Sikhism

Sikhs make up a very small, but rapidly-growing, segment of the population in the United States.

Sikhism is one of the world's major faiths, with more than 30 million followers across the globe - mostly in India. 

There are an estimated 500,000 Sikhs in the United States and the faith has been widely misunderstood and targeted for discrimination - especially in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. 

Sikhism was founded 500 years ago in the Punjab region of modern India and Pakistan by Guru Nanak Dev. 

He, and nine successive Gurus who revealed the faith, rebelled against the Hindu caste system and advocated the equality of all peoples.

Guru Nanak Dev rejected the ritualism that dominated Hinduism and based his message on revelation from God. Sikhs believe in the importance of having a relationship with God through prayer and observance of the laws of God . 

The Sikhs are monotheistic, unlike Hindus, through their God is not derived from the Abrahamic God of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Observant Sikhs do not cut their hair; male followers often cover their heads with turbans and refrain from shaving their beards.

The turbans, the most noticeable marker of the faith to western eyes, are sacred garments and Sikhs believe them to be one and the same with their bodies when they are worn.

Many Sikhs have attracted unwanted attention for their turbans since the 2001 terrorist attacks. 

The Washington-based Sikh Coalition has reported more than 700 incidents in the US since 9/11, which advocates blame on anti-Islamic sentiment.