The Huffington Post

As Jian Ghomeshi tweeted: “It’s both interesting and disturbing that CNN keeps feeling the need to point out that Sikhs are not Muslims.”

Even some Sikh commentators found a need to make it clear that that they are peaceful people, which had a disturbing undertone of differentiating themselves from the bad, warring Muslims.

This is a good learning moment for the American people of all religions, and especially for the American media. Yes, Sikhs are not Muslims and Sikhs are not Hindus, but jumping to clarify difference leaves the unfortunate, if unintentional, perception that there is something wrong with those “others.”

I am reminded of the run up to the election four years ago when the Obama campaign kept on emphasizing that the candidate was not a Muslim. Only Colin Powell had the guts to stand up and say the obvious: The fact that Obama isn’t a Muslim should not be the focus of the campaign, rather we should all remind ourselves that it shouldn’t matter if Obama were a Muslim.

Sikhs from all walks of life have clarified to me over the last 24 hours that the most important outcome from this horrible tragedy would be for Americans to become more familiar with the Sikh faith and to understand that they are a beautiful part of the fabric of American spiritual practice.

Sikhs are not interested in being identified as “not Muslim.” American Sikhs would rather their tradition be understood for what it is, rather than what it is not.

—Paul Brandeis Raushenbush: The Difference Between Muslims and Sikhs.. Misses the Point