Table Of ContentRacialization, Islamophobia and
Mistaken Identity
Exploring the issue of Islamophobic attacks against Sikhs since 9/11, this book
explains the historical, religious and legal foundations and frameworks for
understanding race hate crime against the Sikh community in the UK.
Focusing on the backlash that Sikhs in the UK have faced since 9/11, the
authors provide a theological and historical backdrop to Sikh identity in the
global context, critically analysing the occurrences of Islamophobia since 9/11,
7/7 and most recently post-B rexit, and how British Sikhs and the British govern-
ment have responded and reacted to these incidents. The experiences of Amer-
ican Sikhs are also explored and the impact of anti- Sikh sentiment upon both
these communities is considered. Drawing on media reporting, government
policies, the emerging body of inter- disciplinary scholarship and empirical
research, this book contributes to the currently limited body of literature on anti-
Sikh hate crime and produces ideas for policymakers on how to rectify the
situation.
Providing a better understanding of perceptions of anti- Sikh sentiment and its
impact, this book will of interest to scholars and upper- level students working on
identity and hate crime, and more generally in the fields of Religion and Politics,
Cultural Studies, Media Studies and International Studies.
Jagbir Jhutti- Johal is a Senior Lecturer in Sikh Studies in the Department of
Theology & Religion at the University of Birmingham.
Hardeep Singh is a freelance journalist, Deputy Director of the Network of Sikh
Organisations and Assistant Editor of The Sikh Messenger.
Routledge Studies in Religion and Politics
Edited by Jeffrey Haynes
London Metropolitan University, UK
This series aims to publish high quality works on the topic of the resurgence of
political forms of religion in both national and international contexts. This trend
has been especially noticeable in the post-c old war era (that is, since the late
1980s). It has affected all the ‘world religions’ (including, Buddhism, Christian-
ity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism) in various parts of the world (such as, the
Americas, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, South and Southeast Asia
and sub- Saharan Africa).
The series welcomes books that use a variety of approaches to the subject,
drawing on scholarship from political science, international relations, security
studies and contemporary history.
Books in the series explore these religions, regions and topics both within and
beyond the conventional domain of ‘church-s tate’ relations to include the impact
of religion on politics, conflict and development, including the late Samuel Hunt-
ington’s controversial – yet influential – thesis about ‘clashing civilisations’.
In sum, the overall purpose of the book series is to provide a comprehensive
survey of what is currently happening in relation to the interaction of religion
and politics, both domestically and internationally, in relation to a variety of
issues.
Free Speech, Religion and the United Nations
The Struggle to Define International Free Speech Norms
Heini í Skorini
Racialization, Islamophobia and Mistaken Identity
The Sikh Experience
Jagbir Jhutti-J ohal and Hardeep Singh
Religion in the Era of Postsecularism
Edited by Uchenna Okeja
For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/
Routledge-S tudies-in- Religion-and-P olitics/book-s eries/RSRP
Racialization, Islamophobia
and Mistaken Identity
The Sikh Experience
Jagbir Jhutti- Johal and Hardeep Singh
First published 2020
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2020 Jagbir Jhutti-J ohal and Hardeep Singh
The right of Jagbir Jhutti-J ohal and Hardeep Singh to be identified as
authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections
77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-i n-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging- in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-0-815-35262-4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-351-13886-4 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Wearset Ltd, Boldon, Tyne and Wear
Hardeep Singh – To my wife
Jagbir Jhutti- Johal – For my family
Contents
List of illustrations viii
About the authors ix
Foreword x
Acknowledgements xii
List of abbreviations xiii
Introduction 1
1 The evolution of the Sikh dharam and identity 16
2 Sikhs in Britain post-9 /11 42
3 UK – do Sikhs count? 72
Conclusion 115
Glossary 149
Bibliography 151
Index 178
Illustrations
Figures
2.1 ‘Best of Britain’ 54
2.2 ‘Rag Head: An American Story’, from one-w oman show Rag Head 59
3.1 ‘Wear appropriate clothing’ 91
3.2 Kate Mansey’s tweet, 9 August 2016 92
Tables
3.1 UK national newspaper audit on ‘Islamophobia’ (2014–15) 99
3.2 UK national newspaper audit on ‘Islamophobia’ (2016–17) 99
3.3 Number of articles that also mention ‘anti-S emitism’ 99
About the authors
Jagbir Jhutti- Johal is a Senior Lecturer in Sikh Studies in the Department of
Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham. Her research over
the last 20 years has explored how the British Sikh community is grappling
with contemporary societal and ethical issues, including gender inequality
and misogyny, mental ill health, identity and community representation. She
was a commissioner on the Commission on Religion and Belief in Public Life
(2013–15). As a pioneer in the field of Sikh research, Jagbir established the
first postgraduate Sikh Studies course in the UK in 2002. She is a much-
sought after advisor within the British Sikh community in respect of conten-
tious issues, and she has advised several Government departments and
non- governmental organizations on a variety of matters and policy issues
relating to the Sikh community. In 2018 she was awarded an OBE for ser-
vices to higher education, faith communities and the voluntary sector.
Hardeep Singh is a freelance journalist, Deputy- Director for the Network of
Sikh Organisations and Assistant Editor of The Sikh Messenger. He was a
leading member of the Libel Reform Campaign, along with science writer
Simon Singh and cardiologist Dr Peter Wilmshurst. He wrote a chapter titled
‘Religious Libel: are the courts the right place for faith disputes’ for Legal
Cases, New Religious Movements and Minority Faiths. He has written for the
The Telegraph, The Telegraph Magazine, The Spectator, The Guardian, The
Independent, IBTimes UK, Legal Week, The Lawyer, Media Lawyer, Spiked,
Quillette, New Humanist and Index on Censorship.
