Sikhs in Ireland confused with Muslims and become victims of racist attacks

The Sikh community in Ireland has expressed concern over a series of racist attacks on members of the community in the aftermath of the attacks on New York and Washington.

At least three Sikhs have been subjected to attacks in Dublin over the past week, according to the secretary of the Republic's only Sikh temple, Dr J.F. Purri.

Dr Purri believes the attacks were motivated by anti-Muslim sentiment, and the Sikhs involved were the victims of mistaken identity.

The turbans worn by Sikhs are completely different from the headdress worn by supporters of Osama bin Laden, but the difference has been lost on some Irish people, he said.

Although the incidents so far have been relatively minor, Dr Purri expressed concern that they could get worse as the political situation develops.

In the US, there have been hundreds of attacks on innocent Sikhs in recent weeks. In the worst incident, a gunman drove into a filling station in Phoenix, Arizona, and shot dead the Sikh owner. Those carrying out the attacks mistook their victims for Muslims, because of their turbans and beards.

A member of the Garda's inter-cultural unit addressed the Sikh community in Dublin at the weekend on ways to counter racist attacks. There are about 200 Sikhs in the Republic.

In one incident, a young Sikh computer worker was attacked last Thursday while walking in Clontarf in Dublin. A group of youths jostled him, tried to pull off his turban and shouted insults about Muslims before running off.

The victim reported the incident to gardai. Later the same day, he was abused again while getting off a bus in Dublin city centre.

On Friday, a Sikh student who had just arrived in Ireland had a bottle thrown at him near the RDS in Ballsbridge, Dublin.

Dr Purri said the man "ran for his life" after he was chased by a group of youths. They dispersed when a woman intervened to help him.

In other incidents, a Sikh who came to Ireland for a wedding was verbally abused in Dublin city centre, while Dr Purri had a stone thrown at him on Friday as he was driving along Pearse Street in the city centre.

"I'm concerned there could be a serious mishap unless something is done to prevent this. Up to now, Sikhs have never had many problems in Ireland," said Dr Purri.

A medical consultant, Dr Purri has lived in Ireland for 14 years.

The Sikh community condemned the attacks in New York and Washington last month and prayed for the victims on the National Day of Mourning.