German Sikhs are a growing religious minority in Germany. The majority of German Sikhs have their roots from the Punjab, India with the remaining coming from the Afghan Sikh community or through conversion. The number of Sikhs is estimated to be between 25,000.[1] Germany had the fifth highest Sikh population in Europe after United Kingdom (524,000), Italy (220,000), Portugal (35,000) and Spain (26,000).
In April 2016, two 16-year-old Muslims bombed a gurdwara in the German city of Essen using fire extinguishers that were converted into an explosive device. The devices detonated after a wedding party had left for the reception. A gurdwara priest was injured seriously, while two others were treated for minor injuries. The building itself was damaged severely. One of the teens was in deradicalization program. The two denied that it was religiously motivated, saying it was “just for the kick of building fireworks!” However, before setting off the blast, the two tried to break into another gurdwara in North Rhine Westphalia.[3]
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