“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.)