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Old video of Sikh’s response to racist remarks after 9/11 attacks wins internet again


There is a lot of buzz on the internet on Saturday, which marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attack in the United States. Amid the chatter, there is a conversation underway on the spread of Islamophobia in the country, and how it has even affected non-Muslim communities like the Sikhs. In light of this, a reply by two members of the Sikh community is winning the internet.

In a video from 2016 that is going viral again, members of the Sikh communith living in the US speak about their experiences with discrimination and how Islamophobia has affected them. In conversation with comedian and TV show host Hasan Minhaj, the panellists talk about how they are often mistaken to be Muslims and targetted for the colour of their skin and for wearing turbans.

At one point in the conversation, Minaj suggests they could avoid some of that crude discriminatory remarks simply by telling everyone they’re not Muslim. The response to this by one panelist is moving people online. “It’s just not an option for us to throw another community under the bus,” says Simran Jeet Singh. “Even if it means things are harder for us, we believe it’s the right thing to do.”

Another panelist adds that Sikh values don’t allow them to do so, and everyone needs to do better to make the country better.

The video re-shared by Singh on Twitter started a serious conversation online with people discussion how, even after two decades, the situation hasn’t improved.

The video clip is from a 2016 interview Minhaj conducted when he was doing ‘The Daily Show’ at Comedy Central. It was around the time former US president Donald Trump proposed a ban on Muslims entering the country. The show had also highlighted how Sikhs become an easy target for Islamophobes, and are often subject to many hate crimes.

The response garnered a lot of attention online and many shared their own experience after facing racist backlash following the 9/11 attacks. Many people also shared how the Sikh community didn’t get deterred by it, and continued to help while standing up for themselves.





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