Gurdwara in Pakistan attacked: Breakdown and Reaction

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On January 3rd 2020, footage emerged depicting a violent demonstration outside of Nankana Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan involving approximately one hundred people, some of whom were seen pelting stones at the Gurdwara, led by a man shouting anti-Sikh rhetoric. Gurdwara Janam Asthan (the official name of the Gurdwara) is one of the most revered sites of the Sikh faith as it was created in the city where Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj – the first Guru of the Sikhs – was born.

The situation comes after the recent opening of the Kartarpur Corridor was opened, facilitating easier access for Sikhs in India to visit Nankana Sahib, a move by the Pakistan government designed to increase Sikh tourism to the country.

What was the demonstration about? Who took part? What was the reaction of locals? How did Sikh organisations and individuals react? Read on to find out. 

 

LATEST UPDATE – 10.01.20

Sikh girl claims she was NOT forced into Muslim marriage

According to Pakistani news sources, Jagjit Kaur – the Sikh girl at the centre of a dispute linked to the Nankana Sahib Gurdwara attack – claimed she married her alleged kidnapper of her own free will.

In August 2018 the family of Jagjit Kaur (also being referred to as Jagjeet Kaur) filed a police report regarding her kidnapping at gunpoint. Days after her alleged kidnapping, a video surfaced of Jagjit proclaiming she had accepted Islam and a new Muslim husband.

This led to an international outcry regarding her situation. Sikhs in countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan have long spoken out about issues of Sikh women being kidnapped and forcibly converted and married to Muslim men. The police report from the family led to the arrest of the alleged kidnapper Mohammad Hassan (also being named as Muhammad Hassan and Mohammed Ehsaan in media).

It was a claim of police harassment against the family (read more below) which was said to have led to the Muslim mob descending on Nankana Sahib Gurdwara, where stones were pelted at the Sikh place of worship and anti-Sikh slogans were cheered by a crowd of approximately 100.

Although the issue was seemingly concluded with the arrest of the ringleader of the mob, questions about Jagjit’s situation were still unanswered. However, on Thursday the Lahore High Court saw Jagjit Kaur (now claiming the name Ayesha) that she willingly married Hassan.

Her family – who claim they have been threatened by goons ever since she was taken at gunpoint from the family home – claim she is still under pressure and needs more time and support to be clear on her situation.

Sikh P.A will provide further updates where possible.

 

Sikh man killed in Pakistan was murdered by hitmen paid by his fiancee

Just two days after the Nankana Sahib Gurdwara attack (5.01.20), the murder of a Sikh man found in Peshawar was cited as further evidence of issues Sikhs face in Pakistan.

However, police investigation today have claimed the man – Ravinder Singh (also being named as Pravinder by some media outlets) was actually killed by hitmen paid by his fiancee.

Read more here – https://dailyentxpress.com/sikh-youth-murdered-in-pakistan-was-killed-by-hitmen-hired-by-fiancee.

 

 

Original article from 05.01.20

 

Why was there an anti-Sikh demonstration?

According to journalist Ravinder Singh, who seems to have been the first to break the story, the mob that converged on Nankana Sahib Gurdwara was led by a man named Mohammed Imran, whose brother Mohammed Hassan was allegedly arrested and being investigated/questioned by police for his role in the abduction of a local Sikh girl and their subsequent forced marriage in August 2019. Pakistani media stated the mob was largely made up of the accused’s family, neighbours and sympathetic locals.

 

The Sikh Press Association covered the story of Jagjit Kaur’s kidnap at gunpoint, forced conversion and marriage. The last known updates on her situation were unclear, with conflicting reports about whether she returned home or was willingly staying (or wanting to) with her Muslim ‘husband’.

Note – media reports previously named the accused kidnapper and forced husband of Jagjit Kaur as Mohammed Ehsaan but is now being named as Mohammad Hassan.

Jagjit Kaur with her alleged kidnapper Mohammed Hassan.

 

The demonstration saw stones being thrown at the Gurdwara and anti-Sikh rhetoric being shouted by a ringleader, cheered on by the surrounding crowd. The ringleader was named as Imran Ali Chishti (seen in the video below).

 

Some suggested the demonstration, although triggered by the Jagjit Kaur situation, was part of an underlying long continued anti-Sikh sentiment within the country. Ill treatment of Sikhs (often to a fatal extent) has long been an issue in Pakistan for the minority community.

 

How did the demonstration come to an end?

The arrival of police in riot gear and attempts at dialogue with the mob ringleader helped eventually bring the demonstration to an end, with one Pakistani news site claiming the end only came with assurances of ‘justice’ for the family accused of involvement in the kidnapping and forced marriage and conversion of Jagjit Kaur.

