The Sikh Turban: Post-911 Challenges to This Article of Faith

IV.
Conclusion
As noted at the outset, this Article aims to draw attention to the state of the Sikh
turban through an analysis of how the turban has transformed from an article of religious
devotion to a cue for violence and object of marginalization. Indeed, in various contexts
and settings, Sikh-Americans have been subject to an unfortunate backlash in which their
distinct appearance has been used as a proxy for the identity of a terrorist or terroristsympathizer.
Broader efforts to achieve integration by eliminating conspicuous articles
of faith from the public sphere have also challenged the Sikh identity on indirect grounds.
In this Article, we have observed that the American legal system is unlikely to
protect Sikhs from the most common form of discrimination—verbal insults such as “bin
Laden,” “raghead,” and “terrorist”—though the nation’s laws may protect Sikhs from a
more drastic and wide-reaching policy of prohibiting Sikhs from wearing turbans in
public schools. Sikhs, however, must continue to utilize non-legal methods to ensure that
discriminatory activities do not occur in the first place, primarily by educating individuals
who are unfamiliar with the Sikh turban or who are likely to associate it with terrorism.
Because redress through the courts takes significant time and is not certain to produce
desired results, a preventative approach—where Sikhs educate others of their identity and
commitment to fundamental American principles—is likely to be the more effective
means by which Sikhs are seen as a distinguishable, but still a welcomed, part of the
American race. 337
337 See Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena, 515 U.S. 200, 239 (1995) (Scalia, J.,
concurring in part and concurring in the judgment) (“In the eyes of government, we are
just one race here. It is American.”).
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