Muslim hooligans take over Sikh shrine

The Malaysia sun reports that Muslim hooligans have taken over a Sikh shrine.

http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/303b19022816233b/id/275103/cs/1/

Muslim hooligans take over Sikh's Lahore's Bhai Taro Singh Jee temple in Lahore
Malaysia Sun
Monday 20th August, 2007
(ANI)

Lahore, Aug 20 : The ownership of Bhai Taro Singh Jee temple in Lahore's Naulakha Bazaar has become the centre of a confrontation between the Sikhs and a Muslim hooligan group, which has allegedly taken over the temple's ownership.

The Sikh community has alleged that local Muslim hooligans, who are getting support of Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), have taken control over the temple and have debarred them from entering inside it.

Representatives of the Sikh community said that the hooligans had stopped them from entering the premises for the past two months.

Muslims first prayed for saint, Pir Shah Kaku, and then started offering Asr and Maghrib prayers and started holding Quranic mehfils at the temple, the Sikh groups said.

According to Daily Times, Sikhs' religious symbols has been removed from the temple and Islamic slogans of 'Ya Allah' and 'Ya Rehmatul Alimeen' had replaced them. A plaque giving details of the pir's identity had also been put up on one of the walls.

The daily also spoke to the leader of the occupants of the temple, Sohail Butt, who said that they have taken the step (to occupy the temple) in their personal capacity "for the welfare of the Muslims community."

He admitted that the former guard of the temple had seen a dream where Pir Shah Kaku "had urged him to keep the Sikhs away from the temple".

He added that they are trying to ascertain the pir's date of death, and "once done we will hold a yearly urs in celebration."

Meanwhile, Sikh groups said that they were protesting against hooligans' activities and have urged the ETPB, but to no avail.

"After the temple's dome was painted green, the committee wrote to the then ETPB additional secretary Izharul Hassan against the violation of the temple's sanctity, said Dr. Mampal Singh.

He alleged that hooligans had claimed the shrine for themselves and that the ETPB had told the committee it would resolve the issue within a month.

"They haven't done anything yet and the hooligans are tightening their grip on our worship place,' he added.

However, EPTB refutes allegations levelled by Sikh groups.

ETPB chairman Lt Gen (r) Zulfiqar Ali Khan told the daily that the trustee is in charge of the temple and Muslims go there to pray for the saint, while Sikhs go there for their worship.

"There is no plaque of the saint or other plaques inscribed with Islamic slogans inside the temple. Vested quarters are trying to put a negative touch to the issue, but ETPB won't allow them to do so," he said, adding that they are trying to maintain a status quo.

The locals in the area have disputed the claims of the hooligans stating it is not authentic.

"They want to make money from the devotees and in this process have violated the sanctity of Sikhs worship place," a local said.