 

However, the impact of the threat the demonstration posed was already felt, with religious programmes held within the Gurdwara having been cancelled and Sikhs being advised to stay indoors.

 

What happened next?

Pakistan’s interior minister claimed “This incident was the result of an altercation between the owner of a tea stall and a customer”.

According to the Interior Ministry, the protests erupted after two men, Saqlain and Mumtaz Ali, visited the Zaman Malik Shop near the Gurdwara and complained of a fly in their teacup. In response, the owners—Zaman, Iftikhar and Adnan—attacked them, resulting in a scuffle. Police reached the scene upon receiving reports of the conflict, and took all five into custody. Adnan was said to be another brother of Mohammed Hassan, the accused in the Jagjit Kaur kidnapping case.

Mohammed Imran, the brother of Mohammed Hassan and Adnan, then started to protest, gathering around 150 locals by claiming his family had been targeted by police because his sibling had eloped with a Sikh girl, who had converted to Islam. The Interior Ministry statement stressed that it was Imran, and Imran alone, who had tried to turn the matter into an issue of communal strife.

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The Pakistan Foreign Office also released a statement stating the Gurdwara was not damaged and suggestions claiming otherwise were ‘mischievous’, words thought to be aimed at the The External Affairs Ministry of India who released a statement claiming ‘destruction and desecration’ had taken place at the Gurdwara.

 

Prime Minister of Pakistan made a statement on the incident two days after it had happened, within which he claimed ‘zero tolerance’ for such actions against minorities in Pakistan, as well as stating that the incident was different from issues of minority targeting in India as that is part of ‘Modi’s RSS vision’.

 

Despite the claims of ‘zero tolerance’, the ringleader of the mob was seen in a video seemingly made in his home, where he apologised for his role in the incident.

He was also in another video which saw him ‘thanking authorities’.

 

Latest news from Pakistan claims Imran Ali Chishti has now been arrested for his role in the incident.

 

How did Sikhs react to the attack?

News of the attack was met with condemnation and disappointment at the situation by Sikhs, fuelling calls for further discussion on treatment of the community in Pakistan and beyond.

The apology from the mob’s ringleader was also met with contempt from many Sikhs.

 

Several Sikh organisations made statements on the situation. The Sikh Council UK said they had ‘written to PM Imran Khan to ensure the safety of Gurdwaras’ in Pakistan, whilst also urging sangat (Sikh congregation) to ‘remain vigilant of sensationalised news’.

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The British Columbia Gurdwaras Council (Canada) also released a statement which relayed the importance of being aware of the realities of the situation. This theme – based on not allowing the Indian state to capitalise on the situation which ties in with their much criticised CAA bill – was prominent in the reaction statements made by various Sikh orgs and individuals.

The National Sikh Youth Federation, who made a joint statement with three other Sikh orgs on the incident, highlighted this sentiment was also expressed by Sikhs in Pakistan in Nankana Sahib in a video shared on social media.

 

 

What is the reaction to the incident in Pakistan?

Pakistan reaction on social media has largely seen condemnation of the incident.

 

Muslim faith figures came forward to show solidarity with Sikhs.

 

A leading Pakistan based Sikh organisation asked the government to help ‘maintain the environment of peace and love’ in the country by addressing such attacks.

Sikhs in the area also filed their own police report on the incident.

 

What has the reaction been in India?

The incident was called out by many Indian political figures, including Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder.

One of the larger protests about the demonstration saw the Delhi Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee lead a march outside the Pakistani High Commission in India (Delhi).

These protests also saw praise for the conduct of Sikhs taking part, based on the unifying and grounding Sikh practice of langar, which was carried out as seen below.

Many in India suggested, as recognised by the Sikh orgs speaking against it, the incident in Pakistan was reason to support the controversial CAA bill (read more on it here).

 

What is the situation like in Pakistan now?

Celebrations for Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj’s Gurpurab (Guru’s day) are said to have gone on as normal in Pakistan, although some unverified suggestions claim a planned Nagar Kirtan (Sikh religious procession, a form of celebration) was cancelled as a result of what happened.

Although the mob ringleader has now been shown to be arrested, questions still remain about any consequence those involved in the mob attack will face, and also the situation of Jagjit Kaur and her accused too.

A further concerning incident was revealed today (January 5th), as a young Sikh man was killed in the Peshawar region of Pakistan. The victim’s brother spoke out about issues minorities face in the country. Note – the victim is being named as both Ravinder or Pravinder Singh, although both names apply to the same person/incident.

 

The Sikh Press Association will continue to provide updates on this incident and linked issues when possible.

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