Sikh - Sikhism in The Western World

Sikhism in The Western World

As Sikhs wear turbans (although different from Middle Eastern turbans) and due to the relatively small number of Sikhs, there have been incidents of Sikhs in Western countries being mistaken for Middle Eastern Muslim men. This has led to mistaken attitudes and acts against Sikhs living in the West especially with respect to the 9/11 terrorist attack and recent Iraq War. Sikhs are neither Muslims nor from the Middle East. Sikhism is a religion of India. The roots of Sikhism lie in Punjab (India). Sikhs make up 60% to 70% of the total population of Punjab, which is the only region in the world where Sikhs are in the majority.

After the 11 September 2001 attacks, some people associated Sikhs with terrorists or members of the Taliban. A few days after the attack, Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh man, was murdered by Frank Roque, who thought that the victim had ties to al-Qaeda. CNN suggested that there has been an increase in hate crimes against Sikh men in the United States and the UK following the 9/11 attack.

Sikhism has never actively sought converts; thus, the Sikhs have remained a relatively homogeneous group ethnically. However, mainly due to the activities of Harbhajan Singh Yogi via his Kundalini Yoga focused 3HO (Happy, Healthy, Holy) Organisation, Sikhism has witnessed a moderate growth in non-Indian adherents. In 1998 it was estimated that these 3HO Sikhs, known colloquially as ‘gora’ (ਗੋਰਾ) or ‘white’ Sikhs, totaled 7,800 and were mainly centered around Española, New Mexico and Los Angeles, California. A law in Oregon was passed in 1925 banning the wearing of turbans by teachers and government officials. Sikhs and the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund worked together in successfully overturning the law.

In an attempt to foster strong Sikh leaders in the Western world, many youth initiatives have been begun by various organisations. For example, the Sikh Youth Alliance of North America annually organizes the Sikh Youth Symposium, a public speaking and debate competition held in gurdwaras around America and Canada.