American Sikhs community to join hands with Muslims to avoid backlash in society
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WASHINGTON: Across the US, Sikhs and Muslims are banding together to defend their respective religions. Someone bent on harming Muslims wouldn't understand or care about the distinction between the two faiths, they say, and both also deserve to live in peace. So they plan educational sessions and rallies. They successfully pushed the FBI to track hate crimes against Sikhs. They speak to lawmakers and support each other's legal action, including a lawsuit filed over a New York City police surveillance program targeting New Jersey Muslims. "We are in this fight together," said Gurjot Kaur, a senior staff attorney at The Sikh Coalition, founded the night of September 11. There are more than 500,000 Sikhs in the US. Sikh men often cover their heads with turbans which are considered sacred and refrain from shaving their beards. Madihha A Hussain, a staff attorney at the national group Muslim Advocates, said people who are misinformed about both religions not only is "blaming entire faith communities, now they're blaming multiple groups for the acts of a couple individuals.”(Washington Post)
