With the murder of Shemina Cheema (formerly Shemina Hirji) of Burnaby, British Columbia, questions are being raised about whether disapproval of mixed marriages could actually motivate someone to commit murder.

A mere three weeks ago, India eNews reported on a Sikh priest in Birmingham, England, who was the target of violence because he allegedly presided over a mixed marriage:

A Sikh priest in Birmingham has come under attack for allegedly conducting an inter-religious marriage.

Three cars parked outside the Handsworth Wood home of Jarnail Singh Bhogal, president of the Ramgharia Sikh gurdwara in Hockley, were set on fire Monday.

'I woke up and there was a big bang and an orange light or flash. I opened the curtains and saw my three cars on fire so I asked the kids and my wife to get out and go in the garden and called the fire brigade,' Bhogal said.

According to information posted on an online Sikh forum, the marriage between a Sikh woman and a man of another religion conducted by Bhogal was a disgraceful act, Birmingham Post reported.

It also demanded the priest's resignation and warned local gurdwara leaders of dire consequences if they allow mixed marriages.

However, gurdwara authorities said that the man involved in the marriage had converted to Sikhism before the ceremony.

'The girl was a Sikh and the boy voluntarily changed his name to a Sikh name and promised to adopt the values of Sikhism,' a gurdwara spokesperson said.

Confirming the incident, a police spokesperson said: 'An incident occurred where three vehicles were damaged. We can't confirm the reason behind it.'

Of course, the buzz around the murder of Shemina (who was Muslim) is that the home invasion was actually a targeted attack aimed at her. Being murdered only five days after being married to Paul Cheema (a Sikh) does make you wonder if the wedding was the trigger for the attack.

Police are saying nothing. They won't even release the cause of death, either to the media or to the family.

What we do know does suggest there were bad feelings in both families because of the wedding. Because of problems with the families, Paul and Shemina were married in a hotel, instead of in a Muslim mosque or a Sikh temple.

Was that their idea, or did the Sikh priest, mindful of the attack in Birmingham, make it clear that he would not preside over a mixed marriage?

An answer to that question would go a long way to understanding just what motivated this murder.

Something to consider.

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