10 p.m.: Gas station owner faces prejudice in Edgewood

Neal McNamara

July 26, 2007 10:03 pm

— neal.mcnamara@heraldbulletin.com
On July 18, a man walked into a gas station at 3505 Nichol Ave., in Edgewood, dropped a letter on the counter and walked out. Store manager Tim Bedwell read the letter and reluctantly shared it with the store’s owner, Jaswant Singh Banwait, an Indian Sikh.
The letter rants for eight pages about how, since Sept. 11, 2001, the letter’s writer — described by Bedwell and Banwait only as an older white male — has been afraid to walk around in public because he fears Muslims.
“As a rational American, trying to protect my country and family in an irrational and unsafe world, I must know how to tell the difference between you and the Arab/Muslim terrorist,” reads the letter. “I’ve been trying to say this since 9-11, but you worry me.”
Banwait, known by his employers as “Jassy,” was incredulous about the letter, since he is neither a Muslim nor a “terrorist.” He purchased the store, formerly a Milk Barn, in March and opened it in June. He says that since then he’s had trouble with people “cussing” him and his employees out.
“I was told to, ‘go back to my country,’” said Banwait, who has been in America since 1989. “As part of my religion, I do not look at anyone as bad. In my daily prayers, I pray for the whole universe.”
Sikhism, a 500-year-old religion with more than 25 million followers, originated from the Punjab region of India. Sikh males wear a turban to hold their hair, which they never cut, and often a metal bracelet.
Bedwell said that his patriotism has been questioned by customers because he works for Banwait. Bedwell joined the military after his aunt was killed in the Sept. 11 attacks.
“People have told me that I’ve committed treason,” said Bedwell. “I went to fight for my country, and now for someone to call me un-American?”
Banwait said that he’s even had trouble keeping employees around. He said that after he purchased the former Milk Barn, he tried to keep the old employees; however, none of them chose to remain working there.
Catherine Bennis, who lives across the street from the store and worked there briefly, described Banwait as extremely nice and a good employer.
“He couldn’t be nicer,” said Bennis. “He’d bend over backward for you to help you out. I just wish people wouldn’t be so prejudiced.”
Carolyn Kaufman, also a neighbor of Banwait’s store, said that she believes the community of Edgewood is wary of outsiders.
“I think there are a lot of prejudiced people around here,” said Kaufman. “People aren’t very good at change around here.”
Jim and Gerry Casey, who live close to Banwait’s store, say they’re boycotting it because of bad past experiences with Indians — Jim Casey said that hotels he’s visited in Tennessee run by Indians were sub-par.
“I don’t care for those people,” said Jim Casey. “They come over here and take over our businesses.”
“We resent the fact that they’re here,” said Gerry Casey, who also added that she wouldn’t shop at a Muslim-owned store because she feels “they’re our enemy.”
A wave of hate crimes against Muslims and southeast Asians sprouted up after the attacks of Sept. 11. Perhaps the most brutal was against Balbir Singh Sodi, who was gunned down on Sept. 15, 2001, outside his Mesa, Ariz., gas station.
Singh Sodi was a Sikh, but his killer, Francisco Roque, apparently mistook him for a terrorist because he was wearing a turban. Roque is serving a life sentence for the murder and for charges stemming from other shootings on the same day.
Rana Singh Sodi, Balbir Sing Sodi’s brother, has devoted much of his life to helping people understand different cultures and religions since his brother’s death. Rana Singh Sodi’s also lost another brother, Sukhbal, to a hate crime: murdered in San Francisco while working as a cab driver.
“There’s a lot of ignorance in our community, and it’s still going on,” said Rana Singh Sodi. “I remember when my brother was killed, 100 people got together at our gas station from 2:30 p.m. until 4 a.m., with candles. I still remember those six years ago people loving and caring; that is the beauty of this country.”
Despite the ignorance portrayed in the anonymous letter, Banwait says he will continue to do business in Anderson. One customer at a time, he said, will have to learn that Sikh is not synonymous with “terrorist.”
“They’re not giving us a chance,” said Banwait. “They’re not letting us see what we can do for them. We want to provide for the community and take care of our own families.”
(For an in-depth explanation of Sikhism, go to www.sikhs.org.)
(Reporter Gabe Khouli contributed to this story.)

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