NJ students could soon be learning more about growing Garden State community of Sikhs
A resolution seeking to add the study of Sikhism to social studies curricula across New Jersey cleared the state Senate Education Committee on Monday morning.
The resolution urges the State Board of Education to require school districts to incorporate instruction of Sikhism into existing social studies curricula and the state Commission on Asian American Heritage to coordinate with local school officials to develop relevant course material.
Burlington Township students testify
Two Burlington Township students, Gurikpreet Singh and Mannat Kaur Sidhu, spoke before members of the state Senate on Monday about the importance of educating New Jersey students about Sikh culture and customs.
Singh, a senior, talked about his classmates being unfamiliar with his turban, coming up to touch it and not knowing that such an act was disrespectful.
“I’m not blaming them, because this was something completely new to them,” he said. “This was not a matter of disrespect but rather a clear indication of a gap in our education system.”
Sidhu said most of the kids she sees as a sixth grader assume she is Hindu or Muslim because of her skin color and that she feels excluded because her religion isn’t recognized in school.
State Sen. Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth, said that the “more we educate people who are not familiar, the more tolerant they are going to be.”
He noted that there has been an increase in anti-Sikh and antisemitic crimes in recent years.
Earlier this year: Growing Sikh community wants New Jersey schools to teach more about their faith
What you should know about Sikhism
Sikhism is the world’s fifth-largest religion — as many as 1,000,000 Sikhs live in the United States and 100,000 in New Jersey.
Dating back to the 1400s, the monotheistic religion teaches the fundamental principles of truthful living, service to humanity and devotion to God. Sikhs believe that every person, regardless of race, gender or sex, is equal before God.
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, anti-Sikh bigotry increased dramatically through the United States, because people associated their uncut beards and traditional turbans with those of the terrorists.
The resolution notes that the state Senate recognizes the “importance of educating its diverse residents and students to prevent violence, intolerance and bullying” and wants to “combat a misunderstanding of Sikhism.”
Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ Sikh community: New instruction may go to Garden State classrooms
