Two men were stabbed inside an Edmonton gurdwara after a disruption during morning prayers, as Canadian leaders condemned the attack and called for accountability, reports Asian Lite News Desk
Two men were stabbed inside a gurdwara in Edmonton, Canada, after a man allegedly disrupted morning prayers ahead of a wedding ceremony, police and community representatives said.
The incident took place shortly after 5 a.m. at the Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple in northeastern Edmonton, near 14 Street and Horsehill Road.
The Edmonton Police Service said officers responding to the incident arrested a man at the scene. Emergency personnel treated two adult men for injuries that were described as non-life-threatening.
Police have not announced a motive for the attack and have not said whether the incident is being investigated as a hate-motivated crime.
Temple representative Harmeek Sehgal said the man entered the gurdwara and interrupted morning prayers being held before a wedding scheduled for later in the day.
According to Sehgal, members of the congregation initially tried to speak to the man, but he did not cooperate.
“The guy apparently wasn’t listening to anything. So they (tried) to subdue the guy. The guy tried to push back,” he said, according to Global News.
The confrontation escalated and two men were stabbed. Sehgal said both victims remained conscious after the attack and were able to speak.
“The last I heard, they both were talking,” he said.
Despite the violence, the wedding ceremony went ahead at the gurdwara at about 10.30 a.m.
Sehgal said there was no reported damage to the property or to Sikh scriptures, which are considered sacred.
“The police will help determine that — everybody is anxious to figure out what happened and why it happened,” he said.
The incident drew condemnation from Canadian political leaders, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, who described the attack as “appalling”.
In a post on X, Carney expressed his thoughts for the two injured men and the wider Sikh community, saying no one should feel unsafe in a place of worship.
He also thanked the Edmonton Police Service for its swift response.
Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre also condemned the violence, describing the attack as “horrific” and calling for the perpetrator to be held fully accountable.
Poilievre said authorities should establish the motive behind the attack and ensure people across Canada can practise their religion in peace and security.
Harman Kandola, a spokesperson for the World Sikh Organisation of Canada, said the stabbing had overshadowed what should have been a celebration.
“It was supposed be a joyous occasion, yet here we are having to talk about two people who were seriously injured,” Kandola said.
The Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund also condemned the incident, saying violence inside a place of worship was deeply disturbing.
The organisation expressed solidarity with the victims and Edmonton’s Sikh community and urged gurdwaras to review emergency procedures, keep exits accessible and maintain communication with local law-enforcement agencies.
