Sikh Temple Closed After Stabbing
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ABBOTSFORD, Canada — Police have closed a Sikh temple indefinitely after a man was stabbed in a dispute among moderate and fundamentalist members.
Several men are in custody, and the victim is being treated for his injuries, according to Constable Elly Sawchuk.
“It appears that what sparked this altercation is some fundamentalists were in the dining hall and some moderates who attended refused to remove their shoes,” Sawchuk said.
Witnesses said the victim was stabbed in the abdomen with a kirpan, a ceremonial knife carried by Orthodox Sikhs.
Several fights were in progress when police arrived and cleared the temple.
The Sikh community has been plagued by violence between moderates and fundamentalists over an edict from the ruling body in India to remove tables and chairs from temple dining halls.
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