SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) -
The Sikh community in the Shreveport-Bossier area is small, less than 100 people, but they felt the tragedy of the Wisconsin temple shooting in a big way.
"Honestly, it was really emotional," said Rimi Singh as she talked about watching the news reports on Sunday.
Jaslene Saund says in the days that followed, she realized how little people knew about her faith. Many people thought she was Muslim or Hindu, but she says Sikhism is its own religion.
"We believe in equality. We believe in service. We believe in hard work, and those are all very American ideals actually," said Saund.
"We follow what our Gurus told us. How to be a good human being, how to lead a peaceful life, and how to do good for others," explained Singh.
There is no Sikh temple in North Louisiana, but the tight knit community still worships together, often meeting in each others homes.
Shreveport Sikhs say one of the biggest misunderstandings they face is questions about why the men wear turbans.
"We become easy targets because of the way we look, and it's just simply ignorance. We're not Taliban. We're not Al Queda, but people think that's what we are because people don't know, and it's ignorance that is breeding this fear, which in turn is causing this hatred not just for us, but so many other people," said Saund.
Rather than fear, they think the turban should inspire peace. The men wear it for religious reasons, and they say it is a constant reminder to do good.
"You know whatever you say, whatever you do is going to be so easily identifiable because you carry your turban. It's your identity, and you could be spotted in a crowd at any time. That was the whole idea of using the turban, and I think it's a huge responsibility," said Vharat Sachdeva.
While they mourn the loss of the temple shooting victims, the Shreveport Sikh community hopes out of tragedy can come understanding.
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