One of the most sacred Sikh shrines, Nankana Sahib Gurdwara, located 60 km from Lahore Pakistan, came under mob attack on Friday. Hundreds of residents near Nankana Sahib pelted stones on the Gurdwara threatening to destroy it.
Attack on Nankana Sahib Gurdwara
The angry crowd surrounded the holy shrine on Friday afternoon, leaving many devotees stuck inside. The mob was being directed by the family of Mohammad Hassan, the boy who supposedly kidnaped and converted Sikh girl Jagjit Kaur, who is the daughter of the gurdwara’s granthi. The attackers were angry with Jagjit’s brother Manmohan Singh for giving a police complaint. The Sikhs were also been threatened that they would be evicted. The protesters warned to destroy the gurdwara and build a mosque in its place.
#WATCH An angry mob shouts anti-Sikh slogans outside Nankana Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan's Punjab. Earlier stones were pelted at the Gurdwara led by the family of a boy who had allegedly abducted a Sikh girl Jagjit Kaur, daughter of the Gurdwara's pathi. (Earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/xyNkhsrhR9
— ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2020
“We are concerned at the attack carried out at the revered Nankana Sahib Gurdwara today. People fro the minority Sikh community have been subjected to acts of violence in the holy city of Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Shri Guru Nanak Dev,” the statement said.
Force to change the religion
Jagjit Kaur, daughter of a granthi at Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, was supposedly kidnapped by Mohammed Hassan, who reportedly forced her to convert into Islam and marry him.
This is the true FACE of Pakistan that threatens and persecutes Minorities
Show it to everyone especially to Human Rights Advocates sitting in India@UNHumanRights @BBCBreaking @CNN @TimesNow @republic @PTI_News @News18India pic.twitter.com/vT4MLhmZJY
— Manjinder S Sirsa (@mssirsa) January 4, 2020
Following pressure from India, Pakistani officials made a deal between families and they agreed that the girl will be returned to the parents, but the girl, now known as Ayesha Bibi, has declined to go with the deal and has said that she loves her husband and would not leave him.
Hear the video and feel the kind of terror minorities live with in Pakistan
Mohammad Hassan openly threatens to destroy Nankana Sahib Gurdwara and build the mosque in that place@ImranKhanPTI is urged to take action against communal trend of hatred@TimesNow @ANI @ZeeNews pic.twitter.com/OrxQV1m2Kh
— Manjinder S Sirsa (@mssirsa) January 3, 2020
On the other side, Mohammad Hassan claimed that Sikhs had been pressurizing his family to send the girl back to them, but she does not want to go back. “I was hit by police officials several times on orders of the minority minister and other officials. These Sikhs have been hustling us to give the girl back to them. But that will never happen because she is a Muslim now. She does not want to leave my brother or Islam. We will stand by her side and guard her,” he said.
The holy shrines
The Nankana Sahib gurdwara is at the site where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, was born. It is considered to be one of the most religious Sikh shrines. The Sikh temple signifies the place of the sect’s founder and first guru, Nanak Dev in 1469.
Many Indian Sikhs and additional pilgrims travel to Pakistan many times during a year to visit shrines. Moreover, Pakistani pilgrims also visit India on a regular basis to worship at religious sites in India.
The violence at the most divine Sikh shrine has received major criticism from India, proving its point on CAA’s decision, the government had put out an official statement condemning the incident and calling for urgent action to protect the minorities in the country.
However, Pakistan on Friday dismissed reports that claimed Gurdwara Nankana Sahib had been vandalized by a mob. “It’s an effort to decorate this incident as a communal issue. In fact, the gurdwara remains unbroken and undamaged. All implications to the opposite, particularly the claims of acts of ‘desecration and destruction’ and desecration of the holy place, are not only false but also mischievous,” the Pakistan official said.
