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Anti-Sikh sentiment (also known as Sikhophobia[1]) is fear or prejudice against Sikhs. Anti-Sikh sentiment can be motivated by an ethnic hatred of Sikhs or religious hatred of Sikhism, but in Western countries (especially the US and UK[2]) it can also be fueled by Islamophobia, stemming from a conflation of Sikhs and Muslims due to the racialization of Islamophobia, with Sikhs sharing the same racial background with many Muslims.[3][4][2] Due to their unique appearance, such as their turban and beards, Sikhs are targetted by some, meaning amritdhari (baptized Sikh) or keshdhari (having uncut hair) Sikh men are at an increased risk for suffering from racism because they wear turbans and have beards.[5][2]
Historically, anti-Sikh hatred was fuelled by anti-immigration views, however in modern-times it is to a large extent due to mistargetted Islamophobia.[2] Attacks on Sikhs have increased in the aftermath of Islamic terrorist attacks or major political/military events in the Middle East, as Sikhs are often mistakenly perceived as being Muslims.[2] Since 2020, anti-Sikh racism has grown online, in-person, and systematically across the world.[2] Sikh gurdwaras when targetted are often vandalized by spray-painting Islamophobic or white-supremacist messages or imagery.[2] Sikhs have claimed that anti-Sikh hatred has been ignored by local governments and policy-makers despite recent rises in anti-Sikh crimes and incidents.[2] Sikhs have increased educational awareness campaigns worldwide on who Sikhs are to decrease the incidence of mistargetted Islamophobic attacks on Sikhs.[2]
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