US Sikhs say bigots confuse them for Muslims
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Buy SPH photosNEW YORK (AFP) - The sight of a bearded man in a turban can provoke violent anti-Muslim hatred in America - and never mind whether the man under the turban is actually Muslim.
For Sikhs, who wear turbans and beards as core attributes of their religion, the mix of Islamophobia and ignorance spells danger.
They say they've long had to cope with confused Muslim-haters, but that Sunday's massacre of six people by a white supremacist in a Sikh temple in Wisconsin was a shattering blow.
"The biggest shock is that it happened in a gurdwara (temple). This is a completely different level. That's the biggest shock," said Mr Amanjot Sidhu, 24, who is training to become a dentist in New York.
