Balbir Singh Sodhi: 25 years after 9/11, a Sikh family remembers America's first hate crime victim

Rana will always remember the day his brother, Balbir Singh Sodhi, was killed.

He received a call that there was a shooting at his brother's petrol station and assumed there was a robbery. But it wasn't until Rana reached the station that he saw his brother was the only one targeted among those present.

"When I got there and I saw that, it really broke my heart," Rana Singh Sodhi tells The New Arab. "That day, I understood how much hate still exists in American society."

One man saw the colour of Balbir's skin, his beard and turban, assumed he was Muslim and shot him, becoming America's first hate crime victim after 9/11.

Twenty-five years later, the attacks remain etched into the memory of millions. But for Muslims and those mistaken for Muslims, the aftermath also marked the beginning of years of heightened surveillance, discrimination and violence, fuelled by an increasingly hostile anti-Muslim rhetoric.

"My brother's turban, his bracelet, his cloth, is part of American history," Rana tells The New Arab.

"I don't think in the last 25 years, there has been a day when I didn't remember him. I remember him almost every day. We weren't aware that we would be a part of the backlash, that we were going to be targeted," he adds. 

"People see the image of Bin Laden, the beard and turban, and then they immediately associate it with us [Sikhs]."

Rana recalls being told to go back to his country by hecklers when he was out shopping once, and another incident where his friend was threatened. 

Witnessing the hate and being the target of it, he knew the Sikh community was in trouble.

"At that time, we really felt it. A Sikh person wearing their turban and beard was likely to be targeted in a hate crime," he recalls.

After 9/11, Rana remembered Balbir telling him to stay home, scared he might become a victim, never thinking he himself would go on to become a target.

"Balbir thought that because I was threatened, I had to be very careful," he says. 

The incident takes Rana back to the time his family fled India following the events of Operation Blue Star in 1984, when the Indian government targeted members of the Sikh community.

Rana and his family sought refuge in the US, believing it would be a safer place for them, emphasising that he had not experienced any hate before 9/11.

"I didn't have concerns about what I was wearing. I felt I could go out any time, day or night, anywhere," Rana says.

"But 9/11 totally changed my life. It changed the lives of the Sikh community. I discovered that there is a lot of ignorance in American society, and there's a lot of hate towards people of different skin colours and those who look different."

Rana remembers the local community coming together to mourn for Balbir, with hundreds laying flowers at his petrol station in the middle of the night, remembering his kindness.

From giving sweets to children to even giving customers some money to pay for petrol, his kindness and generosity were remembered.

"He had that kind of personality; it amazes me," Rana said.

His family was also shocked after discovering that Balbir had emptied his pockets for a 9/11 fund at a Costco fundraiser an hour before he was killed.

Costco learned of it only after releasing its annual magazine, which revealed Balbir's generosity.

"[Balbir] spoke to one of our brothers when 9/11 happened; he said he wanted to go to New York and help those people. He's that kind of person."

Ten months after his brother's murder, Rana lost another brother in a cab accident. Filled with grief, he decided to channel his emotions into teaching the community not only about the Sikh community but also about spreading love.

"When you lose someone, it's very painful. When you lose someone to hate, it is more painful," he explains.

"Hate is a natural thing. I don't know where it comes from, but when it goes to that level of taking somebody's life, that's crazy. I feel like if my work saves someone's life, then my life is worth it. I'm going to do what I have to do to educate more people, bring peace and love to our community, our nation."

Looking back at Trump's America and the current state of growing hate and racism in the world, Rana speaks of the importance of educating the next generation of young people, reflecting on his children, who have love and respect for all.

"When you give a good education to our young generation, there is no one we hate, and that's the key point," he says. 

"I believe it's going to stop one day with help from everyone and education, and if we teach our children, the young generation, how to understand and build respect and love for each other, it will go away."

Anam Alam is a staff writer at The New Arab. She frequently writes about human rights and social issues, including women's rights and sex education

Follow her on X: @itsanamalam