10 reasons Jinder Mahal is exactly what the WWE needs

#7 Carrying the culture

Jinder Mahal proudly displaying his Dastaar, a traditional head wrap.

It's no secret that Professional Wrestling has an ugly history of stereotyping and flat-out racism. For every Junkyard Dog there's an Akeem the African Dream, and at times the 'evil foreigner' gimmick has crossed the line. WWE certainly crossed the line when the debuted Muhammed Hassan shortly after 9/11 in hopes of stirring up heel heat based on his Arabic heritage.

Akeem "The African Dream," Also known as One Man Gang. A white man playing an African would never fly in today's WWE.

However, there are a lot of differences between Jinder Mahal's on-screen embrace of his Indian heritage and these stereotypes. Jinder is a legitimate follower of Sikhism, and there's certainly nothing wrong with him displaying it as part of his wrestling persona.

Also, Jinder isn't playing his religion as more 'proof' that he is evil. Rather, he uses his background to enhance his character and image. Jinder himself once said as much in a 2010 interview.

"They (the fans) like guys who speak different languages and have different looks." Earlier, Jinder used his Indian heritage to bolster his character and get noticed. It's no different than using his large frame or athletic ability to get over with the fans.

Jinder's Sikhism doesn't make him evil, it just adds colour to his ring persona.