Memoir 2/13

As an illustration of the hysteria and fear that resulted from the September 11 attacks, a friend of mine from high school faced much discrimination and racial profiling due to his appearance. This experience is similar to that of Muhammad Rafiq Butt and many other people detained due to anonymous tips from neighbors whom had feared those men.

My friend is not Muslim but a Sikh. In Sikhism, males must follow the practice of kes or leaving their hair uncut. As a result, they wear turbans, a practice often confused with the use of turbans in Muslim communities. Due to this association, much violence and contempt had been directed against Sikhs in America. Another practice of Sikhs that was questionable to American standards was their practice of carrying a kirpan or a ceremonial small sword.

As a personal anecdote, my friend told me how many times there were racist comments such as “Osama” or “diaper head” as a way to demoralize him. He told me that there were many such incidents in school and that the school’s administration neglected his pleas for having this issue further probed and resolved. In addition, he told me how throughout the country many Sikh’s were being murdered or beaten in hate crimes and that those attacks struck fear in the Sikh community. In reaction, my friend and his father traveled to schools and establishments to explain the difference between Sikhs and Muslims. This way, people would no longer be ignorant to their practices.