American Sikh advocacy group The National Sikh Campaign launched a $1.3 million campaign designed to spread awareness about one of the groups most targeted by hate crimes in the US.
The series of commercials will run on CNN and Fox News as well as on local channels, and the aim is to curb hate-crimes against Sikh people in America.
"We're the least understood major faith in the United States," said Gurwin Singh Ahuja, executive director of the National Sikh Campaign and former Obama administration staffer. "And that leads to a whole host of issues."
"Kids get bullied. Mothers have to be extra cautious to make sure their kids aren't being harassed," he continued. "There's significant employment discrimination. And in some cases, people have even been killed."
According to The Huffington Post, "the ads explain the basic tenets of the religion, founded in India over 500 years ago. It is the fifth largest religion in world and the third biggest monotheistic faith, after Islam and Christianity. Sikhism's more than 25 million followers embrace progressive values including gender equality, religious tolerance, social justice and community service."
Shawn Singh Ghuman, communications director for the National Sikh Campaign, says he hopes the commercials will show how Sikhs are as much a part of the fabric of the country as anyone else: "We want to showcase to our neighbors how quintessential our immigrant story is to the American dream," he said. "It's fundamental to our religion that we work hard and put in effort to better ourselves and our generations and our communities."
Watch the powerful ad below.