Many people mistake Sikhs for Muslims due to their turbans, which often makes Sikhs targets of attacks meant for Muslims. Please study the differences in Sikh (right) and Muslim headgear below. You might be able to save a Sikh’s life one day.
If you see a man walking down the street wearing a turban, there is 99.9% chance that he is a Sikh, a follower of a monotheistic religion that started in the 15th century in India. Sikhs proudly wear the turban as part of their religious and cultural heritage. Sikhs are often mistaken for Muslims or Arabs. They are neither. Sikhism is an independent religion and is in no way related to Islam.
SIKH MEN commonly wear a peaked turban that serves partly to cover their long hair, which is never cut out of respect for God’s creation. Devout Sikhs also do not cut their beards, so many Sikh men comb out their facial hair and then twist and tuck it up into their turbans along with the hair from their heads. Sikhism originated in northern India and Pakistan in the 15th century and is one of the youngest of the world’s monotheistic religions. There are an estimated 18 million Sikhs in the world, with some 2 million spread throughout North America, Western Europe and the former British colonies.
MUSLIM RELIGIOUS ELDERS, like this man from Yemen, often wear a turban wrapped around a cap known in Arabic as a kalansuwa. These caps can be spherical or conical, colorful or solid white, and their styles vary widely from region to region. Likewise, the color of the turban wrapped around the kalansuwa varies. White is thought by some Muslims to be the holiest turban color, based on legends that the prophet Mohammed wore a white turban. Green, held to be the color of paradise, is also favored by some. Not all Muslims wear turbans. In fact, few wear them in the West, and in major cosmopolitan centers around the Muslim world, turbans are seen by some as passé.
AFGHAN MUSLIM MEN wear a variety of turbans, and even within the Taliban, the strict Islamic government that controls much of the country, there are differences in the way men cover their heads. This Taliban member, for example, is wearing a very long turban — perhaps two twined together — with one end hanging loose over his shoulder. The Taliban ambassador to Afghanistan, on the other hand, favors a solid black turban tied above his forehead. And some men in Afghanistan do not wear turbans at all, but rather a distinctive Afghan hat.
IRANIAN MULLAHS wear black or white turbans wrapped in the flat, circular style shown in this image of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The word turban is thought to have originated among Persians living in the area now known as Iran, who called the headgear a dulband.
ARAB MUSLIM KAFFIYEH is not technically a turban. It is really a rectangular 
piece of cloth, folded diagonally and then draped over the head — not wound like a turban. Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, has made the kaffiyeh famous in recent times. However, the kaffiyeh is not solely Palestinian. Men in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Arab Persian Gulf states wear kaffiyehs in colors and styles that are particular to their region. Jordanians, for example, wear a red and white kaffiyeh, while Palestinians wear a black and white one. And a man from Saudi Arabia would likely drape his kaffiyeh differently than a man from Jordan. The black cord that holds the kaffiyeh on one’s head is called an ekal.
DESERT PEOPLES & MUSLIM TERRORISTS have long used the turban to keep sand out of their faces, as this man from Africa is likely doing. Members of nomadic tribes have also used turbans to disguise themselves. And sometimes, the color of a person’s turban can be used to identify his tribal affiliation from a distance across the dunes. This man’s turban is a very light blue. In some parts of North Africa, blue is thought to be a good color to wear in the desert because of its association with cool water.
Please, everyone! Learn this! Sikhs are very nice, very peaceful, hardworking, productive members of the American community!
BNI, shokria!
KS. shokria??
shokria or shukria meaning thank you
And Muslims are not???????
there is one more head cover of Sikhs that you didn’t list. It looks like a “bun” in the front and is for Sikh males who have not gone through the manhood rituals.
KK, do you have a picture?
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.firstpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Reuters_SikhAmerica.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.firstpost.com/living/wearing-the-turban-suddenly-made-us-the-enemy-80150.html&h=285&w=380&sz=18&tbnid=Ia0yZTOGf6Ze6M:&tbnh=92&tbnw=123&zoom=1&usg=__y12Pz9BlRxFMBNwOGBYMlKoqDNk=&docid=XqtTAUJpndXTFM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=n1QwUeGzA8PmrAf02oCYAQ&ved=0CG4Q9QEwEw&dur=799
Thanks Shekhar.
