Wearing the turban a way to show pride in Sikh identity

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This article was published 05/11/2018 (2537 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO — There is so much to ask Dr. Gurdas Dass, president and CEO of the American Sikh Council, about his turban — its history, what it means, why he wears it.

But I really want to know is: does he take it off to sleep, and what does the Cleveland resident do in winter?

I’m at the council’s booth at the World Parliament of Religions in Toronto. It’s in a hall filled with booths and displays from dozens and dozens of religions, including many I’ve never heard of before.

At the council booth, they are offering to wrap the heads of anyone who wants to try a turban. I plan to ask them to do that for me.

When I ask Dass about sleep and winter, he laughs. It’s not the first time he’s heard those questions.

Yes, he says, Sikh men take off their turbans to sleep, replacing them with a smaller cap. They don’t wear them in the shower, either.

As for winter, he doesn’t need a tuque — or a cloth hat in his case, since the word “tuque” is new to him, as an American.

“It keeps me warm,” he says, adding that in summer it’s the opposite — his turban helps keep his head cool.

The turban’s history in Sikhism dates back to the 17th century, when the 10th guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh, commanded his followers to wear a turban so they would be easily identifiable to others.

“I wear it as part of my Sikh identity,” Dass says, adding it shows his pride in and commitment to his religion.

But doesn’t that also make him a target for racists? After 9/11, Sikhs in the U.S. were mistaken for Muslims and attacked.

Dass says he’s never been attacked but has “heard slurs.”

“I am not afraid,” he says. “We want the world to know who we are.”

Sikhs are required to help people who need assistance or are in danger, including defending someone being attacked. Wearing turbans allows Sikhs to be identified when people are looking for someone to help them.

“Sikhs are saints and warriors,” Dass says.

The turban also performs a practical function. Since Sikh men are forbidden to cut their hair; the turban keeps it clean and controlled.

Dass says it takes him between five to 10 minutes each morning to wrap the seven-metre-long piece of cloth around his head.

As for colour, there is no significance to what people choose to wear. Sometimes, it’s a matter of matching whatever else they are wearing.

There are different kinds and sizes of turbans, too. It’s all a matter of personal preference.

The piece of cloth Jasbir Bhullar, from Youngstown, Ohio, uses to wrap my head is three metres long.

While she does the wrapping, I ask why she wears a turban. Most Sikh women I’ve seen wear a scarf over their heads.

“I was often mistaken for being a Muslim,” she says of wearing a scarf.

She quickly notes she has nothing against Islam — she just wanted people to know who she was, a Sikh. It’s also a sign of her commitment to her faith.

“You may be born into a Sikh family, but you are not born a Sikh,” she says. “You have to choose it.” Wearing a turban, she says, is one way to show that.

After she’s done, I pose for a photo with Dr. Dass. It’s readily apparent he wears a turban much better than me — and looks way better in one, too.

I ask Bhullar if it might fall off. “It can,” she says. “But only if it is poorly tied.”

I decide to take myself and my turban for a walk around the exhibit hall. I have to admit, it feels strange. But after about 10 minutes, it feels normal, even comfortable.

And it doesn’t fall off.

 

Jdl562000@yahoo.com

 

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