Sikhism

	World's 5th largest religion
	26 million followers worldwide
	Over 500 years old
	Originated in India
	Sikhism is a distinct religion, having no links with Hinduism or Islam

Sikhs

	Sikhs have lived in America for over 100 years
	People who wear turbans in the US are Sikhs
	26 million Sikhs worldwide
	Sikhs are living in America since 1897
	Early Sikhs built railroads, and worked in lumber mills and on farms
	83,000 Sikh soldiers died during 2 World wars
	One million Sikhs live in North America, including 15,000 in the Greater Sacramento area
	7 Sikh Temples in Capital area
	First US Sikh Temple in Stockton, 1912               (Photo courtesy of Stockton Record Newspaper Dated November 22, 1915) Sikhs believe in: •Freedom of speech, religion •Justice and liberty for all •Defending civil liberties and protecting the defenseless •Tolerance and absolute equality of all people without regard  to gender, race, caste, or religion •One God common to all •Equal right for women

 

Sikhs DO NOT Believe In: •Sikhs do not believe in terrorism or hurting innocent people •Sikhs do not believe in hate or racial profiling •Sikhs do not believe in war based on religion •Sikhs do not believe in proselytism •Sikhs do not believe in fasting

Sikhs Turbans

	99.9% of people with turbans in US are Sikhs
	•Used to cover long, uncut hair and provides the distinct identity
	•Approx. 15 feet of cloth wrapped neatly around the head every time it is put on
	•Symbolizes discipline, integrity, humility, and spirituality
	•Religious requirement - must be worn at all times in public

	•A turban is not a hat. It cannot be casually taken on and off. It must be carefully retied each time it is removed
	•Turbans are a mandatory part of Sikh faith, not a social custom
	•Sikhs feel humiliated if asked to remove their turban in public, as doing so exposes an intimate part of their body

Sikh Americans are easily identified by their colorful turbans and unshorn hair