Just imagine the ‘Smurfs’ head cover; close enough!
Living in the San Francisco Bay Area I’ve had the oportunity to meet a few Sikh men and more muslims than I would like.
Besides the headgear the one obvious difference between the two is the general attitude.
The Sikh’s I’ve met have all been open, outgoing & very friendly. The latest just a couple of weeks ago while waiting for a Bart train.
with whom I started a conversation about the problems Sikh’s were facing in India with muslim’s. Funny he was like most American’s, unaware that there’s a problem at all.
The too many muslims I’ve met have been closed off, uptight & more than half reeking of arogance.
A friend met a Sikh & was invited to their religous services & then to a family’s home for a meal.
He said all the people were very hospitable & friendly.
Easy for me to see which one get the crosshairs.
Can always see the difference between Sikh’s and muslims. The one that looks intelligent is a Sikh.
I like SIKH people. Peaceful, kind and brave.
Thanks for this. I found it informative. I have been wondering because I noticed what I sorta thought were muslims around me but like Ken & Bruce mention, they seemed different than muslims. Friendly and just something about them in general felt unlike what I feel around muslims. I noticed a bumper sticker not long ago that said Sikh’s Love America. Made me smile. Generally you can tell the difference in just the demeanor but it helps to know for sure. Thanks!
I’m glad you posted this BNI. Too many people just aren’t sure of the difference. I’ve shared this on my FB page to assist others.
Thanks CWW
I feel that ANY public sign of religion should be banned!
FORGET IT, “masteradrian”!!!!! Your anti-theism is just as bad as the Islamic hatred of everybody else – with that attitude, you’ll be an outstanding Commie or Nazi!!!!
SHAME ON YOU!!!
DEATH TO ALL totalitarianism: ISLAM, FASCISM, NAZISM and COMMUNISM!!!!!
Meanwhile, dear Ms. BNI:
Thank you so very much for this posting: quite educational and something I most certainly welcome and wish to know about!!! I don’t want to risk wronging any Sikhs or Hindus – or anybody else but Moslems and other totalitarians like that dictator wannabe “masteradrian”!!! [His attitude is a complete TURN-OFF!!!!]
Thank you, very good information to post—and very telling, i.e. save a Sikh (not a muslim).
Just dress “American” shave, and problem solved.
The Moz turban is the headdress of a jihadist holy warrior. When they wear it, it’s a statement of anti-Western hostility.
The bottom line?
The Sokh turban looks cool. The Muslim turbans look like crap.
Well done for taking the time to spread awareness of the differences between muslim and sikh head gear. Im sikh myself (although i dont wear turban) and I enjoy visiting your website to see what the trouble makers are getting upto on this great website
The newer generation sikhs (shall i say third generation living in western countries) like to wear smaller “compact” turbans. Although alot of sikhs do cut their hair.
example of compact turbans worn by sikhs in western countries
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V4oX6jxO0Ww/Te_qctoeYMI/AAAAAAAAFQ4/2OL3XO5AZB0/s1600/rdb.jpg
If you are not sure, always check if he is wearing a steel bracelet worn on the right arm (sometimes gold braclet), See picture above.
All sikhs wear the steel bracelet whether males and females
OH and shokria (or shukria) means well done in hindi
Thanks Harry, so glad to hear you are a regular visitor.
Are you sure about the bracelet? Is this just a person choice or a requirement? How can you tell the difference between a Sikh woman and a muslim woman, do they still wear a scarf? There is a small woman I see now and then and she says Hi to me, muslim women and men never say hi unless you say it first, my own personal experience. But if I can tell they are muslims I ignore their arse. Peace to all non-muslims who want to know.
Thank you for this post BNI.
young males wear a Patka
Sometimes it is very easy to tell the difference. The quiet one on his way to work is a Sikh. The one with his head back, his mouth open so wide that you can see light coming in the other end, screaming somehing about an Alley Snackbar,and carrying a sign that says sharia law is the only way is a muslim and probably a spokesman for cair.
Thanks SweetOlBob for the laugh of the day, Alley Snackbar, hillarious.
This article was indeed informative too. Very much appreciated I must say.
didn’t know there was so many different styles of turbans
Great information!
