Saturday, December 20, 2025
    ADVT 
    International

    ‘First Turbaned Sikh-American Basketball Player’ Goes From Racist Meme To Internet Hero

    Darpan News Desk IANS, 12 Dec, 2015 02:42 PM

      Last week a humor page on Facebook posted a racist meme about a turbaned sikh ignorantly calling “Muhammad” and “explosive”. The meme read “Nobody at school wants to guard Muhammad, he’s too explosive,” captured when he was playing basketball.

      The player in question is, however, Darsh Singh, an American born and bred Punjabi living in Dallas, and, in fact, has created history by becoming the first turbaned sikh to play NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) basketball.

       
      The meme was not only a personal attack but also reflects how deeply the stereotype of associating bearded men with Islam and linking the religion to terrorism is ingrained in the psyche of a few.
       
      But Singh’s friend Greg Worthington didn’t brush the joke aside, he spoke out against what he thought was hateful and wrong. He took to Facebook to share his strongly-worded opinion against the hateful meme about his friend.
       
      He wrote: “I know this guy and his name’s not ‘Muhammad’. He’s not Arab, he’s Punjabi. He’s not even Muslim, he’s a Sikh. His name is Darsh Singh and he’s a US citizen, born and bred. That jersey he’s wearing in this pic, it currently sits in a Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC because he made US history as the NCAA’s first turbaned Sikh-American basketball player for Trinity University in my hometown of San Antonio.”
       
       

      Let me tell you why this shit isn't funny. I know this guy and his name's not 'Muhammad.' He's not Arab, he's Punjabi....

      Posted by Greg Worthington on Saturday, 5 December 2015
      "Knowing one or two - or even 15 people different than you - is not enough. You need to be networked with groups of people who are not like you to begin to truly understand just how much this stuff hurts people like Darsh.”
       
      Even better? The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Centre, this week, went on to launch a rather successful social media campaign called ‘I Want to #BeLikeDarsh’ in which people are being encouraged to aim high in life, no matter what their background.
       
      Darsh Singh’s response to the situation couldn’t have been more dignified as he simply thanked people for their love and support, adding: “Sikhs believe everyone and everything has the potential to embody divine love.”
       
       

      Thank you again to all of those who expressed support. Many folks have asked how they can help more than just sharing a...

      Posted by Darsh Preet Singh on Monday, 7 December 2015
      Singh is now a portfolio manager at Satori Capital and a Truman National Security Fellow.
       

      Let's build a better society by understanding our own values and then seeking out opportunities to live in congruence. I...

      Posted by Darsh Preet Singh on Friday, 11 December 2015
      Prev Next

      MORE International ARTICLES

      Indian-American Bhagwati Agrawal Listed Among CNN's Top Ten Heroes

      Indian-American Bhagwati Agrawal Listed Among CNN's Top Ten Heroes
      Each of the ten "everyday people doing remarkable things to make the world a better place" will receive $10,000 and be honoured at "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute," a globally broadcast event on December 6.

      Indian-American Bhagwati Agrawal Listed Among CNN's Top Ten Heroes

      Ambanis Lead 17 Indian Groups In Forbes Asian Richest Family List

      Ambanis Lead 17 Indian Groups In Forbes Asian Richest Family List
      Ranked 3rd, the Ambanis' net worth, which combines the wealth of both the brothers, Mukesh and Anil, has been estimated at $21.5 billion followed by Premjis, ranked 7th on the list with $17 billion.

      Ambanis Lead 17 Indian Groups In Forbes Asian Richest Family List

      Indian-Origin Person Suspected Of IRA Fraud In US

      Indian-Origin Person Suspected Of IRA Fraud In US
      The police in East Hartford town, of Connecticut state, suspect a person of Indian-origin to be behind a variation of an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) scam

      Indian-Origin Person Suspected Of IRA Fraud In US

      B.C. Government, Pacific Northwest Lng Reject Reports Of Petronas Project Delay

      B.C. Government, Pacific Northwest Lng Reject Reports Of Petronas Project Delay
      Rich Coleman says a false media report from Malaysia claims that slumping oil and gas prices have the country's state-owned energy giant Petronas considering delaying its LNG project near Prince Rupert for up to nine years.

      B.C. Government, Pacific Northwest Lng Reject Reports Of Petronas Project Delay

      First KXL, Now TPP: Hillary Clinton Roasts Trade Deal, With Potential Consequences

      First KXL, Now TPP: Hillary Clinton Roasts Trade Deal, With Potential Consequences
      The sudden opposition from the prominent presidential candidate indicates the long, hard road ahead for ratification of the 12-country agreement that includes Canada.

      First KXL, Now TPP: Hillary Clinton Roasts Trade Deal, With Potential Consequences

      Indian-American Groups To Campaign On Immigration Issues

      Indian-American Groups To Campaign On Immigration Issues
      The call was made at an immigration seminar organised by Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO-New York), South Asian Council for Social Services (SACSS) and the Kerala Centre in Elmont, New York recently.

      Indian-American Groups To Campaign On Immigration Issues

      PrevNext