Shias want to build Sikh shrine in Iraq
Fired by their zeal to repay a debt to the Sikhs, India’s Shia community has embarked upon a mission to construct a Sikh shrine at Basra in Iraq in the honour of Sikhism founder and first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak.
Maulana Kalbe Jawad, India’s spiritual head of the Shia community, has decided to lead a delegation of prominent Shia leaders to Iraq to persuade Ayatollah Ali Shistani, the supreme authority of the Shia community the world over, to allow construction of the Sikh shrine at Basra near Baghdad. [Zee News]
A nice touch in a mad world. Hat tip: Jay Singh.
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Here’s the result of some further googling and the story about the actual discovery of the tomb itself:
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In Samana, Sant Kirpalji of Gurudwara Thada Saheb, situated at a distance of a kilometer from the tomb, told IOL that the Sikh order called “Buddha Dal†took care of the tomb after the 1947 Partition.
After Britain decided to withdraw from the subcontinent, the Congress Party and Muslim League agreed in June 1947 to a partition along religious lines.
India and Pakistan were established as independent dominions with predominantly Hindu areas allocated to India and predominantly Muslim areas to Pakistan.
At present, a Brahmin called Mangat Ram takes care of the place and keeps it clean.
Sant Kirpalji also said that he has seen a book in Urdu about the history of Samana, adding that Persians of “Samanat†community came here and inhabited the place centuries ago. They were cloth merchants.
According to Sant Kirpalji and others in the area, the important tomb belongs to “Chauda Peer†(Wide Saint) who is considered the most important saint in the area.
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The Nihangs (Buddha Dal) have been looking after it for the last sixty years!
There are many Muslim tombs and shrines and disused mosques dotted around Indian Punjab.
http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2005-06/13/article03.shtml
The adjacent tomb, according to them, belongs to his brother or wife.
A third tomb to the right belongs to his maternal uncle who is addressed by the villagers as “Imam Saheb†or “Bada Peer†(Big Saint).
Guru Nanak Ji visited Baghdad during his fourth visit, and there was a shrine established there.
There is evidence that he brought under his wing some very prominent Pirs of the time, and some anecdotal evidence that one of these great Pirs insisted on his tomb being placed with the Gurudwara.
http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php?title=Guru_Nanak_in_Baghdad
http://www.sikhspectrum.com/072002/baghdad.htm
Nice post, and also another inspiring example of reciprocal human respect and inter-community support.
Happy Vaisakhi, everyone.
Sikh pilgrims today in Pakistan (Punja Sahib) :
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060414/481/has10404140935
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060414/481/has10104140924
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060414/481/has10304140927
Also, the Amritsar-Nankana Sahib bus service is under way:
http://travelvideo.tv/news/more.php?id=8501_0_1_0_M
Good news
First Sikh Officer in Pakistan army:
http://www.sikhsangat.org/publish/article_971.shtml
There have been plenty of Christian and Hindu officers before, but this is the first Sikh.
Here is Hercham Singh in uniform, meeting the PM of Pakistan:
http://img364.imageshack.us/img364/7636/pmsikhcadet8jr.jpg
Nice!
Nice One! Peace, Love and Unity