Threats and violence against Sikh Americans
Sikhs make up a tiny share of Americans and a large share of religious hate crime. Agencies reported 177 anti-Sikh incidents in 2025, up from 146, one of the few categories that rose.
What you need to know
- 177 anti-Sikh incidents were reported to the FBI in 2025, up from 146 in 2024.
- Anti-Sikh bias was about 7 percent of religion-based hate crime offenses in 2025.
- The first revenge killing after 9/11 was Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh gas station owner shot in Mesa, Arizona, on Sept. 15, 2001.
- Sikhs are often attacked by people who mistake them for Muslims. The turban is the visible marker attackers key on.
The official count
| Bias type | Category | 2025 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Sikh | Religion | 177 | 146 | +31 |
Counts are incidents reported by agencies that file with the FBI. A lower number can mean fewer agencies reported, not less hate. See every bias type.
Attacks that define the threat
- Sept. 15, 2001 · Mesa, Ariz.
Balbir Singh Sodhi was shot dead outside his gas station by a man seeking revenge for 9/11.
- Aug. 5, 2012 · Oak Creek, Wis.
A white supremacist killed six worshippers at a Sikh gurdwara. A seventh died of his wounds in 2020.
Terms and signals
Analysts and officers see these in posts, comments and channels. Knowing them lets you read a threat for what it is.
- Slurs about the turban
- Insults aimed at turbans and beards, often paired with terrorism accusations.
- Mistaken-identity rage
- Posts calling Sikhs Muslims or terrorists after an attack abroad.
- White supremacist codes
- The Oak Creek attacker came out of the white power music scene. General codes like 1488 apply.
A term alone is not a threat. Hateful speech is often legal. NCTIC scores escalation: a specific target, a means, a time, and signs of planning or goodbye messages.
From talk to attack
After terror attacks. Sikhs are hit in the backlash to events they have nothing to do with. Watch the days after major terrorist incidents.
Gurdwaras and small businesses. Gas stations, convenience stores and taxis run by Sikh owners have been targets.
Report a threat
- Call 911 for anything imminent. Report threats to local police and the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI.
- Ask the agency to record anti-Sikh bias. The FBI only began tracking it separately in 2015.
- Send threats you find to NCTIC at pesach@lattin.us or 505-932-9060. We route each one to the agency with jurisdiction.
Frequently asked
Are anti-Sikh hate crimes increasing?
Yes. Agencies reported 177 anti-Sikh incidents to the FBI for 2025, up from 146 in 2024, while most categories fell.
Who was Balbir Singh Sodhi?
A Sikh gas station owner in Mesa, Arizona, shot dead on Sept. 15, 2001, the first known revenge killing after the 9/11 attacks.
Who studies this
NCTIC's analysis draws on official data and the work of these organizations. Listing them does not mean they endorse NCTIC.
Civil rights organization that pressed the FBI to track anti-Sikh hate crime.
Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund.
How we put this together. Hate crime counts are incidents reported by law enforcement agencies to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program for 2025, released Aug. 14, 2026, as tabulated by the Arab American Institute; 2024 comparisons use the FBI's updated Crime Data Explorer figures. These counts cover only agencies that report and only incidents that reach police, so they understate the problem, and year-to-year changes partly reflect which agencies filed. Attack summaries draw on court records and news reporting cited below. Watch terms come from NCTIC analysis and public research such as the ADL Hate Symbols database. NCTIC products are analysis and can be wrong.
NCTIC is an independent nonprofit, non-governmental organization. It is not a government agency, does not act under government authority, and does not make or enforce laws.
We take no position on immigration or other policy questions and do not blame threats on any group. Our anchor is simple: the law says no violence against people, whoever they are.