Sikhism
- World’s 5th largest religion
- 26 million followers worldwide
- Over 500 years old
- Originated in India
- Sikhism is a distinct religion, having no links with Hinduism or Islam
Sikhs
- Sikhs have lived in America for over 100 years
- People who wear turbans in the US are Sikhs
- 26 million Sikhs worldwide
- Sikhs are living in America since 1897
- Early Sikhs built railroads, and worked in lumber mills and on farms
- 83,000 Sikh soldiers died during 2 World wars
- One million Sikhs live in North America, including 15,000 in the Greater Sacramento area
- 7 Sikh Temples in Capital area
- First US Sikh Temple in Stockton, 1912
(Photo courtesy of Stockton Record Newspaper Dated November 22, 1915)
Sikhs believe in:
- Freedom of speech, religion
- Justice and liberty for all
- Defending civil liberties and protecting the defenseless
- Tolerance and absolute equality of all people without regard
- To gender, race, caste, or religion
- One God common to all
- Equal right for women
Sikhs DO NOT Believe In:
- Sikhs do not believe in terrorism or hurting innocent people
- Sikhs do not believe in hate or racial profiling
- Sikhs do not believe in war based on religion
- Sikhs do not believe in proselytism
- Sikhs do not believe in fasting
Sikhs Turbans
99.9% of people with turbans in US are Sikhs
•Used to cover long, uncut hair and provides the distinct identity
- Approx. 15 feet of cloth wrapped neatly around the head every time it is put on
- Symbolizes discipline, integrity, humility, and spirituality
- Religious requirement – must be worn at all times in public
- A turban is not a hat. It cannot be casually taken on and off. It must be carefully retied each time it is removed
- Turbans are a mandatory part of Sikh faith, not a social custom
- Sikhs feel humiliated if asked to remove their turban in public, as doing so exposes an intimate part of their body
- Sikh Americans are easily identified by their colorful turbans and unshorn hai
