Source: Contra Costa Times
[bayarea.com/mld/cctimes/4868104.htm]
On January 3, 2003 the Contra Costa Times reported that "once the domain of a people and religion many Americans regarded as exotic, Sikh temples throughout North America are reaching out to the mainstream. Sikhism is... not at all out of step with American values and most Americans' religions, Sikh leaders say... Sikhs have lived in California for more than 100 years, and their temples have always been open to non-Sikhs. Yet lingering misunderstanding of their religion, culture and dress has propelled the current generation of Sikh leaders to more actively engage the rest of the populace... Engagement became more urgent with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Sikhs are often mistaken for Arabs, Afghans and Muslims and are feared as turbaned, foreign, supposed enemies of America, leaders say. The widely disseminated visage of turban-clad terrorist Osama bin Laden has reinforced that notion, even though, Sikh leaders point out, few Arabs wear turbans... The first hate crime fatality in America in the aftermath of 9-11 was a Sikh, Balbir Singh Sodhi, a former Walnut Creek resident and member of the El Sobrante temple."