Advocacy group says Sikhs in New York suffer discrimination

NEW YORK: An advocacy group says Sikhs in New York City have been harassed and discriminated against. The Sikh Coalition issued a report Monday surveying the degree of bias, racial profiling and other kinds of discrimination against Sikhs.

The report says Sikhs have been mistaken for Muslims in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks even though they practice a separate religion. Many Sikhs wear turbans for religious reasons. The report calls for better training for law enforcement officers and educators. Sikhism is several hundred years old and traces its roots to the Punjab region, straddling India and Pakistan