Being Sikh

Sikhism is the 5th largest religion in the world with an estimated population of just under 30 million. For over 500 years the teachings of the 10 Gurus have spoken the simple values of truth, universal equality, and justice. Often described as Warrior-Saints, Sikhs have more than once taken to the sword in defending their homeland of Punjab and the whole of India. At a time when other major religions point their fingers and blame each other for the world's problems, the Sikhs continue to welcome anyone whatever their race, religion or creed as an equal into their doors. However, despite the openness and compassion of the Sikhs, few outsiders are aware of even the most basic beliefs held by this religion. Due to their similar appearance to Muslim extremist groups, such as the Taliban, this ignorance has proven to be fatal as the occurrence of hate crimes against Sikhs have risen dramatically in the post September 11th world.