September 2, 2011 (New York) - The Sikh Coalition, the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the United States, officially launched a video wall website today entitled Unheard Voices of 9/11 (www.unheardvoicesof911.org). As the world remembers the innocent victims of the 9/11 attacks one decade ago, the new website invites visitors to upload videos and written accounts of backlash discrimination and violence in the post-9/11 environment.

One year after the 9/11 attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recorded a 1600 percent increase in the number of reported hate crimes based on bias toward Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim. To this day, Sikhs continue to be targeted for hate crimes, employment discrimination, and school bullying by ordinary citizens, and profiling by law enforcement agencies. This discrimination occurs because the popular image of the Sikh turban and beard being the face of a terrorist has hardened over the past ten years.

"Members of the Arab, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian American communities were twice victims of 9/11," said Amardeep Singh, Program Director of the Sikh Coalition. "Like all Americans we endured a horrific attack on our country by terrorists. We also continue to endure backlash discrimination and violence by our fellow Americans. The Unheard Voices project is designed to ensure that our history is documented and that our voices are not ignored."

Amardeep Singh amar@sikhcoalition.org

The Unheard Voices of 9/11 website is available at http://unheardvoicesof911.org.

A Fact Sheet on Post 9/11 Discrimination against Sikhs is available at http://www.unheardvoicesof911.org/resources/