Lets read on what some of our Sikh brothers share on their personal experiences as in regards to the misunderstood identity threats and attacks on them as well as their families:
Ten years after 9/11, Valley Sikhs say they're still victims of confusion.
The backlash felt by Muslims has at times included Sikhs, with some people associating their turbans and long beards with terrorism.
"It's a little better," said Mohinder Singh Sandhainalia, an official at the Sikh Center of the Pacific Coast in Selma. "But it's still there."
Sikhism was founded by the guru Nanak more than 500 years ago in north India and is based on monotheism and rejection of the caste system and idolatry. It is the world's fifth largest religion with more than 20 million followers.
Over the years, Sikhs have reported an increase in attacks, verbal and physical. The national Sikh Coalition recently launched a website -- unheardvoices of911.org -- compiling accounts of discrimination and violence since 9/11.
In the Central Valley, vandals spray-painted racist graffiti -- "Rags Go Home" and "It's Not Your Country" -- on the wall of Gurdwara Sahib, a Sikh temple in west-central Fresno, in 2004. No one has been arrested in the case.
Valley Sikh truck drivers have reported being recklessly cut off by motorists on freeways. Sikh teenagers say they've been called "ragheads." And at the Sikh Institute of Fresno building, under construction near Highway 99 and West Shaw Avenue, a large sign reads: "We are building a future home of God. Please don't vandalize."
Sandhainalia, who owns U Save Liquors 2 on West Shaw Avenue, said he continues to distribute "Introduction to Sikh Americans" cards to customers to clear up the confusion. The cards list 10 facts about Sikhism, including "Sikhism is a distinct religion, separate from Hinduism and Islam."
"We are not linked any way to Osama bin Laden," he said. "We are a different nation. We are very peaceful and hard-working people. We are told to be respectful of every nation."
Parminder Singh, a Sikh worshipper at Gurdwara Gur Nanak Parkash on East Lincoln Avenue near Highway 99 and Clovis Avenue, said, "Ignorance is ignorance. It's just plain people who are stuck on stereotypical beliefs. They don't want to learn."
He said the confusion plays out mainly in name-calling. "You brush that off; you get used to it," he said. "You don't pay attention. I'm grounded in what I believe.
"Every part of society has weak links. When someone questions you, I tell others to give them the 'peace' sign. Treat them nicely. You have to be prepared to defend yourself, but don't instigate anything."
Dr. Navdeep Singh, a member of Gurdwara Sahib, doesn't wear a turban or beard. But, he said, he has dealt with confusion over his identity.
"Over time, it has diminished," said Singh, adding he believes the community's perception of Sikhs is positive. "Sikhs are socio-economically strong in the community. That helps remove some of the misconceptions and stereotypes.
"By nature, Sikhs are stoic people. They've put up with a lot. They've developed a thick skin. Of course, it hurts to hear things."
Some Sikh youths say they've never felt the backlash.
Kiranjit, 18, who helps teach a children's class at Gurdwara Sahib on Sundays, was 8 years old on 9/11. She was attending Cedarwood Elementary School and was supposed to go on an ice-skating field trip that day, but the event was cancelled.
"I was crying at home -- a bunch of people died," said Kiranjit, now a student at California State University, Fresno. "My parents told us never to judge. And I've never been judged."
In Selma, the Sikh Center of the Pacific Coast will mark the anniversary of 9/11 with prayers for peace and God's blessing on America.
"Because we live here," Sandhainalia says. "Everybody is created by one God and there is a principality of brotherhood. We are told not to hate anyone."
---Human consciousness arose but a minute before midnight on the geological clock. Yet we mayflies try to bend an ancient world to our purposes, ignorant perhaps of the messages buried in its long history. Let us hope that we are still in the early morning of our April day. ~Stephen Jay Gould
Guests: 3793