People Want to Keep Targeting Muslims but end up going after Sikhs
Gurjeet Singh just thought he was picking up another Uber passenger. He ended up having a gun pointed to his head after a male passenger demanded to know what country he was from and being told he “hated turban people.”
Sikhs Are Targets of Religious Hatred Because of Mistaken Identity[/tweetthis]
Mr. Singh is just one of many American Sikhs who have experienced hate crimes. Since 9/11 the number of attacks against Sikhs has vastly increased. Many Sikhs have reported feeling a general state of unease and feel that their life is threatened.
The reason male Sikhs are targeted is that they are religiously mandated to wear turbans and are not allowed to trim their beard. This has created mistaken identity where individuals think they are targeting Muslims but are actually attacking Sikhs. It spiked the greatest the month after 9/11 where there were over 300 reported instances of attacks on Sikhs.
While the sheriff is looking for the suspect and Uber has suspended his account he continues to remain at large. The fact that Mr. Singh, a religious leader in his community, was a victim of religious violence is appalling. The fact that it occurs because of a general confusion over Islamophobia is depressing. A majority of Americans have stated that they know nothing about Sikhs. There are over 25 million Sikhs in the world and over 1 million in the United States.
There has been no plan put out by the Trump Administration to combat violence against Sikhs.