RELIGION Sikhs celebrate holy day, trying to be more public

Some Sikhs have been targeted by extremists as Middle Eastern.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Thousands of Sikhs celebrated one of their holiest days, as political leaders called for an end to discrimination against members of the religion.
Organizers said more than 10,000 Sikhs from across Southern California were in the city Sunday to celebrate Vaisakhi -- which marks their New Year and commemorates the 17th-century Sikh leader Guru Gobind Singh.
"We've always been a very quiet community," said Nirinjan Singh Khalsa, executive director of the California Sikh Council. "But that hurt us since 9/11 because people don't know who we are, so we're trying to reach out more."
Thousands of Sikhs marched through the streets of downtown Los Angeles, many chanting "God is One," alongside floats adorned with scenes from Sikh history. Drummers kept up a steady beat and men dueled with long sticks to simulate sword fights.
Daljit Khokhar, 43, of Burbank said he often fields questions about his turban and religion. "We explain it to the people. They are always asking me, but it's getting better," said Khokhar.
Major problem
At a press conference earlier in the day, Assemblywoman Judy Chu said Sikhs have been the target of hate crimes by extremists in the United States who mistake them for being from the Middle East.
"We must be more even more proactive in fighting this," said Chu, whose resolution condemning hate crimes against Sikhs, Arab-Americans and others has been approved by the Assembly.
Chu and U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman said that a Sikh temple in Fresno was defaced early last month with hate graffiti that included racial slurs and obscenities. It had also been targeted last year for five straight nights of vandalism, and firecrackers sparked a blaze.
Perdeep Bhui, a 29-year-old environmental engineer from Simi Valley, said she had attended several rallies since 2001 in an effort to tell non-Sikhs about her religion.
"People still need to be educated," Bhui said.
History
Sikhism was founded in the 15th century in reaction to the Hindu caste system and preaches worship of one God, equality of all races and equality of men and women. It claims about 20 million followers worldwide, and most trace their ancestry to the Punjab area now divided between Pakistan and India.