# Coworker alarmed by a man in a turban **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 9, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434 "2016-03-09T18:15:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/21 "2016-03-10T18:01:17Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > So if he doesn’t have a camera but just hangs out he’s a potential terrorist, but with a camera and he’s just a tourist? Seriously? I think if I were a terrorist planning an attack on a port facility I’d take a few pictures. Might, you know, help me plan my terrorism. It’s amazing how similar these words are: Tourist:Terrorist ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/22 "2016-03-10T19:13:08Z")
> [@G0sp3l](#): > > I wonder if there’s some homily about this type of thing? > > Something like “look and you will discover” or “search and you will uncover” ‘Sikh and ye shall find’? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/23 "2016-03-10T22:29:49Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > So… Next Tuesday is **Turban Tuesday** at your place of work, right? Every day is Take Your Turban to Work Day. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/24 "2016-03-10T22:32:46Z")
I feel the same way whenever I see a white guy walk into a church or a school. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/25 "2016-03-10T22:37:29Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > The landlord is in charge of security for the facility where we rent our space. Is the bridge nearby part of your facility? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/26 "2016-03-10T22:40:02Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Christians to remove their crosses? If they are large enough to set off the metal detector or body scanner, they are asked to, or they have to subject to being frisked. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/27 "2016-03-10T22:47:16Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Interestingly, this story just showed up in yesterday’s Huffington Post: > > [Why Are Airports Still So Clueless About Respecting Sikhs? | HuffPost Life](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sikh-discrimination-airports_us_56cf8199e4b0871f60eaca42?utm_hp_ref=sikhism) > > I suspect your average American wouldn’t realize a person wearing a turban is likely to be a Sikh. We don’t have enough of them around. We sure do in the Sacramento area. There ae a lot of Sikhs here. A Sikh ran for District Attorney in a local county in the last elections. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/28 "2016-03-10T22:48:45Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Is the bridge nearby part of your facility? No, it’a a public bridge/fishing spot. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/29 "2016-03-10T23:48:16Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > ‘Sikh and ye shall find’? :eek: Dude!! You just blew my mind! ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/30 "2016-03-11T01:22:32Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Interestingly, this story just showed up in yesterday’s Huffington Post: > > [Why Are Airports Still So Clueless About Respecting Sikhs? | HuffPost Life](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sikh-discrimination-airports_us_56cf8199e4b0871f60eaca42?utm_hp_ref=sikhism) > > I suspect your average American wouldn’t realize a person wearing a turban is likely to be a Sikh. We don’t have enough of them around. Don’t be so sure. According to scholar Diana Eck, there are now more Sikhs in this country than Episcopalians. (I might be misremembering that, but if it’s not more Sikhs then it’s more Muslims.) ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/31 "2016-03-11T05:38:52Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > I feel the same way whenever I see a white guy walk into a church or a school. 😃 Or a theatre, or drive a van up to a government building. I’ve seen them living homeless on the street, looking for handouts as if they expect me to support their lazy asses. We oughta send them whites back to Europe where they came from. ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/32 "2016-03-11T06:02:19Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > A coworker just gave us the heads-up that a guy has been sitting on the bridge next to our office for a couple of hours. He’s not fishing; just sitting there looking around. And he’s wearing a turban… For educational purposes only, of course, maybe you could show your co-worker [this picture](http://www.vancouversun.com/news/cms/binary/11498534.jpg?size=620x400s) and ask her what she thinks of it, what does she think he’s doing, etc. Let her know that he’s in the country _right across the border from her!_ I’d like to see her reaction when you inform her that he’s the Canadian Minister of Defence. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/33 "2016-03-11T06:28:37Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I don’t know what the solution is. I just know that " man in turban" is not equivalent to “terrorist”. Neither is yarmulke! To be fair, if an actual terrorist knew that all he had to do to get past security is pretend he’s a Sikh because it’s rude for us to ask them to remove their turbans, wouldn’t it be a no-brainer for the terrorist to just wear a turban? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/34 "2016-03-11T14:21:21Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > (I might be misremembering that, but if it’s not more Sikhs then it’s more Muslims.) Definitely not Sikhs. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/35 "2016-03-11T14:31:30Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I actually had heard of this. I think it all stems from the same source of paranoia… > > I don’t know what the solution is. I just know that " man in turban" is not equivalent to “terrorist”. Neither is yarmulke! We don’t seem to be reading the same Wiki article. The one I’m reading has several paragraphs on US legal cases (including a back-and-forth in the US Armed Forces about whether wearing a yarmulke indoors breaks the “no hats indoors except for MPs” rule) and one on the French penchant for banning the wearing of religious symbols by public officers and in public schools. No mention of making someone remove a yarmulke because omgscary. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/36 "2016-03-11T14:40:27Z")
[CAFE SOCIETY SEMI HIJACK]If anyone would like to take their knowledge/comfort level with Sikhs to the next level in a painless, middle-brow way, may I recommend the books of A. X. Ahmad? His main character, Ranjit Singh, is a Sikh in America. The novels fall somewhere in the mystery/suspense category and have no pretensions to being timeless literature. But the ones I have read (_The Caretaker_ and _The Last Taxi Ride_) are well written and absorbing, and feature a complex human being, who not incidentally happens to be a Sikh.[/CAFE SOCIETY SEMI HIJACK] ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/37 "2016-03-11T15:01:44Z")
> [@Esox\_Lucius](#): > > For educational purposes only, of course, maybe you could show your co-worker [this picture](http://www.vancouversun.com/news/cms/binary/11498534.jpg?size=620x400s) and ask her what she thinks of it, what does she think he’s doing, etc. Let her know that he’s in the country _right across the border from her!_ > > I’d like to see her reaction when you inform her that he’s the Canadian Minister of Defence. I don’t think she has a problem with Muslims _per se_. But seeing a guy wearing a turban, sitting in a shelter on the fishing bridge for a couple of hours not doing anything, next to a port that has seen several protests recently gave her pause. Would she have been suspicious if one of the people from the homeless camps did the same thing? I’m not going to speculate. But the turban set her off, even after I told her the guy was Indian. In other news, an Oregon man [assaulted a Buddhist monk](http://www.hoodrivernews.com/news/2016/mar/09/monk-assaulted-hood-river/), thinking the Monk was a Muslim. ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/38 "2016-03-11T16:36:36Z")
Okay. It also just occurred to me that I see lots of Muslims here these days, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a male wearing a turban. The only Muslims I see wearing their traditional dress are the women. A male Muslim with a turban would really stand out as different. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/39 "2016-03-11T16:54:33Z")
> [@G0sp3l](#): > > Hmmm, a person predisposed to see terrorists spots something unexpected and thinks terrorist? > > I wonder if there’s some homily about this type of thing? > > Something like “look and you will discover” or “search and you will uncover” [This proverb?](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/even_a_blind_pig_can_find_an_acorn_once_in_a_while) ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434/40 "2016-03-11T17:38:31Z")
I don’t know how close you are to this co-worker or what your work environment is like, Johnny LA, but can you tell her what she did was incredibly racist and not to do it again? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coworker-alarmed-by-a-man-in-a-turban/748434.md?page=3)