Interesting article. My husband and I used to go to a Sikh owned Indian restaurant when we lived in Utah. Since the Indian restaurants here are Muslim owned we have to cook it for ourselves. Right after the 9-11 attacks there was in incident in Sacramento- we were living there at the time- where a man mistaked the Sikh temple for a mosque, crashed through the gate and urinated in a pool of water used for cleansing before worship.
The land which Pakistan sits on is stolen land………….It was stolen by the Muslims with the connivance of the Brits.
The previous owners were the Sikhs and Hindus.
There is NOT one piece of land that Islam now sits on that has not been stolen from someone else at some time. Kosovo, Northern Cyprus, Pakistan, Bangla Desh. Turkey was Anatolian Greece, Istanbul was Constantinople, Egypt belonged to the Copts, Londonistan used to be called London, etc. It’s all Stolen Land, or in the process of being stolen
“…with the connivance of the Brits.”
Can you enlarge on that? If it wasn’t for the sanctification of Gandhi, and what he achieved, India might have been prosperous and successful like Canada and Australia, and more powerful than China.** Not that it’s doing badly at all.
But that venomous islamist creep with an inferiority complex a mile high – Mohammed Ali Jinna – would never tolerate his precious mohammedan brood living in any kind of partnership where they weren’t the one and only, supreme high boss. So he forced partition, and was thus directly responsible for the deaths of a million total on both sides, and maybe $500 billion damages in today’s values.
From that sprang three bloody wars and nuclear weapons. And A.O. Khan, Pakistan’s evil thief and nuclear genius, and purveyor of nuclear secrets to despots around the world.
**Cui bono? Wasn’t it/isn’t it in China’s interest to divide and conquer greater India?
Sorry, off topic, except toxic islam.
When the Brits, forced both by their crushing post-war debt and popular pressure into giving up their colonies ASAP, prepared to leave India, the guy who was assigned to devise the Pakistani frontiers wanted at least a year or more for his task. He was given only one MONTH by his superiors!!! Naturally he couldn’t but make mistakes as to where exactly the borders would be – though bloodshed was inevitable given the rapidly-escalating Hindu-Moslem hatred (which of course the Moslems had and have all along for everybody else!!!). It’s said that it’s a miracle that more fighting and bloodshed didn’t ensue than what did.
Of course, Kashmir continues to be a sore point between India and Pakistan; and, given the odds especially for the Moslems to jettison all reason (something they’re extremely good it), sooner or later we’re guaranteed to have all-out nuclear war between the two!! When that happens, here’s to the hope that India will win hands-down!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radcliffe_Line
“After arriving in India on 8 July 1947, Radcliffe was given just 5 weeks to decide on a border. He soon met with his college alumnus Mountbatten and travelled to Lahore and Calcutta to meet with commission members, chiefly Nehru from the Congress and Jinnah, president of the Muslim League. He objected to the short time frame, but ALL PARTIES WERE INSISTENT that the line be finished by the 15 August British withdrawal from India.”
No one on the Left really bothers to stick up for minorities and produce articles like these. Instead it’s just obscurantist nonsense that hides the victims out of political convenience.
You show em BNI!
It is very much to the advantage of Leftists that People of Color in general are targeted by idiots. It is very much to the advantage of UAF that Leftists in general are targeted by idiots.
Do distinguish between the economic Left and the islamophilic Left. “Anti-racism” divides the working class between “oppressed” muslims and “oppressing” non-muslims. We should not allow the working class to be divided!
Yes, it is sad when some uneducated American takes a pot shot at men in turbans. Especially after 9-11. Also the more recent incident, the idiot killed quite a few at their temple worship ceremony… Really sad.
The women’s clothing can be alittle tricky for the casual observer, not to be mistaken for muzzie. What I noticed is that their clothing is of a traditional Sari, and not like Omars tent. With western clothes, the head scarf is worn very loosely, not super tight like muzzies do. AND most importantly, they don’t smell like muzzies!!
Good citizens, and a great contributors to American society.
Sikhs are great people.
In the Golden temple they feed hundreds of people every day no matter what colour,creed or faith,plus they have served in our armed forces with destinction for two hundred years or more.
Sikhs are very peace loving people and hard working people.
Sikhs are wonderful people. Warm, caring and are very fun to be around. God Bless America!