A judge on Friday ordered an Oregon man to attend a Sikh festival and submit a report to the court about the religion as part of his sentence for attacking a Sikh shopkeeper in Salem.

Andrew Ramsey, 25, was arrested on January 14 after he tried to rip the turban off Harwinder Singh Dodd's head, spat at him, pulled his beard and threw a shoe at him when the store owner refused to sell Ramsey cigarettes without an ID. Customers eventually restrained Ramsey until police arrived.

"He didn't see me as a person," Dodd said of Ramsey. "He attacked me because of how I look. Because of my turban and beard — my religious articles of faith."

Ramsey pleaded guilty to second-degree misdemeanor counts of intimidation and assault. He has been previously convicted of methamphetamine possession, domestic violence assault and theft.

Marion County Judge Lindsay Partridge ordered Ramsey to attend a Sikh parade in June in Salem and inform the court of what he learned about the Sikh community and culture, the Statesman Journal newspaper of Salem reported.

"Bigotry is the result of ignorance," Partridge said at Friday's sentencing. "All of us are able to learn and benefit from cultures in our community."

The judge also pointed out that Dodd was a hardworking business owner raising a family, while Ramsey was a convicted drug user and domestic abuser.

Ramsey was sentenced to 180 days in jail and given three years' probation.

Yarmulke, mitra or veil: religious head coverings across the globe Yarmulke European Jews started wearing the yarmulke, or kippa, in the 17th and 18th centuries, turning the skullcap into a religious symbol. Pious Jews are expected to cover their heads, but the fabric isn't that important, and a hat or scarf is acceptable, too. Jewish Halacha law requires men and boys to cover their head when they pray, visit a synagogue or a Jewish cemetery or study the religion.

Yarmulke, mitra or veil: religious head coverings across the globe Miter The miter is the ceremonial headdress worn by bishops, mainly in the Roman-Catholic Church. It goes back to the 11th century, with the tall, peaked hat deeply cleft on the sides and adorned with two ribbons at the back symbolizing the Old and the New Testaments.

Yarmulke, mitra or veil: religious head coverings across the globe Dastar Members of the Sikh faith, a monotheistic religion founded in India's northern Punjab region in the 15th century, wear a dastar. A dastar is usually worn by men, with orange being a popular color. Underneath the cloth headwear, which is re-knotted every morning, Sikh men let their hair grow freely.

Yarmulke, mitra or veil: religious head coverings across the globe Chador In Farsi, the word chador means "tent," and that is what this garment worn by observant Muslim women in some parts of the Middle East resembles. Usually black, it covers a woman from the head down, hiding the shape of the body, revealing only the face. The chador is worn over a woman's regular clothing.

Yarmulke, mitra or veil: religious head coverings across the globe Nun's veil Nuns almost always wear a distinctive veil to complete their religious garment, the habit. Novices' veils are white, while professed nuns usually wear a black veil, or one in their habit's color. Depending on the religious order, veils come in different sizes and shapes. Some are elaborate and cover the woman's entire head; others are simply pinned to the sister's hair.

Yarmulke, mitra or veil: religious head coverings across the globe Headscarf Is a woman's headscarf a religious headdress, or a symbol of oppression? In the West in particular, that continues to be a matter of heated debate. It is certainly the most well-known female head covering. Turkish women (as in this photo) tie headscarves differently from women in Arabic countries.

Yarmulke, mitra or veil: religious head coverings across the globe Sheitel The ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jewish community in New York has strict rules for married women, who are required to shave their hair and wear a wig, the "sheitel." In her 2012 bestseller memoir "Unorthodox," US author Deborah Feldman describes growing up in the ultra-religious group.

Yarmulke, mitra or veil: religious head coverings across the globe Birett A bit of cloth, strips of cardboard and a tassel — voila, the birett, a head covering worn by Roman Catholic priests since the 13th century. In the Netherlands, Germany, Britain and France, the hat has four corners. In many other countries, it has three.

Yarmulke, mitra or veil: religious head coverings across the globe Birett A bit of cloth, strips of cardboard and a tassle — voila, the birett, a head covering worn by Roman Catholic priests since the 13th century. In the Netherlands, Germany, Britain and France, the hat has four corners. In many other countries, it has three. If you remember the character Don Camillo (played by French actor Fernandel in a series of films in the 1950s and '60s), you know the hat!

Yarmulke, mitra or veil: religious head coverings across the globe Tagelmust The cotton scarf that can be up to 15 meters long is worn by Tuareg Berber Muslim men throughout western Africa. The tagelmust covers the head and is pulled over the mouth and nose against wind-born sand in the desert. The turban-style headdress is worn by adult men only. When indigo blue, the tagelmust's dye can rub off on the skin, hence the Tuareg being called the "blue men of the desert."

Yarmulke, mitra or veil: religious head coverings across the globe Shtreimel The Jewish shtreimel hat is made of velvet and has a wide fur trim, usually sable. Married men wear the hat on Jewish holidays and for religious festivities. The eye-catching headgear originated in Hasidic communities in southeastern Europe, a tradition that became nearly extinct in Europe after the Holocaust.

Yarmulke, mitra or veil: religious head coverings across the globe Hats and bonnets The Amish are a conservative Christian group in North America that originated in the tradition of the Anabaptist movement in Switzerland and southern Germany. The first Amish fled to the US in the early 18th century to escape religious persecution. They live simple lives, and shun modern technology and conveniences. The women wear plain bonnets; the men wear straw or felt hats. Author: Klaus Krämer (db)



Sikhs say they face discrimination

An estimated 500,000 Sikhs live in the United States. Sikh men don't cut their hair and cover it with a turban, or dastar.

According to the civil rights organization Sikh Coalition, Sikhs face "immense discrimination" and hate in the United States, particularly since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"Mistaken identity" is often used to describe anti-Sikh hate violence, but the Sikh Coalition says this view fails to take into account bias against Sikhs and inadvertently implies that "a group" should be targeted.

"While there is consistent misunderstanding about the Sikh articles of faith, it is the conflation with terrorism combined with the broader xenophobic undercurrent that continually puts Sikhs at high risk," according to the Sikh Coalition.

cw/jm (AP)

Every evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.