Gurdwara “raw meat” stunt latest in West Midlands anti-Sikh hate crime wave

A man was filmed throwing raw meat at the gates of a Gurdwara in West Brom, in what is the latest in a series of anti-Sikh hate crimes in the West Midlands this year.

On Monday (22nd December) at approximately 4pm at Guru Nanak Gurdwara West Bromwich a white man was caught on CCTV carrying a bag whilst walking by the Gurdwara, then clearly intentionally dumping its contents in front of the entrance gates, later confirmed as “raw meat” in a statement by the Gurdwara committee.

The Gurdwara committee stated the incident “has been reported to the police as a hate crime” whilst also requesting sangat (Sikh congregation) remain “vigilant”. Meetings between the Gurdwara representatives and “local police, MPs and councillors” have occurred. Police recorded the crime as “racially and religiously aggravated intentional harassment”.

Read the Gurdwara committee statement – which includes details on how to contract Crimestoppers with more info – here.

Pork has been thrown at Mosques in previous and even recent hate crimes across the UK. Although a mosque being the intended target could be a possibility, many would feel it is unlikely given the long history of Sikhs in the area, and the clear Sikh insignia visible all over the Gurdwara, including the Nishaan Sahib flag flying above it.

Speaking on the incident, Sikh PA Senior Press Officer Jasveer Singh said:

“Sikhs have been immersed in the local community in West Brom for decades. They are part of the local football club, the local businesses, community seva (selfless service) and more all through the area. It is unlikely anyone local would not know that the Gurdwara was the local Sikh place of worship.

“As such – especially after incidents in Wolverhampton, Walsall, Oldbury and Nuneaton in recent months and even just last week in Coventry – there is ongoing tension in UK Sikh communities regarding feeling directly targeted by bigotry. Grassroots efforts to safeguard continue, as do efforts to ensure appropriate police action is taken.”

The Sikh community is in a unique position of often being targeted by different types of bigotry, including white-supremacy, Hindutva (Hindu extremism) and Islamic extremism, all of which have resulted in attacks on Gurdwaras within recent years.

In the UK, the anti-Sikh hate crime incidents correlate with wider tension regarding immigrants, and many Sikhs believe there is a direct connection.

“The Sikh Press Association has noted a visible rise in online hate from open profiles, publicly espousing white supremacist rhetoric, directly targeting Sikhs. This includes the rise of the bigoted influencer/youtuber; those who inflame, provoke and sensationalise for views, dividing real communities in the process. Some of these types can have hundreds of thousands of followers, and in North America even millions. Social media giants reward their clickbait content through the algorithm and it is increasing online anti-Sikh hate.”

Updates on the hate crime will be published as soon as possible.