The Sikh sect linked to Henry Nowak's killer, Amardeep Bassey (@ambassey) In India, Nihangs have occasionally attacked Christian pastors and worshippers. In Britain, some have gravitated towards Tommy Robinson, which is ironic given his self-declared Christian credentials. A few even joined the now-defunct English Defence League in its short-lived ‘Sikh Division’. Any links are tenuous, issue-specific and individual rather than institutional, especially given the Nihangs are traditionalists by nature. The nexus that does exist stems primarily from shared opposition to radical Islamism. Sikh street gangs, like the Shere-Punjab in Birmingham, were originally formed to fight white racists in the Seventies. In later decades, though, some elements morphed into a vehemently anti-Muslim campaign amid fears that Sikh girls were being groomed and forcibly converted, especially at so-called ‘Daytime Bhangra’ music gigs. More recently, groups like Sikh Youth UK have openly supported Robinson, claiming they’re fighting Muslim grooming gangs. Read more ⬇️ buff.ly/55CpwjG

The Sikh sect linked to Henry Nowak’s killer, Amardeep Bassey (@ambassey) The air was thick with incense and tension. The hall was already bustling, as men and boys gathered under the shadow of ceremonial weapons and the resonant boom of a Sikh war drum. Some looked as though they were preparing for battle, wearing empty bandoliers and tactical camouflage vests, four-foot swords hanging by their sides. I was invited to sit and eat at the free kitchen, just like at every Sikh temple, as I watched the foyer fill up. Yet as more and more people arrived, a man with a quizzical look approached me. He asked if I was a journalist. When I said I was, he told me that this was a private event, and that nobody would talk to me anyway. The meeting’s outcome, he added, would be publicised on social media. When I asked where exactly, he smiled and answered glibly. ‘The same channels where you found out about this meeting.’ I wasn’t going to argue, shuffling past a thronged mass of conical turbans towards the door. Read more ⬇️ buff.ly/55CpwjG