Reflecting the low level of awareness about Sikhs in the US, a new research on Monday said an overwhelming majority of Americans associate turban-wearers with slain al-Qaeda chief Osama bin laden.
The study ‘Turban Myths’, conducted jointly by the SAlDEF (Sikh American legal Defense and Education Fund) and Stanford University, revealed that 49 per cent of Americans believe “Sikh” is a sect of Islam; while 70 per cent cannot identify a Sikh man in a picture as a Sikh.
As if this was not enough, 79 per cent cannot identify India as the geographic origin of Sikhism, said the report released on Monday in Palo Alto California. It found that 70 per cent of Americans misidentify turban-wearers as Muslim (48 per cent), Hindu, Buddhist or Shinto. This is quite contrary to the fact that almost all men in the US who wear turbans are Sikh-Americans, whose faith originated in India.
“This research is critical to our community and confirms our real, lived experiences,” said Jasjit Singh, executive director of SAlDEF.
Sikh-Americans suffered the deadliest act of violence against a religious minority in August last year when a white supremacist stormed a Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and shot dead six worshippers. Following the 9/11 attacks, Sikh-Americans were targeted because of their turban.
“We also know that we most effectively bridge these perception gaps when fellow Americans come to know us as the teachers, doctors, coaches, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, friends, neighbours and community servants we are,” he said. PTI