Local Sikh businessman says their faith remains misunderstood
By: Terry Kovarik
Updated: August 6, 2012
"And kids and people will stop and they will look at you until you are gone. And the kids will call me "magician" and they will call me "genie", he recalled.
He also says the beard and the turban, which Sikh men use to keep their uncut hair in place, would lead them to believe he was Arabic and therefore a Muslim. So neighbors urged him to take a proactive approach.
"And I said "Hey! How are you doing?" And all of a sudden their expression changed. And they'd look at me and say "Hi! Where are you from?" Dugal said.
But that same type of misunderstanding also led to some tense moments after 9-11.
"I was at a gas station and somebody called me "Hey! Bin Laden come here," he remembered.
Dugal points out that Sikhism borrows many of the positive aspects of Islam, Hinduism, Judaism and Christianity. That includes striving to excel at their jobs and serve their communities. He suggests aiding those who aided Sikh's in Oak Creek.
"This policeman who put his life on the line, even though a lot of Sihk's died, maybe his family out to be helped by the Sikh's," Dugal suggested.
Local 5's Terry Kovarik has the story.
