Cultural Spotlight - The Sikhs
The word Sikh means disciple or student. Sikhs are students and followers of Guru Nanak (b. 1469), the founder of the Sikh religious tradition, and the nine prophet-teachers—called Gurus—who succeeded him. Though sometimes mistaken for members of a sect of Hinduism or Islam, Sikhs belong to a distinct religion with its own unique, divine scriptures, which are collected in the Guru Granth Sahib, the eternal spiritual guide of the Sikhs. This extraordinarily poetic treasure of sacred and practical wisdom contains not only the writings of the Sikh Gurus, but remarkably, those of Muslim and Hindu saints as well. It is also notable in that the holy text was written by the Gurus themselves, without the use of any intermediaries.
Sikh Americans belong to a distinct religion with its own unique divine scripture and spiritual beliefs. Sikhism was founded on a belief in one God and the principle of equality for all men and women, of all races, colors, and ethnic groups. Sikhism combines spirituality with community service. In addition, Sikhs are enjoined to lead moral lives, earn their living through hard work and honest means, and to share the fruits of their labor through charitable contributions and work. While Sikhism is the youngest of the major world religions, there are over 24 million Sikhs worldwide, making Sikhism the fifth largest religion in the world. There are 500,000 Sikh Americans in the United States, and approximately 20,000 in Virginia. Sikh men can be identified due to their distinct physical appearance of beard, uncut hair and turban. It is important to note that 99.9% of individuals wearing a turban in the United States are members of the Sikh faith.
The turban is an integral part of the Sikhs’ identity and embodies their commitment to their faith. The turban is mandatory for practicing Sikh men and voluntary for Sikh women. Sikh men knot their long hair and cover it with a turban, a practice that typically takes 10-15 minutes. The turban is not a hat or cap that can be worn casually. The Sikh turban is a long piece of cloth approximately 14-20 feet long which is wrapped and unwrapped around the head every day. Younger Sikhs wrap their hair in a smaller under-turban called a patka, with their hair knotted on top of their head. Some Sikh women also wear turbans; however, others may wear a cloth-head covering called a chunni to cover their heads.
Produced by the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF). For more information on the religion and history of the Sikhs please contact SALDEF at: 877-917-SIKHS, info@saldef.org or visit SALDEF’s web site at www.saldef.org.
