Exhibition on Sikh faith to open in NY as US marks 9/11 anniv

From Yoshita Singh New York, Sep 11 (PTI) A Sikh subway driver who savedcountless lives by reversing a train headed for ground zero on9/11 and a decorated Sikh-American army veteran are among theseveral men and women from the community profiled in an artexhibition to showcase their perseverance in the face ofbacklash against them after the terror attack. As the US commemorates the 15th anniversary of theSeptember 11 attacks today, the photography exhibition ‘SikhProject’ will run from September 17-25 here to highlight theaesthetic of the Sikh articles of faith, including the turbanand beard. The exhibition is a collaboration between civil rightsgroup ‘The Sikh Coalition’ and acclaimed British photographersAmit and Naroop. Featuring nearly 40 powerful portraits of Sikh-Americansof various ages, the exhibition will tell the story of thetriumphs and perseverance of the community that has overcomegreat challenges in the 15 years since the attacks in 2001. Among those featured in the exhibition are Sat HariSingh, a New York City train operator who saved countlesslives on the fateful day of 9/11 when he reversed the trainheaded for ground zero, sending it in the opposite direction. It also features renowned Sikh-American designer andactor Waris Ahluwalia, who was not allowed to board a planefrom Mexico City in February this year because of his turban. Also profiled in the exhibition is Ishprit Kaur, anursing student in Connecticut and Major Kamaljeet SinghKalsi, a Bronze Star Medal recipient and the first SikhAmerican to be granted a religious accommodation to serve inthe US military since the ban on Sikhs in the 1980s. Amit and Naroop, in an email response to PTI, saidthrough the exhibition they want to "break the ignorantstereotypes made in the US that all Sikhs look liketerrorists." "In this day and age, with all the technology,information and resources available to us, for someone tostill make that assumption is unbelievable. But yet ithappens. It’s shocking," they said. The duo added that the exhibition wants to enlightenpeople about the Sikh faith and encourage them to embracetheir identity with pride, celebrating diversity. "We have become a society that conforms to trendsdictated by celebrities or what we see on social media, TV andmagazines. People are too afraid to be who they are. We havetried to show each individual with a sense of pride in theirappearance, in who they are," they said. The duo said it was left inspired by the subjects of theexhibition. "The Sikhs we have photographed have all faced abuse,some verbal, some physical, and yet their resolve to keeptheir identity has not wavered. This inner strength wasinspiring," they said. Those featured in the exhibition wanted to send themessage that they proudly wear a turban and are patrioticAmericans. The Sikh Coalition said the Sikh Project, the first-everSikh-American photography exhibition in the US, comes not onlyas America commemorates the 9/11 anniversary, but at a timewhen minority communities face divisive rhetoric and hatebecause of their faith and identity. While there are an estimated 500,000 Sikh-Americans inthe US, who have been an integral part of the American fabricfor generations, the first post-9/11 fatal hate crime victimwas a Sikh. PTI YAS PMS AKJPMS