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Turbanators Cometh!
WSN Network
 FREMONT:
They came in all ages, but all were smiling, happy and enthusiastic
to display the distinct Sikh attire -- the turban. Ranging from 5 to
16 years old, they got the chance to wear a turban for the first
time last Saturday at the Fremont Gurdwara Sahib's Baisakhi
celebration.
The children learnt how to tie the turban correctly before being
welcomed into the temple for Dastar Bandhi, a turban-tying ceremony.
Following the ceremony, 9-year-old Sherry Bring smiled as he
declared he was proud to be wearing the orange turban.
Fremont Gurdwara Sahib's Turban Day was part of the weekend-long
Baisakhi celebration for 24 million Sikhs worldwide. Traditionally,
dastarbandhi is a custom which comes into play when a child attains
the teenage, but the Fremont gurdwara activists decided to
incorporate kids of all ages to take part.
"The turban is part of our identity," Ram Singh, director, said.
"There's a lot of peer pressure for kids, and they don't want to
wear them. This tells them to be proud of who they are, their
religion and their history." He said they incorporated younger kids
into the formal ceremony so they can become educated and gain
cultural awareness at an early age.
This is the fourth year the Fremont temple has held the ceremony,
said Sarabjit Cheema, Gurdwara Sahib vice president. She added the
ceremony has gained greater importance following Sept. 11, 2001.
 "A lot of people have apprehension and fear looking at us (with
turbans)," Cheema said. "After 9/11, there was so much negativity
toward turbans. Sometimes kids feel bad. This shows them they should
feel proud of their heritage."
Cheema said a large majority of those wearing turbans in America are
Sikhs, a group originally from India, not Muslims, but many people
assume otherwise. Sahib Singh, 14, who attends Canyon Middle School
in Castro Valley, said other kids often think he is Muslim because
of his turban. "If they're my friends, they can make fun to a
certain limit," Sahib said of wearing a turban. "But if it crosses
the limit, then it gets serious. I don't think too much of it,
though."
Another issue for kids is that Sikhs traditionally don't cut their
hair, which can make them stand out. "Kids have peer pressure and
want to look like everyone else," Singh said. "Our religion says we
don't cut our hair. It's who we are, and we should be proud of our
history."
18 April 2007
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