**Jasjit Singh**

School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; j.s.singh@leeds.ac.uk

Received: 9 September 2020; Accepted: 12 October 2020; Published: 21 October 2020

**Abstract:** Using data gathered for an investigation of "Sikh radicalisation in Britain", in this article I develop a typology of different types of activism among Sikhs in diaspora based on an analysis of historic and contemporary media sources (newspapers, radio, television, online), academic literature, ethnographic fieldwork and a series of semi-structured interviews with self-identifying Sikh activists. I assess the reasons behind a variety of different incidents involving Sikh activists, how Sikh activists view the drivers of their activism and to what extent this activism can be regarded as being "religiously motivated". I critique existing typologies of "religious activism" by developing a typology of Sikh activism which challenges the distinction often made between "religious" and "political" action. I argue that "religiously motivated actions" must be understood in conjunction with narratives, incidents and issues specific to particular religious traditions and that generic motivations for these actions cannot be applied across all religious traditions.

**Keywords:** Sikh; diaspora; activism; radicalism; Sikhism
