Sikh Columbia professor wants to educate attackers on difference between Islam and Sikhism

Sikh Columbia professor Dr. Prabhjot Singh, who was brutally beaten up by a Harlem hate mob on Saturday, has said he wants to educate his attackers about the Sikh religion, which is different from Islam.

The 31-year-old physician said the young thugs acted out of ignorance and he would like to invite them to his worship place so that they understand who Sikhs were, and then share it with their friends, the New York Daily News reports.

Prabhjot's jaw was broken by nearly two dozen assailants shouting slurs like 'get Osama' and 'terrorist' on Saturday night while walking along 110th Street near Lennox Avenue in upper Manhattan.

Singh, an associate professor of international and public affairs at Columbia, wears a turban and beard as part of his Sikh religion.

The turban and the beard has been related to the face of violence, extremism and terrorism, slain Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, for over a decade among the average Americans.

Singh said he was grateful that three bystanders intervened and stopped any further damage by the attackers.

Police have launched a hate crime investigation and are still trying to identify the two dozen unknown teens.