Sikh rivals fight at temple in Austria; 16 injured

VIENNA – Sikhs wielding knives and a handgun attacked two preachers at a rival temple in Vienna on Sunday in a brawl that left at least 16 people wounded, police and witnesses said. A related clash later broke out in northern India.

Witnesses said a group of bearded and turbaned men attacked the religious leaders at the temple in Austria's capital and their followers moved to defend them.

The preachers were among the six people who suffered serious wounds and were identified by Indian diplomats and police as Niranjan Das and Sant Rama Nand. Police said both were out of danger after undergoing operations for gunshot wounds.

Everybody was praying and then it started with knives and a pistol," said Nermal Singh, bare-footed, his shirt bloodied and his head bandaged from what he said was a knife wound.

Witnesses said the perpetrators were fundamentalist Sikhs from a higher caste, who accused one or both of the preachers of being disrespectful of the Holy Book. Indian news reports said the attackers were incensed that one of the preachers was given a ceremonial shawl considered a high Sikh honor.

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Not long ago I wrote a small article that addressed the inherent dangers and some pit-falls as it were for 'forced' multiculturalism and the process of not assimilating. If you'd like to read them, here is the link: at American Age