Turban

The turban (, ‘imāmä; Turkish: tülbent; Persian: دلبنت, dulband) is a headdress, of Asian origin, consisting of a long scarf wound round the head or an inner hat. The turban comes in many shapes and sizes and color of turbans vary, with the cloth's length rarely exceeding 45 meters.

Early Persians wore a conical cap sometimes encircled by bands of cloth, which may be considered one of the origins of the modern turban. The turban did not become common among the Turks, but was common among Ottoman sultans.

Sikhism

The turban is closely associated with Sikhism. While not explicitly required for baptized men and women (those who join the Khalsa), they are forbidden to cut their hair and the subsequent use of the turban to manage their long hair has become associated with baptized Sikhs. Unbaptized Sikhs are not required to leave their hair unshorn. The vast majority of people who wear turbans in Western countries are Sikhs. The Sikh pagṛī (ਪਗੜੀ) is also called dastaār (ਦਸਤਾਰ), which is a more respectful word in Punjabi for 'turban'.

Indian state of Rajasthan

The Rajput people from the Indian state of Rajasthan also wear distinct turbans. In Hindi, a turban is called a pagṛī (पगड़ी). There are many variations of the turbans in Rajasthan, and it is said that the style of the turban changes with every 15 km you travel. In some areas, especially in Rajasthan the turban's size may indicate the position of the person in society. 'Royalty' in different parts of India have distinctly different styles of turbans, as do the 'peasants', who often just wear a towel wound around the head.

Arab culture

In Arab culture, the turban (imamah) is an important spiritual element of the cultural faith. Ancient Arabs wore them and took pride in them; to be deprived of one's turban was humiliating, and knocking a man's turban off was considered an insult. In daily life, the turban was very useful for fending off the desert sand and protecting the face from high temperatures and strong sunlight. In modern Persian Gulf countries, the turban has been replaced by the white or red-and-white checkered scarf (called keffiyeh, ghutrah or shumagh), though the turban tradition is still strong in Oman (see, for example, Sultan Qaboos of Oman). In Sudan, a large white turban is worn and can indicate social status. Islamic leaders can be seen wearing turbans, in particular Shia Muslim scholars who have become famous for them (e.g., Ayatollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Khamenei, Hezbollah head Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, and newcomers to the world stage, like Iraq's Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani). These are worn by Persian and Arab scholars alike; the black colour indicates a sayyid, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. Jews in Arabic countries often wore turbans as well, due to assimilation. The traditional color is black.

Stigma against turbans

The wearing of turbans has sparked some harrassment"Turbans Make Sikhs Innocent Targets", by Larry B. Stammer, The Los Angeles Times, 20 September 2001, reprinted at WackyIraqi.com, retrieved 8 June 2006woman charged with intimidating Sikhs in Oregon", by Steven Du Bois, Berkeley Daily Planet, 18 September 2001, retrieved 8 June 2006 hate crimes"Immigrants fear backlash to terror attacks", by Suhasini Haidar, CNN, 19 September, 2001, retrieved 8 June 2006^*"Hate" target="_blank" >crime victim recounts assault in his liquor store", by Cadonna M. Peyton, Associated Press. Berkeley Daily Planet, 8 December 2001, retrieved 8 June 2006[http://www.berkeleydaily.org/article.cfm?archiveDate=12-08-01&storyID=8820 in the United States as a consequence of the September 11, 2001 attacks, since some people assumed that people that wore turbans were Muslim. In fact, Sikhs (who are neither Muslim nor Arab) make up the overwhelming majority of turban-wearers in the Western world.

Notes

External links

The Sikh on the Street - Short video challenging perceptions and stereotypes to who the Sikhs are.
Understanding Turbans
The Sikh Turban
Why Sikhs Wear a Turban
Instructional videos on how to tie a Sikh Style Turban
Rate My Turban Promoting the positive image of the turban
Information on why Sikhs wear Turbans