The Sikh community in America has urged several retailers, including Walmart and Amazon, to remove turban-themed costumes sold online after these negative stereotypes led to violence and discrimination against Sikhs and other minorities in the nation.
The Sikh Coalition said the costumes were offensive to 9/11 victims and perpetuated negativity against other minorities.
Walmart pulled out the costume described as 'Turban Beard Adult Halloween Instant Costume' from its website following the demand, Huffington Post reports.
Amazon.com listed the costume as 'Fun World Adult Men's Osama Bin Laden Middle East Costume Turban + Beard'.
According to the report, the costumes manufactured by 'Fun World Costumes' were put on for sale on the sites of retailers, such as Sears and Rite Aid, and others.
The move comes in the wake of a brutal hate crime against a Sikh Columbia professor, Dr Prabhjot Singh.
His attackers shouted "terrorist" and "Osama" and pulled at his beard and turban in a recent attack that made Singh undergo a jaw surgery.
A recent survey by Stanford University found that about 70% of Americans misidentified turban-wearing Sikhs as Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, or members of the Shinto faith.
{{/usCountry}}A recent survey by Stanford University found that about 70% of Americans misidentified turban-wearing Sikhs as Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, or members of the Shinto faith.
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