Sikh and Jewish Dialogue on Post 9/11 Impact on Sikh Americans

January 9, 2003

Source: Queens Chronicle-Central Edition

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1863&dept_id=152656&newsid=6650343&PAG=461&rfi=9

On January 9, 2003 the Queens Chronicle-Central Edition reported that "in the aftermath of September 11th, Americans feared a Middle Eastern man with a turban and long, gray beard, whose image was plastered over the airwaves and in newsprint... Swaranjit Singh knew he might have a problem. As one of 70,000 Sikhs in Queens, he is required to wear a turban and never to cut body hair, including his beard... Singh embarked on a tour to emphasize the differences between his peace-loving religion and the Muslim fundamentalists who attacked the country... Last Sunday, Singh visited the Reform Temple of Forest Hills for a dialogue with Rabbi Mayer Perelmuter, where the religious leaders compared the tenets of their faiths over breakfast and explored the impact of September 11th on Sikhs in America."