Awareness drive on Sikh identity in US
Friday, 18/09/2015
http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Tribune/
Washington : US-based Sikhs have raised $80,000 for a national campaign to tackle the growing misperceptions about their community in the country post-9/11 terror attacks, days after an elderly Sikh-American man was brutally assaulted in Chicago.
Over 300 Sikhs gathered from all around Los Angeles area to increase awareness about their religion and the positive contributions the Sikh-Americans have made so that they do not become victims of hate crime.
The National Sikh Campaign's (NSC) gala over the weekend featured Devenderpal Singh of Indian Idol fame. The event was successful in raising $80,000 to support the national campaign, a media release said.
The NSC has worked with President Obama’s campaign media team, AKPD, to design a national media strategy to educate Americans about the Sikh community's presence and its contribution in the US.
The NSC provides an opportunity to adopt a strategy to present the community's struggle and triumph to the American audience with courage and integrity, said Rajwant Singh, co-founder and senior adviser of the NSC.
Sikhs need to launch a world-class website and create ad campaign to bring awareness about appearance, he said.
“The turban is a symbol of human rights and justice but now is seen as cause of anxiety among Americans due to it being confused with people who stand against democracy and American values,” he said.
