Edmonton: Two men were stabbed inside a gurdwara in Canada’s Alberta province after a man allegedly disrupted morning prayers ahead of a wedding ceremony, police and community representatives said.
The attack occurred at the Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple on the northeastern outskirts of Edmonton shortly after 5 a.m.
The Edmonton Police Service said officers responding to the incident near 14 Street and Horsehill Road arrested a man at the scene. Emergency personnel treated two adult men whose injuries were described as non-life-threatening.
Police had not announced a motive for the attack or said whether it was being investigated as a hate-motivated crime.
Temple representative Harmeek Sehgal said the man entered the gurdwara and interrupted prayers being held before a wedding scheduled for later in the morning.
“He came in and caused a disruption — our morning prayers were interrupted and the guys who were doing the prayer noticed this guy. You know, doesn’t look like he’s a visitor,” Sehgal was quoted as saying by Global News.
According to Sehgal, those conducting the prayers initially attempted to speak to the man, but he did not cooperate.
“The guy apparently wasn’t listening to anything. So they (tried) to subdue the guy. The guy tried to push back,” he said.
“The guys were able to subdue him down, and the police was called at that time.”
Two men were stabbed during the confrontation. Sehgal said both victims were conscious following the attack.
“The last I heard, they both were talking,” he said.
Despite the early-morning violence, the wedding ceremony went ahead at the gurdwara at about 10.30 a.m.
“Luckily no property or physical damage — like specifically to our Sikh scriptures, which are quite sacred to us,” Sehgal said.
He added that community members were waiting for investigators to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“The police will help determine that — everybody is anxious to figure out what happened and why it happened.”
Harman Kandola, a spokesperson for the World Sikh Organisation of Canada, said the stabbing had overshadowed what should have been a celebratory gathering.
“It was supposed be a joyous occasion, yet here we are having to talk about two people who were seriously injured,” Kandola said.
The Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund said the violence inside a place of worship was deeply disturbing and expressed solidarity with the victims and Edmonton’s Sikh community.
“An attack inside a gurdwara is deeply troubling. Our gurdwaras are places of worship, seva, and community, our sangat should be able to gather safely and without fear,” the organisation said.
The group urged gurdwaras in the United States to review emergency procedures, ensure exits remained accessible and maintain communication with local law-enforcement agencies. It also advised community members to report suspicious activity and circulate only verified information.
(IANS)
