Islamic State says attack on Sikh temple is revenge for Prophet insults

June 19, 2022

(CNN) An Islamic State affiliate has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Sikh temple in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul that killed at least two people and injured seven.

The attack on Saturday was “an act of revenge” following insults made by members of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party about the Prophet Mohammed, ISIS-Khorasan said on its Telegram channel.

Nupur Sharma, a spokesperson for the party, had made derogatory remarks regarding the Prophet Mohammed during a panel discussion on a news channel and her comments were allegedly followed by anti-Islam comments by another party leader on Twitter.

I read a description of what she said in one British newspaper, but that paragraph disappeared within hours. As I recall (and maybe it was cut as it wasn’t accurate. or maybe the newspaper didn’t want to repeat something that was sparking violence) she read aloud the hadith (so a pukka Muslim text) where Aisha describes the day she was taken, aged 9 years old, to Mohammed for consummation of his marriage to her. And then said something on the lines of ‘how would you feel were I to criticise this?’ I firmly believe that what she said wasn’t a gratuitous insult, as I understand an insult. But I don’t have anything to back that. I do have this confirmation that the hadith repeated was indeed the one by Bukari, narrated by Aisha. And a declaration by an Islamic scholar (Assim Al-Hakeem, one of Zakir Naik’s cronies) that it is a true account.

A Twitter user by the name of Maulana Fayaz Uf Kani asked Alhakeem, “Salaam Alaikum sheikh @Assimalhakeem, its been said in India that Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W) married Aisha(R.A) at the age of 6 and consummated the marriage at the age of 9. is it true? Please clarify.” To which, Assim Alhakeem responded, “This is 100% true.”

Seven gunmen had tried to storm the temple in the early hours of Saturday morning and all were killed after a standoff that lasted several hours, according to Kabul police.

ISIS-K said in its Telegram post that its suicide bomber Abu Muhammad al-Tajik had gained entry to the temple by throwing a hand grenade at the security guard officer at the entrance, killing him.

“Armed with a rifle, pistol and hand grenades, he proceeded to shoot,” the worshippers inside the temple, ISIS-K said. I wonder if he was an Afghan Tajik, or originally from Tajikistan or Uzbekistan?

ISIS-K also claimed its members had clashed with Taliban government fighters trying to reach the temple, targeting them with a car bomb and four other explosive devices.

It said the clashes between ISIS-K and the Taliban fighters had lasted three hours and that the suicide bomber al-Tajik had died in these exchanges.

“The IEA [Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan] strongly condemns the targeting of the Hindu shrine in Kabul by the enemies of the Afghan people. The IEA expresses its condolences to the families of the victims and assures that serious measures will be taken to identify and punish the perpetrators of this crime,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, tweeted referring to the Sikh temple.