![]() Further, others who may have seen his arrest and not his release had their initial perceptions of what “terrorists look like “reinforced and in a sense validated. Singh’s release was not as high-profile as his initial arrest therefore, he was unable to recover his reputation fully after the incident. Because Sher Singh’s arrest was widely publicized in the press, he was stereotyped as a potential terrorist and his character was called into question. Even though he was ultimately released and cleared of any charges, the arrest of Singh added to the impression that Sikhs are different than typical Americans and that they are potential terrorists.Īnother way in which Sikhs and Muslims are further stereotyped is through the media and the entertainment industry. Kaur next interviews Sher Singh, a Sikh accused of being a terrorist based his appearance because he was wearing a turban and other traditional Sikh attire. Kaur interviews Attar Singh Bhatia, an elderly Sikh who was attacked by a group of people several hours after the 9/11 Attacks. Navinderdeep Nijher, a Sikh-American surgeon who was one of the first-responders to the World Trade Center, mentions that people were yelling at him to leave the US and return to his homeland due to his appearance. For example, Amirak Singh Chawla described the fact that he was harassed and chased down by a group of people who called him a terrorist and ordered him to remove his turban. The targeting of Sikhs due to their appearance is examined several times in Kaur’s interviews. Because of their attire and the fact that Sikhism is not a well-known religious tradition, people often associate Sikhs instead with the terrorist groups that carried out attacks such as 9/11. Sikhs often wear visible attire such as turbans for religious purposes. One way in which Sikhs are stereotyped is due to their appearance. Valarie Kaur looks at several different ways in which both Sikhs and Muslims are “otherized” and stereotyped as potential terrorists. ![]() Kaur felt that she had an obligation to answer such a question and set out on a trip to 14 American cities to find out why such events were occurring. She began to question why such events were taking place in a time in which the American people professed unity and acceptance for all individuals regardless of religious backgrounds. In the aftermath of the 9/11 Attacks, Kaur began to hear reports of violence against Sikh-Americans. Kaur’s childhood experiences also served as a way encourage her to study religion and the root causes of religious violence. In response, Kaur began to look towards her religious traditions from her grandfather and learned of the core traditions and beliefs of Sikhism. For example, Kaur mentions that she was pressured to convert to Christianity by her teachers and fellow students. Kaur’s community developed over the past few decades and this development has resulted in increased divisions between members of the community. At the time in which Kaur’s family immigrated to the US, they were the only Indian family in the area and were respected by the other members of their community. Valarie Kaur was born into a Sikh family that originally came to the US in 1913 and settled in Clovis, a small farming community in California. ![]() Kaur hopes that by highlighting the experiences of others, she can combat ignorance and encourage higher levels of religious tolerance in the face of increasing societal pressures. She highlights the fact that both communities, as well as other communities composed of recent immigrants, are the targets of stereotyping and violence. While on her journey, Kaur documents the experiences of many Sikhs and Muslims and finds stories of fear, loss, resilience, and hope. In response to such events, Kaur takes a journey across the US to gain a clearer understanding of the forces that divide Americans and increase religious intolerance. The violence in the Sikh community culminated with the murder of Balbir Singh, a Sikh gas station owner from Mesa, Arizona several days after 9/11. Much of this violence is linked to a lack of religious tolerance and a fear of unfamiliar traditions and cultures. Consequently, members of both religious communities witnessed high levels of discrimination and multiple instances of violence. Because of events such as the 9/11 Attacks and the subsequent start of the War on Terrorism, Muslim-Americans and Sikh-Americans are often viewed with suspicion and their loyalty to the US is often called into question. In the film “ Divided We Fall,” Valarie Kaur looks at the issue of religious intolerance and religious violence in the US post 9/11 and explores the ways in which raising awareness of diverse religious traditions can reduce religious tensions.
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