"Six Sikhs fatally shot in a Wisconsin gurduwara in a hate crime"(NYTimes), "Sikh man gunned in an Arizona gas station"(CNN), "Sikh doctor beaten near Central park, New York", "A motel owned by a Sikh Family in Toronto gutted in fire; racist graffiti found"(Indian Express) -- these headlines represent a mere fraction of the hate crimes perpetrated against the Sikh communities scattered throughout America (and Canada). Many a times these hate crimes are dubbed as an aftermath (and a vestige) of the September 11 attacks that antagonized Americans against anything and anyone that appeared Muslim. However, the September 11 attacks just ignited the rage that had been brewing among the natives against these foreign looking "towel-heads" from their very arrival to America.
Even in a city like New York, which prides itself in its diversity, it's quite common to hear racial slurs being hurled at people for being Sikh. Because apparently, sporting a full beard and mustache, and donning a turban can be "terrorizing" on one hand, and stylish on the other depending on the skin color, ethnicity and or cultural background of the person who dons it. It's also not uncommon for Sikhs to be "randomly selected" for multiple hour-long searches (and Q&A sessions) by airport personnel.
I can't move forward without sharing a (somewhat) personal experience with the bigotry of us "diversity-friendly" New Yorkers. A few months ago I went to Washington Square Park with some friends, one of us wanted to play chess with the infamous chess hustler "Cornbread" (yes, that's his name). As we were making inconsequential efforts at finding our way to him, someone suggested that we ask around, but also mentioned something that rung a shrieking bell in my head. He distinctly said, "Ask a black person, the others won't respond." To my utter surprise, while the "others" (men and women alike) inched away from us when my friend (who wears a beard and a turban) approached them, a black man showed us our way to him. From an outsider's point of view, this might be deemed a single experience with not-so-much weight. But for me it was nothing less than an eye-opening tale of woe.
Moving forward, while our government continuously ignores the plight of the Sikh community, Hasan Minhaj, a Muslim senior correspondent for the Daily Show took it upon himself to inform the under-informed masses that: 1) Sikhs are not Muslims and 2) Muslims are not Sikhs. In a video titled "Confused Islamophobes Target American Sikhs" Minhaj not only helps the "confused islamophobes" differentiate between a Sikh and a Muslim, but simultaneously
mocks the very nature of this phobia itself. Minhaj, in the video, asserts that the best way for Sikhs to avoid being profiled is to say, "We are not Muslims," to which the Sikh representatives respond, "throwing another community under the bus is not the right way."
The video is a satirical take on the acute ignorance of people who dilute different cultures and religions into one misinformed whole of xenophobia.
Sikhism is the fifth-largest religion in the world. Its roots are in Punjab, India where it was started by Guru Nanak in 1400's, but formally established in 1699 by Guru Gobind. Sikhism was established on the principle of Seva -- the art of selfless service. According to the Sikh Coalition, there are upwards of 400,000 Sikhs in America with largest concentrations in New York and California. Sikh men don unshorn beards and wear a turban around their heads as an expression of their faith. The unshorn beards and mustaches symbolize a Sikh's respect for God's creation in its most natural state.
I am a Sikh. And I am proud to be one. And I am not "okay" with people in my community being dubbed inferior or profiled as terrorists, towel-heads, or ISIS. I am not "fine" with the blatant irreverence of those who think it acceptable to champion love of their nations by spreading hate against other religions, cultures, countries, and people.
As IISuperwomanII, Lily Singh says, "Spread love, not hate."
