Why do Sikh men wear turbans?
Fair warning: this one mentions a killing after 9/11. We tell it because it happened here, and because forgetting is how it happens again.
Sikh men wear a turban, called a dastar, to cover and care for their uncut hair, which is an article of faith. It stands for equality, dignity and devotion to God. Some Sikh women wear one too. It is not a Muslim garment, and it is not a costume. It is closer to a promise you can see from across the parking lot.
1 · MindWhat people believe, and how they know
Sikhi (Sikhism) began more than 500 years ago in the Punjab region of South Asia with Guru Nanak (1469-1539). A guru is a spiritual teacher. Today there are more than 25 million Sikhs worldwide and an estimated 500,000 in the United States, according to the Sikh Coalition.
In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh formed the Khalsa, a community of initiated Sikhs, and gave them five articles of faith, often called the five Ks. One is kesh, uncut hair, kept as a way of accepting the body as God made it. The turban is not one of the five Ks itself. It is how many Sikhs keep that hair covered, clean and honored.
Sikh writers describe the turban as a sign of equality, honor, courage and self-respect. Some describe tying it as crowning yourself each morning. The point is that everyone gets the crown, not just the rich.
What each tradition or community says
Uncut hair (kesh) is one of the five articles of faith given to the Khalsa in 1699. The dastar covers and protects it, and many Sikhs describe tying it each morning as an act of commitment.
Most Sikh women cover their hair in other ways, often with a long scarf called a chunni. Some, especially in younger generations and certain communities, wear a turban as a statement of equality. Sikh teaching treats it as a personal choice.
Sikhs are often mistaken for Muslims because of the turban and beard. Many say they don’t want to answer by pointing the hate somewhere else. They want it to stop, period.
2 · HeartWhat it feels like
For many Sikh men, the turban feels like part of their face. Asking one to take it off is a little like asking you to take off your skin for airport convenience. Some kids get teased for it at school. Some grown men get stared at in every store.
If you’ve never met a Sikh, you are not alone. That’s the problem, and also the easy part to fix.
A man ties a long strip of cloth on his head every morning to remind himself everyone is equal. Some folks see that and get nervous. I’d say the nerves are on the wrong person.Neighbor Radio
3 · HandsHow to be a good neighbor
Learn the word: dastar, or just turban. Don’t call it a hat, a rag or a costume. Don’t touch it. Don’t ask someone to take it off unless you’re a TSA officer, and even then, there are rules.
If you’re curious, ask kindly: “Can I ask what your turban means to you?” Most Sikhs will tell you. Many gurdwaras (Sikh houses of worship) serve a free meal, called langar, to anyone who walks in. You can learn a lot over a plate of dal.
This weekFind the nearest gurdwara and look up when its langar is served. Go, sit on the floor, eat, and say thank you.
Going deeperA little more, if you want it
Balbir Singh Sodhi
On September 15, 2001, Balbir Singh Sodhi was outside his Chevron station in Mesa, Arizona. He was 49. He was setting out American flags. A man drove up and shot him because of his beard and turban. The man had said he wanted to kill a Muslim. He also fired at a Lebanese American’s gas station and at a home where an Afghan American family lived. He was convicted of first-degree murder.
Sodhi was the first person killed in the hate crimes that followed 9/11. His brother said, “He could never have any enemy.” That’s worth sitting with for a minute.
Why it keeps happening
In a 2014 survey by Hart Research Associates for the National Sikh Campaign, 60 percent of non-Asian Americans said they knew nothing about Sikhs. It’s hard to see a neighbor you’ve never been introduced to.
The answer isn’t “Sikhs aren’t Muslim, so leave them alone.” That just hands the hate a new address. The answer is to see the man in the turban as a man. He has a name. He might own the gas station you use. He might be the one putting out the flags.
TimelineWhere this fits
Plain wordsWhat do these words mean?
- Dastar
- The Sikh turban, worn as an article of faith.
- Guru
- A spiritual teacher. Sikhs follow ten human Gurus and honor their scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, as the living Guru.
- Khalsa
- The community of initiated Sikhs, founded by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
- Kesh
- Uncut hair, one of the five Sikh articles of faith.
- Gurdwara
- A Sikh house of worship. The name means “door to the Guru.”
- Langar
- The free community kitchen at every gurdwara. Anyone may eat, and everyone sits together.
- Guru Granth Sahib
- The Sikh scripture, honored as the living Guru.
Four questions to take with you
From Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan, about the stranger who stopped to help. We call it the Samaritan Test.
- Did they see? Or look right past?
- Did they stop? Even when it was inconvenient?
- Did it cost them? Time, money, comfort, reputation?
- Did they treat the person like a person? Not like a label?
Try it on: the last time you saw a turban in an airport line. Did you see a neighbor, or a headline?
Quick questions
Are Sikhs Muslim?
No. Sikhi is its own religion with its own scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib. Sikhs believe in one God, as Muslims do, but the faiths are distinct.
Do Sikhs ever cut their hair?
Observant Sikhs, especially those who have joined the Khalsa, do not. Practice varies, and some Sikhs cut their hair while still identifying as Sikh.
What happened to Balbir Singh Sodhi?
He was a Sikh gas station owner in Mesa, Arizona, shot and killed on September 15, 2001, by a man who wanted to kill a Muslim after 9/11. He was planting American flags when it happened.
- Sikh Coalition: About Sikhs
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Sikhism
- SALDEF: The First 9/11 Backlash Fatality, Balbir Singh Sodhi
- Religion News Service, 2015: Most Americans are clueless about Sikhs (Hart Research survey for the National Sikh Campaign)
Written in plain words by the Neighbor Radio team. Each faith's and community's section is checked by someone from that faith or community. Until then, this page says so. Spot something wrong? Tell us. We read every note and fix mistakes.