In the aftermath of the World Trade Center disaster on Sept 11, the Sikh community on Long Island finds many of its members have been the target of hate crimes, (including racial epithets, obscene gestures and comments), based on the perpetrators' belief that the Sikhs are terrorists. This misguided thinking is likely harbored because Sikh men wear turbans and have beards in accordance with two of several basic tenets of the Sikh religion. Turbans are worn to cover long hair and with respect to God. Sikhs have unshorn hair, beards and moustaches.

Like their fellow Americans, the Sikhs have been grappling with grief and fear in the aftermath of the WTC disaster. At a time when Sikh Americans most need to support those affected by the tragedy, their energies are being spent on protecting their families and children. The Sikh community feels hurt that in this time of need in our country their offers of volunteering to help at Ground Zero have been shouted back. The hurt comes from being rejected by fellow Americans thereby being prevented from another basic tenet of the Sikh religion-service to humanity.

During this reporter's visit to the gurdwara, (house of worship) in Glen Cove, Dr. Harsimran Singh, who represents 11 gurdwaras, (roughly 25,000 congregants), in the tri-state area, said there are 250 reported cases of attacks on Sikhs. No incidents have been reported in the North Shore communities and none in Glen Cove which is home to a gurdwara. In Texas, a Sikh male was murdered because his attackers thought he looked like a terrorist.

At the gurdwara a young Stonybrook University student said he was depressed about the WTC tragedy and proceeded to recount his personal experience of harassment in Levittown. He and his dad were pulling out of their driveway to go to the supermarket when their neighbor four doors down pulled out of his driveway in a pickup truck and followed them to the market spewing bigoted remarks all along the way. The president of the gurdwara, Balkrishen Singh said, "In Glen Cove we tried to inform our neighbors about who we are in a letter. A woman who received our letter thought it was laced with anthrax and called the police. People are just plain afraid." Raj Singh said there is fear in the white community and fear in the Sikh community. "We Sikh women fear for our men and our children in every aspect of their lives. We must alleviate everyone's fears. All people who look like the terrorists are not criminals. Actions make a good person, not the name." Speaking through a translator, chief priest Jagtar Singh said, "Teaching each other is the answer to the problem. All religions are good and we should respect all. We all should live the way God created us." Inderjit Singh said he hadn't had any bad experiences and it's not that people are bad as a whole. "It's the actions of a few ignorant people that cause problems," he said. Karmendra Sidhu said he was faced with a mocking group of teenagers on the upper West Side of Manhattan who circled him saying, "bin Laden, bin Laden," and obscenities.

Dr. Singh said Sikhs must tell the world about themselves and their religion to prevent harm from coming to any innocent person of any faith or ethnicity. Ishmeet Singh has convened a group that will visit churches and synagogues in our community to briefly teach about the Sikh religion.

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion of Northern India, (Punjab) founded 500 years ago by Guru Nanak Dev. It was a time when Islam and Hinduism were the two predominant faiths in India. The term "Sikh" originates from ancient Pali texts where the word "Sikho" is used for a searcher of truth. Sikhism is based on tolerance and universal brotherhood. Guru Nanak stressed equality regardless of race, religion, gender or socio-economic class. It presents a message of love and tolerance for all humanity.