麻豆社

Good morning.

"He wore a turban, he represented his community with integrity, respect and pride.鈥� Those were the words used by a Police Sheriff in Houston, Texas to describe his deputy, Sandeep Dhaliwal, who was shot dead last week whilst pulling over a car and whose funeral takes place later today. The police officer was a trailblazer who had become the first Sikh Deputy Sheriff in the county and his death has resulted in mourning across the US and across the world, as well as sparking an interest amongst Americans about the faith that Deputy Dhaliwal followed. The motive for the killing remains unclear.

For Sikhs, the turban is an important part of the faith, and it鈥檚 worn mainly by men, as well as some women, who keep uncut hair. It鈥檚 a visual identifier for the religion, an easy shorthand by which a Sikh can be recognised within a crowd of thousands. It reminds Sikhs that our actions don鈥檛 just reflect on us, but that they will reflect on the entire faith. By wearing a turban, a Sikh is a de-facto ambassador of the religion with a duty to act accordingly at all times.

But standing out in a crowd also comes with a risk. The first person to be killed in a hate crime attack following 9-11 was a Sikh petrol attendant in Arizona who wore a turban, and it will soon be the 35th anniversary of the genocidal massacre of Sikhs in India, when Sikh men in turbans were targeted in towns and cities across the country and killed brutally in their homes and on the streets.

I remember when I went through my own turban initiation ceremony at my local gurdwara. I was 14 at the time, and my parents made sure that I fully understood what it would mean to start wearing a turban. The sense of responsibility on my shoulders was immense, but it was accompanied with a sense of duty and obligation towards others. In my mother鈥檚 words, the ceremony was more important than a wedding as the initiation meant I would be wedded to my faith and my identity forever.

Deputy Dhaliwal鈥檚 selfless service or Seva of others changed perceptions amongst the people of Texas, and it had a huge impact in raising awareness about Sikhs in an area where there was great ignorance about the faith. Being a role model to others is about being true to yourself and to your own identity, no matter what the risks may be by doing so, and the police officer鈥檚 approach epitomised that.

I鈥檓 reminded of a verse by Bhagat Namdev, one of the Hindu saints whose teachings are contained in the Sikh scriptures, who said 鈥淗ow beautiful your turban is, how sweet are your words鈥�. I鈥檓 sure that many of the Deputy Sheriff鈥檚 friends and family will be keeping those words in mind over the coming days.

Show less