US cartoonist’s sorry to Sikhs for ‘insensitivity’

Lay did remove the cartoon from her website after this backlash, but later tried to make light of the controversy and put up another cartoon on the site titled ‘‘field guide to turbans’’, in which she illustrated the different kinds of turbans worn.

‘‘Lay’s attempts to make a connection between a Sikh man and the world’s biggest fugitive, especially by using remarks such as ‘a shady character’ and ‘Osama’s no good cousin Randy bin Laden’ amounts to stereotyping, and is likely to trigger more misdirected behaviour and hate crimes against Sikh Americans,’’ the legal team said.

‘‘I wouldn’t go as far as to call it an apology. We’re happy that she took down the cartoons and we’re happy that she recognises that they were distasteful. We would like a better apology, but we’re happy with what we got,’’ Harneet Singh, the United Sikh’s legal advisor told India West newspaper.

While Lay apologised for both cartoons, she said she had been flooded with thousands of hate mails, some of which had threatened her safety, and appealed to United Sikhs to withdraw the petition.

In an e-mail to India West, Lay contended that her target in the original strip was California Governor Gray Davis, but said her attempt was ‘‘too complicated’’.