Washington:
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), at the urging of followers of the Sikh religion, says it will begin tracking hate crimes against Sikhs as part of the law enforcement agency's crime reporting program.
The approval of the addition on Wednesday by an advisory policy board of the FBI has long been sought by people in the Sikh community.
Sikhs have been targeted with attacks including the massacre in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, that claimed the lives of six worshippers last August.
According to surveys by a coalition of Sikhs in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area, 10 percent of Sikh adults say they have experienced physical violence or property damage because of their religion.