Posted on 04/26/2011 4:50:56 AM PDT by Libloather
Prayers at Sikh Temple in New York erupt in sword fight
By Jonathan Allen
Mon Apr 25, 6:51 pm ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A leadership dispute that turned violent at a Sikh temple in New York, interrupting prayers with swinging swords and cricket bats, landed congregants in court on Monday on criminal charges, a prosecutor said.
Amid screaming, yelling, punching and the swinging of weapons, followers of the two men who each claim to be the rightful president of the Baba Makhan Shah Lobana Sikh Center in Richmond Hill set upon each other on Sunday morning, according to court documents filed by the Queens District Attorney's office.
Eight men were arrested on various charges of assault, criminal possession of a weapon and disruption of a religious service, police said. A police officer suffered minor injuries during the brawl.
"It's shameful for everybody," said Gurmej Singh, who said he was elected as president effective at the beginning of the year. "This is a religious place where we go for peace and people are ready to be killing each other. I feel bad."
He said that his rival for the presidency, Jarnail Singh, arrived with a gang of followers carrying weapons early on Sunday morning and waited inside the temple and started shouting at and attacking worshipers as they arrived, threatening to kill them.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Never bring a cricket bat to a sword fight...
Eight men were arrested on various charges of assault, criminal possession of a weapon and disruption of a religious service...I don't know if "disruption of a religious service" is a fair charge in this case. Seems like this was the content of the religious service.
Religion of pieces?
I think a little grass before breakfast is in order here.
Gentlemen, choose your weapons.
Cricket bats if you please...
Seems to me it was a Culturally adjudicated difference of
opinion and they should have been left to a final disposition.
Wouldn't “disruption of a religious service” be something the crazy funeral protesters could be charged with?
LOL!
The cricket bat makes the story IMHO...too funny.
It could have been worse; he could have brought his polo mallet (whatever that’s called in the polo world)...ouch.
The Mrs
Yep, here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inK4n9GiFgQ
Religion of pieces?
<><><><><><><><><><
Please tell me you don’t think Sikhs are Muslims.
Anything to keep the crickets happy....
;)
” interrupting prayers with swinging swords and cricket bats, “
Now there’s a phrase I bet you NEVER thought you’d see in print.
Please tell me that you watched the video and saw the 30 swords come out. (They're very well armed, BTW.)
LMAO! Good one...
I think that its part of their religion that every male has to wear a sword.
We’ve had a Sikh riot at the temple down the street involving the police. No sword fights, just a lot of turbans knocked off, which is apparently an insult worse than injury among the Sikhs. There must have been a hundred white turbans scattered in the parking lot after the cops cleared the place.
Saw Swords,
Swang Same
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.