The shooting at a Sikh place of worship in Wisconsin yesterday is a real tragedy.

Though the shooting is still being investigated and the motives of the shooter are yet unknown, this incident does provide us with an opportunity to educate Americans about Sikhism and Sikh Americans.

In the nearly 11 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Sikh Americans have seen an increase in hate crimes against their community and have suffered from racial profiling, often because people assume they are Muslim.

But Sikhism is a completely separate religion that originated in India 500 years ago. It is actually the fifth-largest organized religion in the world, with more than 25 million adherents worldwide, including more than 700,000 in the United States.

• Learn more about Sikhs.
• The Sikh Coalition’s statement on the tragedy.
• The Sikh American Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s statement on the tragedy.
• The Leadership Conference’s statement on the tragedy.