The president of one of the largest gurdwaras in the UK has stated that the Sikh community 'feels like they are on trial' following the murder of student Henry Nowak. The 18-year-old Southampton student was stabbed five times by Vickrum Digwa, 23, in an incident where Digwa falsely claimed Nowak had racially abused him and knocked off his turban. Nowak was handcuffed as he lay dying after Digwa lied to officers, with distressing footage showing the teenager saying 'I can't breathe.'
Community Condemns Murder
Following Digwa being sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years on June 1, protests erupted in Southampton, causing unease within the Sikh community nationwide, including in Birmingham. Jatinder Singh, president of the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick, emphasized that the Sikh community 'strongly condemns the murder of Henry Nowak' and feels unfairly targeted.
Speaking to BirminghamLive, Mr. Singh said: 'We give our condolences to the Nowak family and we condemn the murder of Henry Nowak. We strongly condemn this. The community to an extent feel like they are on trial - which shouldn't be the case.' He added: 'This was a lone individual. An act of an individual who's murdered another young man.'
Integral Part of Britain
The president highlighted that Sikhs have been an integral part of Britain for decades, reiterating that the 'actions of one individual should not reflect on the entire community and all the hard work that it's done.' He stated: 'His actions don't represent the Sikh faith and they don't represent the Sikh community. They don't represent our tenets.'
Mr. Singh acknowledged a 'worry' among Sikhs in Birmingham, especially after protests in Southampton. He noted: 'There's been several cases of a rise in hate crime towards Sikhs, but these irresponsible comments which are being made are fuelling the drive for hate crime against Sikhs and even against Gurdwaras across the UK.'
Condolences and Call for Unity
Rounding off, Mr. Singh once more condemned Digwa's actions, calling the incident 'really sad,' while adding: 'Our heart goes out and our prayers to the Nowak family.'
When asked about increased patrols at gurdwaras, a West Midlands Police spokesperson said: 'We regularly carry out patrols at places of worship of all faiths across the West Midlands.'
