In the post-9 / 11 era , the Sikh diaspora in Europe and North America stand out as a visible minority often confused with radical Islamic groups because of their turbans . There have been numerous hate crimes targeted at Sikhs . France banned turban-wearing Sikh students from publicly funded schools as part of a broader policy originally intended to restrict Muslim head-scarves . Western security think-tanks quote the Air India bombing to justify profiling of Sikh travellers at airports . Countering this train of thought , on January 16 , 2018 , Gurbir Grewal became attorney general of New Jersey - the first practicing Sikh in the US to become a State Attorney General . The soft influences of popular culture and the need for fitting in with peers are driving many young Sikhs to shed Khalsa symbols such as the turban and beard . Some second-generation Sikhs growing up in the West do not have proficiency in the Punjabi language . On the other hand , small groups of Westerners have converted to Sikhism . There are now Sikh Gurduwaras ( equilvalent of churches and temples ) scattered across Europe , North America , Australia and Malaysia . The combination of these factors creates a new and more complex Sikh identity that may slowly emerge in the 21st century
Air India bombing
Air India Flight 182
Sikh diaspora