Twitter
Advertisement

Sikhs blast Obama for chickening out on Golden Temple visit

The White House said on Wednesday that US president Barack Obama will not visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

The White House said on Wednesday that US president Barack Obama will not visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security advisor, told reporters that India is a “big country” and that “we can never do as many events as we'd like to do”.

American Sikhs didn't buy a word of the explanation that Obama's itinerary was too chock-full to squeeze in the Golden Temple. There is a strong perception in the US that Obama called off his visit to the temple because he would be required to cover his head when he entered it, and pictures of him could perpetuate the belief that he is a Muslim.

Obama is a Christian, but has struggled during his presidency to fend off persistent rumours that he is a Muslim. A Pew Research survey of 3,003 Americans in August showed that 18% believed Obama is a Muslim. The confusion stems from the fact that Obama's middle name is Hussein in deference to his Kenyan father who was a Muslim but later turned atheist. The US media mostly eschews the H-word unless it wants to make a loaded reference. 

Sikhs in the US have also often been mistaken for Muslims and bias attacks against turban-wearing Sikhs spiked after the 9/11 terror attacks.

“The administration has been struggling with the false accusation that the president is Muslim. It is not out of the realm of possibility that these fears drove the cancellation. The administration is going to have to figure out how to make this up to the Sikh American community,” said Sapreet Kaur, the executive director of the Sikh Coalition.

Sikhs say Obama’s cancellation is a setback for American Sikhs who have worked hard since the September 11 attacks to counter the perception in the US that they are Muslims.

“The president shouldn't have chickened out after sending advanced American teams to Amritsar to set up the visit. Obama is sending out a message that there is no difference between Muslims and Sikhs,” said scholar and social activist Navdeep Bedi. 

“He’s playing the game, and that's what's unfortunate,” added Jasjit Singh, the associate executive director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement