Gym issues groveling apology to Sikh man after ordering him to leave because of kirpan knife he carries as part of his beliefs

daily mail ^ | July 22,2026 | Eliot force

[Morgana]

A Canadian Sikh man has received an apology from a gym chain after he was kicked out from one of its locations for wearing a ceremonial kirpan knife.

Gurpartap Singh Sangha recorded himself being ordered to leave a GoodLife Fitness gym in Windsor, which is just across the Detroit River along the US-Canada border.

He posted the video to his 21,000 followers on TikTok, where it has been sparking controversy and going viral, receiving 2.2 million views as of Wednesday morning.

'Racially singled out by a good life employee,' a caption edited onto the video said. 'You’re kicking me out of the gym right now because you are scared that I’m going to take my religious symbol… and kill somebody?' Sangha said in the video.

The employee he was talking to replied: 'What I'm saying is you have a weapon on your person. A member has brought it to my attention, and for the safety of me and everybody else in the gym, I'm asking you to leave.'

Sangha said he did not understand, and the employee further stated that the gym is private and staff are allowed to deny people access.

A kirpan is a ceremonial dagger that baptized Sikhs must wear at all times, as mandated by their faith.

A 2006 Supreme Court of Canada ruling determined that the religious symbols are protected and must be accommodated in public settings, including schools, courthouses and legislatures, as long as they remain sheathed and are not longer than 23 centimeters (nine inches) in total length.

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TOPICS: Eastern Religions; General Discusssion
KEYWORDS: kirpan; knife; sikh

[Morgana]

I don't care if he carries his knife in a Canadian gym as long as he doesn't drive a semi in America.

[ConservativeMind]

You are not “racially singled out” for carrying a weapon.

You were singled out because you brought a weapon in, stupid, disgusting man.

[butlerweave]

They’re destroying the highways and killing people in Canada too ,LOL

[lee martell]

I think that special treatment is changing in England, after this white English kid was randomly stabbed by a Sikh and later arrested when that Sikh lied about who started it.

[arizonarick]

I guess it’s OK for me to carry my ceremonial AR-15.

[Dr. Sivana]

I guess it’s OK for me to carry my ceremonial AR-15.

Most Sikh ceremonial knives are made of flimsy plastic. Years ago, a nut job shot up a Sikh Temple during a service. He thought they were Muslims because of the head gear.

Their leader actually held his ground, and fought to his death with the toy knife. His heroism allowed others to escape. Their religion is certainly not Christian, but there are lots of stories of them being good men to have in a fox hole. They typically have no use for Islamists.

[TheThirdRuffian]

I’m a Mandalorian.

I must carry several weapons, including a blaster, various knives, a rifle, a flamethrower, and body armor as part of my religion.

This is the way.

[cpdiii]

A 2006 Supreme Court of Canada ruling determined that the religious symbols are protected and must be accommodated in public settings, including schools, courthouses and legislatures, as long as they remain sheathed and are not longer than 23 centimeters (nine inches) in total length.

My "CHURCH OF SELF DEFENSE" demands I be armed at all times, just like the above. My "CHURCH OF SELF DEFENSE" is quite specific on the firearm required. It must be 40 caliber or greater, semiautomatic, with mag capacity of at least 14, plus one in the tube of course. Under no circumstances can the weapon be longer than the "Magic 9 inches." /Sarcasm

Canada is lost. Not Sarcasm.

[cpdiii]

A 2006 Supreme Court of Canada ruling determined that the religious symbols are protected and must be accommodated in public settings, including schools, courthouses and legislatures, as long as they remain sheathed and are not longer than 23 centimeters (nine inches) in total length.

My "CHURCH OF SELF DEFENSE" demands I be armed at all times, just like the above. My "CHURCH OF SELF DEFENSE" is quite specific on the firearm required. It must be 40 caliber or greater, semiautomatic, with mag capacity of at least 14, plus one in the tube of course. Under no circumstances can the weapon be longer than the "Magic 9 inches." /Sarcasm

Canada is lost. Not Sarcasm.

[FlyingEagle]

A gym is not a church.

[catnipman]

“Gym issues groveling apology to Sikh man after ordering him to leave because of kirpan knife he carries as part of his beliefs”

so what they gonna do when folks have to carry machine guns as part of their “beliefs”?

[ConservativeMind]

Sikhs kill and lie.

[catnipman]

“I guess it’s OK for me to carry my ceremonial AR-15.”

indeed ...

[SuperLuminal]

Gurpartap Singh Sangha

Canada is totally lost...
It is almost at the cultural level of Somalia and India, the two filthiest pestholes on the planet...

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Their religion is certainly not Christian, but there are lots of stories of them being good men to have in a fox hole.

I'm pretty sure it's possible for them to be good men who abide by the same rules as everyone else. Either allow everyone in Canada and the UK to carry knives, or no one.

[PGR88]

Only in Canada

[Dr. Sivana]

I’m okay with all carrying knives. I found out when I lived in Columbus, GA that every man was expected to carry a pocket knife for its utility.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

I’m okay with all carrying knives.

Same here. An armed society is a polite society. What I'm not OK with is a special exemption from a ban on arms for one religious group.

[Dr. Sivana]

What I'm not OK with is a special exemption from a ban on arms for one religious group.

Notwithstanding that one that killed a gut with such a knife, the ceremonial ones are no more a knife than a Nerf Gun is a firearm.

Anyway, I think we agree that it is a healthier religious requirement than ganja use.