Man with Turban is not a Terrorist

Gap's Christmas Ad with Waris Ahluwalia

The Gap’s Christmas ad features Waris Ahluwalia, a jewellery designer, actor and Sikh man. It says “Make Love,” but was defaced in the Bronx New York subway station to say “Make Bombs.” The is probably because of the turban Waris wears on his head. The attacks of September 11^th still ring fresh in people’s minds. People who wear turbans intimidate and are most often mistaken as Muslims. This weekend I took the train to Grimbsy, Lincolnshire in search of the Sikh Gurdwara (temple) to find some of the people who make up the fifth largest religion. And yes, also wear turbans.

Karam Singh, one of the Sikh men I met this weekend, doesn’t speak English. The language barrier didn’t stop him from inviting me in immediately, never asking why I came. It didn’t matter, everyone is welcome in the Gurdwara – that’s a part of the equality of Sikhism. Another Sikh I sat down with was Boota Singh. He spoke some English, but what he told me is almost too terrible to repeat.

I showed the two men the defaced Gap ad and asked if they had ever been racially attacked. Boota said “When they see us across the road, they say Bin Laden". Karam asked in broken English “What happened here?” I didn’t have much to say after that. They had answered all of my questions.

The Sikh people are racially profiled as terrorists because of the pieces of cloth they tie on top of their head. Their religion requires equality in gender, the belief in one God and to tie their uncut hair up into a turban to show truthful living. They believe in the blessings they are given and share them with others – like the goody bag they sent away with me consisting of two apples and a heaping pile of candy and almonds.

I couldn't help myself. I ate one of the apples given to me by the Sikh's before snapping this photo of their kindness.