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'People Saw Only A Turban And A Beard': Reflecting On A Post-Sept. 11 Death

Two Sikh men lost their brother in a violent hate crime following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. At StoryCorps, they reflect on his life and how they were treated after the terrorist attacks.
Rana Sodhi (L) and Harjit Sodhi hold a photograph of their late brother, Balbir Singh Sodhi, who was shot and killed at 52. Since his death, the brothers have been involved in educating others about Sikhism and the discrimination their community faces in the U.S.

On Sept. 15, 2001, Balbir Singh Sodhi was outside of the Chevron gas station he owned in Mesa, Ariz., when he was shot and killed.

Balbir was Sikh and wore a turban. In one of the first hate crime murders following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a man, assuming Balbir was

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