January 11, 2016: ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – A group is being targeted because people are confusing them for Muslims.
“People will scream things at that, call you, ‘Osama.’ These days people say they’re Muslim, they’re ISIS,’” said Kulbir Sing Puri, a member of the Sikh community in Albuquerque.
“After 9/11, if I’m walking on the street, somebody will turn back and look at me,” said Manjeet Kaur Tangri, an Albuquerque resident for 25 years.
Traveling, they say, they face extra searches but some try to look on the bright side.
“Once inside the plane, the advantage is if the plane is not full then mine is the last row to be occupied,” Narendra Singh Kloty said as he laughed. “No one wants to sit beside me, so I can stretch out as much as I want. So, I look at it that way.”
Followers of the Sikh religion in New Mexico are reaching out to clarify common misconceptions after seeing people confuse Sikhs for Muslims, retaliating against them following cases like the deadly shooting in San Bernardino, California.
At a temple in Albuquerque near San Mateo and Constitution, they’ve taken more precautionary safety measures.
“We decided to have on Sunday, security outside so that we could protect our congregation,” Tangri said.
Mostly, they want people to know who they are.
“I am an American,” Kloty said. “That’s how it’s going to be. That’s how I’m going to live. That’s how I’m going to die.”
“Sikhism is based on equality,” Puri said. “All the religions are the same. Our founder said before you’re Sikh, before you’re Hindu, before you’re Christian, before you’re Muslim, first be human.”