09/03/2012: Satinder Singh Malhi has worn a turban nearly all his life -- it's mandatory for men of Sikh faith -- so he's become accustomed to disapproving stares and snide remarks.
While growing up in Martinez, he was mocked by middle school classmates, who tried to knock the turban from his head. At Alhambra High School, he was targeted by bullies before he asserted himself and went on to become class vice president. Even now, at 33, he notices riders on packed BART trains who stand rather than sit next to him.
"There's just a lack of understanding out there," he said.
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| Charnjit Singh, 49, a priest at the Gurdwara Sahib Hayward in Hayward, waits for news of his four relatives who were victims of a mass shooting inside a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., on Aug. 5, 2012. (D. Ross Cameron/Staff file) |
"I turned on CNN, and I was horrified," he said. "As the minutes passed and I pieced together what happened, I realized I had to go there and offer what assistance I could."
Malhi has some experience offering assistance. As district representative for state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, he frequently is the intermediary fielding requests from constituents. He also has some experience with tragedy. His father, Ajmer, a high school math teacher and religious leader, was killed 12 years ago by a crazed gunman during services at an El Sobrante Sikh temple.
Malhi didn't know anyone in Wisconsin, but he was moved to help because the tragedy "brought back some painful memories for me." He traveled at his own expense to offer solace to the victims' families and to share knowledge with reporters who might not understand the bigotry that has plagued American Sikhs.
"I told them, 'I'm sad that it took a tragedy of this magnitude for you to spotlight us in the community. But now that you're here, I want to make sure the information you're conveying to the public is accurate and meaningful. Maybe greater awareness can prevent another tragedy.'"
Even though Sikhism is the world's fifth-largest religion, with 25 million worldwide followers (500,000 in the United States), it remains a mystery to many Americans. It did not, as some believe, originate in the Middle East but in the Punjab region of India. Nor is it a branch of Islam, despite similarities in practitioners' appearance.
Ignorance and fear are a dangerous combination, as Sikhs have learned.
In 2011, 78-year-old Gurmej Singh Atwal and 69-year-old Surinder Singh were fatally shot in an apparent hate crime in Elk Grove. In 2004, Rajinder Singh Khalsa was beaten unconscious by white men in New York. In 2001, Balbir Singh Sodhi was gunned down in Mesa, Ariz., by a self-proclaimed "patriot" in retribution for the 9/11 attacks.
"Balbir Singh Sodhi was my uncle's former business partner," Malhi said. "He used to live in Walnut Creek. He had just made a sizable contribution to the Red Cross to assist with 9/11 relief efforts when he was shot."
Anger over 9/11 intensified the bigotry. "Turban equals terrorism" in many minds, Malhi said.
He knows about discrimination, and not just because he is patted down every time he walks through security to board a plane.
After he appeared on DeSaulnier's behalf at a Memorial Day ceremony this year, an angry mother of an Iraq War veteran emailed the senator, denouncing Malhi's presence. She wrote that a man in a turban "is a poor choice to represent you" at a patriotic event.
That woman might be surprised to learn that many Sikhs served alongside Allied forces during World Wars I and II; that their 500-year-old religion adheres to the principles of equality, justice and openness; and that Malhi and his wife, Gurpreet Kaur, are Martinez residents, taxpayers and as American as she is.
A little ignorance can be an immensely hurtful thing. Malhi reflects on that every time he thinks of Oak Creek.
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Contact Tom Barnidge at [email protected]. Follow him at twitter.com/tombarnidge.