Global Leaders Condemn Attack On Kabul Sikh Gurudwara
The attack on a Gurudwara (place of worship for Sikhs) in Karte Parwan area of Kabul, on Saturday, which killed at least two individuals, drew global condemnation.
The attack on a Gurudwara (place of worship for Sikhs) in Karte Parwan area of Kabul, on Saturday, which killed at least two individuals, drew global condemnation.
Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said, “The cowardly attack on Gurudwara Karte Parwan should be condemned in the strongest terms by all”. Meanwhile, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, an Indian politician condemned the attack in Kabul and called it a “terror attack”. “All nations must unite in condemning this violence against Sikhs”, he added. Bhagwant Mann, chief minister of Punjab in India, urged senior Indian officials “for immediate assistance to ensure the safety of minorities in Kabul”.
Anarkali Honaryar, former Afghan senator said “Afghanistan is a graveyard for religious minorities”, as many called it a “war crime” and emphasized on the protection of religious minorities in Afghanistan.
Former Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, strongly condemned the attack and emphasized on unity among people of Afghanistan. Karzai called for the start of a national dialogue to establish long-term peace and stability in the country.
No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack. Taliban’s Ministry of Interior (MoI) said that the attackers had thrown hand grenades toward the guards, before entering the Gurudwara.
As per the Taliban official figures, two were killed and seven have been injured, however, a Sikh citizen from Kabul told Afghanistan International that “casualties are more than what Taliban announced”.
Taliban didn’t allow journalists to enter the place of the attack and interview the victims. Taliban has repeatedly restricted journalists over the past few months from accessing information on attacks and explosions in different cities of Afghanistan. Also, the public hospitals avoid providing information about the casualties due to pressure from the Taliban.
In the few past months, Afghanistan has witnessed several bloody attacks on places of worship of Sufis and Shiites in different provinces of the country, most of which has been claimed by the Islamic State- Khosran (IS-K) branch.
Earlier, the US Department of State in a report on religious freedom in the world stated that religious freedom has deteriorated in the country since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021.
