On March 25th, 2020, over 20 members of the Sikh community in Afghanistan were attacked at Gurdwara Guru Har Rai, in Shor Bazaar, Kabul. Armed attackers stormed the premises of the Gurdwara, after entering the complex and holding worshippers hostage. Roughly 200 people were trapped inside the Gurdwara when the attack started at around 7am.
The World Sikh Organisation has called for urgent assistance from the Canadian Government.
“WSO is requesting a direct sponsorship program from Afghanistan for members of these vulnerable communities who face constant threat and fear for their lives since 2016.”
The Daesh or Islamic State, which has targeted Sikh minorities before, have claimed responsibility for the attacks in Kabul. A convoy of Sikhs and Hindus was targeted in 2018, en route to a meeting with the President, Ashraf Ghani. Attacks have been condemned by Afghanistan’s government due to the rise of violence towards Sikh and Hindu minorities.
Since the attacks, Afghanistan has been placed under lockdown after Health Minister, Ferozuddin Feroz announced “Estimates show that more than 25 million people could become infected in Afghanistan, with at least 16 million showing symptoms. The spread can be prevented if measures are implemented.”
Lockdown for 21 days in order to combat the spread of Covid-19 in Kabul, a city populated by six million citizens, began on Saturday. Orders were initially defied as people continued to work, but the lockdown was implemented by an increased police force until the city began to empty. The lockdown may be extended, however the virus has left Afghanistan with over-crowded prisons, unemployment rising, and families falling into poverty.
Nader Nadery, Human Rights Commissioner and Senior Presidential Advisor, has voiced concern and support on Twitter for those affected by attacks on the Gurdwara. In response to the March 25th attacks, Nader spoke of his colleague, Meharwan Singh;
“Searching through bodies at hospital, he said “I am left alone, they have taken all I had”. Resilient as he is, his voice carried the weight of our nation’s pain & suffering from these senseless violences. Our pple long for ending it. Ceasefire is what they deserve & want ASAP.”
Meharwan Singh, among many Sikhs and Hindus living in Afghanistan, lost over 20 people during the attack in Kabul’s Gurdwara, including 4 women, and 2 children. Mines have also been discovered outside the site of the suicide bombing.
President of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, Manjinder Singh, has spoken out in light of the attacks and said
“As of the past few hours, Sikhs in Kabul have been told not to leave their homes. Explosive devices have been found outside their gurdwaras, Sikh place of worship, and there is a real fear another attack is imminent.This is the 3rd attack in 3 days,”
Local authorities have asked members of the community to remain indoors as the Army works to diffuse any explosives found in the vicinity of the Gurdwara, and health officials work towards protecting the population from Covid-19.