EXCLUSIVE:
An investigation is underway into a suspected hate crime after a slain sheep and a threatening message was discovered outside an Oldbury property earmarked for a Sikh Temple.
Residents found the deceased animal on Kargotich Road early on Wednesday morning, November 25, alongside the words ‘Pig next time’.
In 2015, Sahibzada Fateh Singh Jee Inc, a not-for-profit organisation responsible for developing new places of worship for the state’s growing Sikh population, purchased the site and filed a development application with the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale to build a 640 square metre temple.
The proposed temple, capable of accommodating up to 500 people, was approved by the shire council with a suite of conditions.
But the application attracted several objections when it was initially released for community consultation, one of which appeared to have mistaken the development for a mosque.
Examiner Newspapers contacted the proponent of the development, who was unaware that the sheep had been left at the site of the proposed temple – the construction of which is scheduled to begin in as little as seven months.
The proponent confirmed that there appeared to be some misinformation circulating over exactly what was being constructed and said he believed that to be the reason behind the incident, but did not wish to comment further.
Pigs are considered unclean by Muslims and a sin to consume.
The Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale was also contacted by Examiner Newspapers, but declined to comment on the incident.
The matter has been referred to Mundijong Police.
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that originated in the Punjab region of India and is considered to be one of the youngest major religions in the world.
