US Sikhs launch ad campaign to educate Americans about faith

Washington, August 16

A Sikh advocacy group in the US is set to launch an advertisement campaign on the national news channels as part an effort to help inform Americans about the minority community, which has been facing a spate of racial attacks.

The "We Are Sikhs" advertisement campaign will showcase Sikh Americans' contributions to society and highlight the fact that Sikh values are American values, said Rajwant Singh, co-founder and senior advisor of the National Sikh Campaign.

"Reaching out to all Americans is a critical component of the 'We Are Sikhs' initiative and placing our ads on the Fox News Channel will further our message to an important, conservative audience," Rajwant said.

"We are working proactively to connect with our neighbours from all walks of life representing broad ideological and political views," he said.

Singh said the Sikh community had been facing discrimination, intimidation, harassment, and hate crimes since the 9/11 attacks largely because of a collective misunderstanding regarding the meaning of turban in Sikhism.

Sikhs wear turbans to show their willingness to serve others in the community and their commitment to equality for all people.

In an effort to reach conservative voters across the country, the advertisements will run on select Fox News programming from August 15 to August 31, a statement said.

There have been a number of attacks targeting Indian- Americans and Sikhs in the recent months in the US.

Two Sikh Americans were killed in separate incidents in California last month.

Subag Singh, 68, was found dead in a canal after he went missing on the morning of June 23 while Simranjit Singh, 20, of Elk Grove was shot dead outside a gas station where he worked.

Harkirat Singh, 25, an immigrant from Punjab who moved to the US three years ago, was assaulted and his turban knocked off by unruly passengers in New York in April.

In March, a 39-year-old Sikh man was shot in the arm outside his home in Kent, Washington, by a partially-masked gunman who shouted "go back to your own country".

In February, 32-year-old Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed when a US Navy veteran opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani, yelling "get out of my country". PTI