terrorism
IS attacks Sikh temple in Kabul
Taliban fighters stand guard at the site of an explosion. Photo: Ebrahim Noroozi/AP/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
The terrorist militia IS attacks a Sikh place of worship in Kabul. In Afghanistan, which is ruled by other militant Islamists, life for religious minorities is becoming increasingly dangerous.
The terrorist militia Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attack on a Sikh temple in the Afghan capital Kabul over the weekend.
The attack was revenge for derogatory comments from India about the Prophet Mohammed, the jihadist group said on its Telegram channel.
There were different reports on the number of victims of the attack – according to the Interior Ministry, which is run by the militant Islamist Taliban, two people died and seven were injured. The IS, on the other hand, claimed that the attackers injured or killed around 50 people within several hours, including Hindus, Sikhs and security forces from the militant Islamist Taliban.
explosions and shots
Gunmen entered the Gurudwara, the place of worship for the religious minority, on Saturday, where they shot and threw hand grenades. The temple in Kabul’s Karte Parwan district was severely damaged, as shown in pictures taken by local journalists. The explosions also started a fire, and footage circulated online showed black smoke billowing from the building.
As rulers in Afghanistan, it was up to the Taliban to restore security. According to their own statements, they surrounded the temple and secured the site. They found two bodies, which they identified as the attackers. It was unclear how the attackers died.
According to the Interior Ministry, the attackers had tried to detonate a car bomb in a crowd. However, this detonated too early, so no one was injured. Pictures showed the damage to several homes near the blasted vehicle. The fatalities confirmed by the ministry were a member of the Sikh community and a Taliban security force.
Politicians at home and abroad condemned the attack. The UN’s Afghanistan mission (Unama) called for an immediate end to attacks on civilians and protection for all minorities in the country, including Sikh, Hasara and Sufis.
IS suspected from the start
From the outset, IS was suspected of having carried out the attack. The terrorist militia has repeatedly attacked places and members of the Sikhs. There are repeated attacks in Afghanistan on other minorities, such as non-Sunni Muslims.
The IS basically directs its violence against people of other faiths. However, Sikhs have also been repeatedly attacked by extremists who equated them with followers of other religions. Sikhism is a monotheistic faith that originated in India and is a small minority even there.
The Sikh temple in Kabul apparently had to serve as a symbol for India and the dominant Hinduism there on Saturday. Derogatory statements made by a spokeswoman for the Indian Hindu nationalist ruling party BJP about the Prophet Mohammed at the beginning of June caused outrage and protests in several Muslim countries. IS also has a problem with India, which has recently made diplomatic rapprochements with Afghanistan’s Taliban government. The IS and the Taliban are deadly enemies, although both groups are recruited from Sunnis and are ideologically close.
Followers of religious minorities in Afghanistan have lived correspondingly dangerously, not only since the Islamist Taliban took power in August 2021. According to the Afghan Sikh politician Anarkali Honaryar, fewer than 60 Hindus and Sikhs still live in the country. Most of the supporters had left the capital Kabul when the Taliban took power, if possible.