There was a visual police presence outdoors Vancouver’s Ross Avenue Gurdwara on Monday, following an in a single day act of vandalism on Saturday.
The Khalsa Diwan Society that operates the Sikh temple says it’s the primary time within the facility’s historical past that slogans like this have defaced their partitions.
The graffiti included a phrase which means “demise to.”
“This didn’t occur at a gurdwara in small cities, the graffiti and type of slogans that was written even again within the racist days,” stated Jagdeep Singh Sanghera, vice-president of the Khalsa Diwan Society.
“For that to occur in as we speak’s world, as we speak’s Canadian soil is clearly devastating and stunning.”
Vancouver police have but to make any arrests, however say they’ve collected safety video that might be launched sooner or later that reveals the suspects arriving in a automobile round 4:15 a.m. on Saturday and spray portray on the partitions.
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“It’s a deplorable act of vandalism that we’re treating as a possible hate crime,” stated Vancouver police spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison. “We’ve got an investigation that’s being led by our Main Crimes Part.”
The Surrey Police Service is investigating comparable vandalism at a Hindu temple earlier on the identical Saturday morning.
The suspects in that case had been additionally caught on video.
“We had been shocked and we had been indignant,” stated Vinay Sharma with the Vedic Hindu Cultural Society.
“Two people truly got here to the temple and so they sprayed the principle Mandir signal, which has the Mandir identify on it, with Khalistan phrases on it.”
Within the final 18 months, group leaders say Decrease Mainland Sikhs have skilled unrest, together with intimidating behaviour on the 2024 Vancouver Vaisakhi occasion and on-line threats to Khalsa Diwan Society clergymen.
A small group of non secular extremists is suspected in the newest vandalism, with leaders of the Sikh gurdwara blaming pro-Khalistan separatists and Hindu leaders calling the vandalism “hate assaults.”
“Not blaming any factions, however (the) particular person who did this must be extremist as a result of no matter background they may have, no matter political opinions they may have, it’s extremist to do that at a spot of worship,” stated Sanghera.
“Their motivation is clearly to divide the group and begin tensions locally, and we won’t let that succeed.”
The incidents have additionally spurred solidarity between the 2 temples.
“If we don’t condemn it, this stuff will carry on occurring repeatedly,” added Sharma.
Vancouver police say they’ve stationed officers on the gurdwara and that police proceed to canvass the realm searching for extra safety video.
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