Armed men occupy UK Gurdwara in protest against Sikh-Muslim marriage

British police say 55 people were arrested for aggravated trespass with a significant number of bladed weapons seized


News Desk/afp September 12, 2016
A file photo of Gurdwara Sahib in Leamington Spa. PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

LONDON: British police arrested 55 people and seized blades at a Sikh temple on Sunday, following a protest against a mixed marriage.

Armed officers were deployed to the Gurdwara Temple in Leamington Spa, central England, at around early on Sunday after a group of men entered the building. A total of 55 people were arrested for aggravated trespass in what police chief David Gardner described as "an escalation of a local dispute". "A significant number of bladed weapons were seized from the scene," he said adding that no-one was injured in the incident.

Interfaith marriages: Why the taboo?

Gurmel Singh, secretary general of Sikh Council UK, said protesters walked freely into the temple and did not break into the building. He said the group then held prayers and a sit-in to oppose a wedding due to take place between a Sikh and a non-Sikh. "Marriage is a sacred institution and in our culture we have no problem with people of difference races getting married, but the religious doctrine says this particular ceremony is reserved for two Sikhs," Singh told AFP.

According to The Independent, one protester broadcast a Facebook Live video from among the wedding guests at the gate, where tensions were clearly high. At one point, the man filming can be heard saying: “These lot don’t even know that I’m against them”, and at another he points the camera towards the temple, saying: “Leamington Gurdwara, allowing interfaith marriages. Sikhs and Muslims, it’s messed up.”

One eyewitness, Perry Phillips, said the protest appeared to be peaceful. "I could see at the entrance to the Gurdwara a lot of people were outside but it was peaceful, there was no shouting or anything," he told the Press Association. "There's a big Sikh community in Leamington Spa and a lot of people were turning up," he added.

I am a Sunni and I married a Shia

The Sikh 2 Inspire group said those arrested were carrying the kirpan, a ceremonial Sikh dagger, and criticised the response to the Gurdwara Temple incident. "The media and police have victimised the Sikh appearance and defamed the Sikh community in the UK," the group said on Facebook, calling on their supporters to take their kirpan to their local police station and explain its significance to officers.

There are more than 420,000 Sikhs in England and Wales, according to 2011 census data, accounting for 0.8 per cent of the population. Christians make up the largest religious group, accounting for 59.3 per cent of the population, followed by Muslims (4.8 per cent) and Hindus (1.5 per cent).

COMMENTS (29)

Khalistan | 7 years ago | Reply You forgot to mention genocide against Sikhs by India in 1987 Khalistan movement. Picky, aren't we?@Malik:
Malik | 7 years ago | Reply I usually find people from Pakistan very misinformed about facts.Sikhism has evolved from Hinduism(Just like Buddhism and others) and Guru Nanak(First guru and founder) was born to a Hindu Patwari Family(unless you feel internet is a Jewish conspiracy) to Kalyani Chandigarh Das and Mata Tripta,somewhere nearby Lahore which was once a Sikh metropolis until 1947.Yes he did visit Mecca but that was out of curiosity to know other religions and faced a lot of trouble due to that.Infact Sikhism faced a lot of trouble whether it was during Mughal Period or Partition times.Most of the Pakistanis especially from Punjab(who share similar surname to that of mine) are Sikhs who got converted due to fear or greed.
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