Sikhs are not Muslim. But along with Muslims, Arabs, and South Asians since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Sikhs have been the target of hate crimes in the US, sometimes from those seeking to attack Muslims. They mistake Sikh turbans and beards for those of men in some Arab cultures. The Sikh owner of a gas station in Mesa, Ariz., was shot and killed on Sep. 15, 2001, when, according to police, a local man mistook him for Middle Eastern.
The Sikh Coalition has reported thousands of incidents since 9/11that involve discrimination against Sikhs.
