Outrage As Airline Passenger Posts Racist Snapchat Story Of Sikh Man Who He Mistakenly Believed Was A Terrorist

A series of racist Snapchat posts by an ignorant airline passenger has gone viral.

The user mistakenly believed a Sikh man was a terrorist.

He posted a number of pictures of himself on an airplane sitting close to the man who wore a turban.

‘Never mind I might not make it to Indy,’ the dumb Snapchat user writes in the caption.

In another Snapchat post, he took a photograph of the Sikh passenger as he sits behind him minding his own business.

‘Update I’m still alive,’ the caption reads. He added an emoji indicating that he was relieved.

In another Snapchat picture, the Sikh man is seen falling asleep.

‘Please god just let the man sleep,’ the caption reads.

Screen grabs of the Snapchat posts were posted on Twitter by Simram Jeet Singh.

Singh teaches religion at Trinity University and often used his voice to speak out about xenophobia. 

‘This series of snaps should give you a sense of what it’s like for anyone who appears to be Muslim to travel by plane,’ Singh tweeted.

Singh revealed that he is often met with ‘uncomfortable stares and misguided fears’ whenever he travels. 

‘I try to live my life by the Sikh maxim, “Fear none, frighten none”. I think about this teaching often when I travel.

‘How do I retain my confidence and dignity on an airplane while also being thoughtful not to strike fear in the hearts of others?

‘I think twice about getting up to use the restroom. I feel self-conscious when opening the overhead bin to take something out of my luggage.

‘I look forward to the day when our kids can travel freely, without having to worry about what others might be thinking or saying about them.’

Singh ended his thread with the hashtag #FlyingWhileBrown.

The post went viral, generating over 6,800 retweets and over 8,200 likes and 740 comments.

Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks attacks on Sikhs have increased dramatically. 

This is likely because uneducated racists assume that because Sikhs wear turbans and have long beards they are Muslims.

According to the Sikh Coalition, there were over 300 cases of violence and discrimination against Sikhs in the US in the first month after 9/11.

In the 15 years that have followed 9/11, Sikhs remain hundreds of times more likely to be targeted in cases of profiling than the average American, according to the organization. 

There are an estimated 500,000 Sikhs living in the US.