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]