1][2] This makes it the third largest national proportion of Sikhs in the world after Canada (2.1%) and India (1.7%). The Sikh population in Cyprus has grown over the years, with many Sikhs migrating to the country for work or to start their own businesses. Today, Sikhs in Cyprus have established their own places of worship and community centres, and are an integral part of the country's cultural diversity.
History
During the Second Anglo-Afghan War from 1878 to 1880, Sikh troops were dispatched to Afghanistan. Concurrently, Sikh cavalrymen played a role in a covert agreement between the British and Indian army, sailing from Malta in the Mediterranean Sea to seize control of Cyprus in cooperation with the Ottoman Empire.[3]
The Sikh community in Cyprus has also made efforts to bring their culture and religion to the wider community. For example, in 2014, Sikhs from Ilford in the UK brought the Guru Granth Sahib, the current Guru of the Sikh religion, to Cyprus for the first time. The Guru Granth Sahib was taken to various locations around the country, allowing people of all faiths to view and learn about the Sikh religion.[4]
Due to immigration from Punjab, some Sikhs in Cyprus have suffered from abuse from human trafficking.[5]
Gurdwara
One of the main places of worship for Sikhs in Cyprus is the Gurdwara Sangatsar Sahib in Nicosia. The Gurudwara was established in 2011 and serves as a center for worship, community activities, and cultural events.[6]
In addition to the Gurudwara, there are other places of worship and community centers that serve the Sikh community in Cyprus. These include the Sri Guru Nanak Darbar in Larnaca, which is another Gurudwara that was established in 2013, and the Cyprus Sikh Association, which was founded in 2016 to promote Sikh culture and values in the country.[7]
World War II
In 2012, a delegation of the Sikh community from Birmingham, travelled to Cyprus to pay homage to Sikh soldiers who lost their lives in the Second World War. Alongside members of the Royal British Legion, they laid a wreath on behalf of the Sikh community at the Nicosia War Cemetery. The cemetery houses the Nicosia Cremation Memorial, specifically dedicated to Sikh soldiers who were accorded the last rites of their religion, which involve cremation. The memorial stands as a stone pylon adorned with wings and an urn, bearing the engraved names of the honoured individuals.[8]
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