No tail should ever wag the dog

Let's be clear, stupidity is secular. 

It waz, is & will always be the case, that a few will be deviant in every group, tribe or community.

At the earliest instance, the job of the many from the group or community then, is to condemn those few who have gone rogue. 

That as much as an instant reflex due to the deep sense of both anguish & embarrassment and also a mature thoughtful response.

And at that delicate moment, those from outside the community trying to give justification on why some apples have become rotten, achieves opposite of the intent especially when there's a risk of a negative reputation for the entire community reaching global proportion. 

A clue can be taken on how the Sikhs did not allow the Khalistani brand which had reached as far as UK & Canada, to stick on the community.

One can also learn from them, on how they fought the mistaken-for-Taliban identity in foreign lands. 

Barring the fringe, most were always aligned to the mainstream, but the few had the potential to damage the reputation of the entire Sikh community.

But the wise Sikhs themselves, through the clarion call of their elders & religious leaders, became consciously aggressive in positive posturing everywhere in the world. They didn't remain mute spectators to the forming narrative but took it head on. They set themselves up as powerful positive examples for others to emulate. 

A 2020 PEW Research survey showed that 95% of Sikhs are proud Indians. 

Had the elders not done their jobs, those few deviants would have got encouragement to march on & set the tone for the many to be influenced by the negative propaganda, especially amongst the gen-next,  and that would have given a bad name to the entire Sikh community. 

Today the Sikhs are instantly stereotyped as - those folks who are at the forefront of national security & those who don't ever beg, but on the contrary selflessly serve wherever they go. 

The confirming deeds then cements the stereotype into a positive reputation & with consistency, it further ripens to becoming the brand. 

No wonder the turbaned Sardar today is a proud & solid global brand !