Hoboken, NJ Elects First-Ever Sikh Mayor Days After Fliers Called Him a "Terrorist"

RadioOnFire.com - Hoboken, New Jersey placed its future in the hands of the first Sikh to hold the city's highest office on Tuesday, November 7, when Ravinder Bhalla won a majority of the vote from among the 50,000 citizens who showed up to the Election Day polls.

Bhalla's victory is a historic one for New Jersey, and for the nation, as Bhalla joins Charlottesville Mayor Satyendra Huja as the only Sikhs to take such office in a major U.S. city. But there was also an abundance of emotional and moral consolation to be had for the 200,000 Sikhs who reside from coast to coast, considering how many of them can identify with the plight he overcame on his road to victory. Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, Sikhs have bore the brunt of hate crimes from bigots who mistake them for Muslims due to the turbans they wear in observance of their faith. And Bhalla's experience as a Sikh man has made him no exception to the rule.

Leading up to the election a gross attack that sought to exploit bias against his faith was waged against the former civil rights attorney. Fliers that read, “Don’t let TERRORISM take over our town,” began popping up all over the city. Each posting bore a photo of Bhalla in his head-wrapping. But by Wednesday morning, his adversaries and supporters alike learned that the campaign would prove moot, as Bhalla overcame the ironic bout of Islamophobia to defeat the five candidates who opposed him.