Sikh students hosted a dinner and discussion to educate the GW community about their religion. About half of the 100 students attended were non-Sikh, organizers said.
Sikhism, which draws aspects from Hinduism and Islam, is a monotheistic, nonviolent religion that accepts all faiths. Backlash against Sikhs has been reported after the Sept. 11 attacks, often because they are mistaken for Arabs.
Followers of the Sikh religion keep five articles of faith, including the Kesh (uncut hair), which is covered by a turban.
“Because Osama bin Laden was shown with a turban and long beard, our community was immediately targeted,” said Amrith Kaur Mago, co-president of the Sikh Student Association. Though Mago has not personally felt persecuted, she has “definitely felt some paranoia” after the attacks, she said.
Most Sikh students interviewed said they do not feel prejudice that has been reported across the nation, most likely because GW’s student body is so diverse. But, Amandeep S. Sidhu of the Federal Defense Group in Alexandria, Va., said, “Sikh men have clearly faced profiling.”
Last week, Sidhu was pulled off a plane after passing through security checkpoints for a second time.
“When I asked the security guard if this was really a random check or profiling, the guard admitted that it was profiling,” Sidhu said.
Before the free dinner, which consisted of modern Indian food, Mago spoke about her efforts with the Sikh community to educate non-Sikhs and to help protect Sikhs who are being victimized. Mago began a grassroots effort along with 11 other students to create briefing packets that were distributed in Sikh temples. These packets have information for Sikhs describing what to do if their rights are violated.
Sikh Student Association co-president Jaspal Singh said only about 40 percent of the students who attended the discussion and dinner this year were Indian, compared to about 90 percent last year.
Jamie Daggon, a sophomore member of the Program Board, which sponsored Religion Week, praised the event.
“One of my closest friends is Sikh, and I wanted to learn a little about the religion,” she said. “It’s great that the Sikh community is taking positive action.”
Gitika Sharda, another non-Sikh who has Sikh friends, said she would have attended the event even if she did not have Sikh friends because the discrimination some Sikhs have faced “is a crime against humanity.”
With food, speakers and a diverse audience, the SSA reached out to the GW community and taught students what the Sikh religion is about: peace, faith and devotion to God.
After the dinner, students watched an interfaith celebration in the Marvin Center Ballroom, where groups from various cultures danced, performed a wedding and read prayers and poetry.
