Hindu temple set on fire in Pakistan over blasphemy
BY SYED RAZA HASSAN
ISLAMABAD Sun Mar 16, 2014 10:24pm IST
A Hindu temple burns after it was attacked in Larkana, southern Pakistan’s Sindh province, March 15, 2014. REUTERS-Faheem Soormro
A security official and members of the Hindu community stand inside a temple that was attacked on Saturday night, in Larkana, southern Pakistan’s Sindh province, March 16, 2014. REUTERS-Faheem Soormro
Protesters chant slogan as they react to a rumour that a member of the Hindu community had desecrated the Koran, in Larkana, southern Pakistan’s Sindh province, March 16, 2014. REUTERS-Faheem Soormro
1 OF 3. A Hindu temple burns after it was attacked in Larkana, southern Pakistan’s Sindh province, March
HOLI HAI!
Hindu priest Babulal jumps out of a fire to signify the burning of the demon Holika during a ritual to mark the first day of the Holi spring festival, also known as the Festival of Colours, at village Phalen near Mathura March 17, 2014. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
Holi at Phalen village in Uttar Pradesh
Holi in Phalen in Uttar Pradesh starts on the first day of the full moon where a Hindu mythological story is re-enacted to symbolize the victory of good over evil. Slideshow
‘Lathmar’ Holi in Barsana
Holi at Bankey Bihari temple
Holi at a widows’ ashram in Vrindavan
How India celebrated the festival of colours
(Reuters) – Hundreds of angry Pakistanis attacked a Hindu temple and set it on fire in southern Pakistan overnight following a rumour that a member of the Hindu community had desecrated the Koran, police and community leaders said on Sunday.
The incident took place just before midnight on Saturday after locals in Larkana district alleged that Sangeet Kumar, 42, had torn out pages of Islam’s holy book and tossed them down on the street from the roof of his home.
“Our Dharamshala (community centre) has been gutted and the temple has been partially damaged. All the statues have been destroyed by the attackers,” Kalpana Devi, chairperson of the local Hindu committee, told Reuters.
Hundreds of students from local Islamic seminaries attacked the temple holding batons, one witness, Javed Shah, said. Police arrived quickly to protect Kumar from the angry crowd.
“They acted smartly and took him out after making him put on a police uniform to save him from the wrath of the crowd,” said Shah.
“It took nearly 20 minutes to break down the doors (of the temple) before they entered the compound and set it on fire. They also set fire to the temple before ransacking it.”
Sindh province, where the attack took place, is home to most of Pakistan’s small Hindu community which numbers about two million among a population of about 180 million.
Pakistan’s rocky relationship with neighbouring India, a predominantly Hindu country, has fed tension between the two communities in smaller towns but outright acts of violence are rare.
Police said they were investigating the matter.
“The situation is not satisfactory,” Deputy Inspector General of Larkana, Khadim Rind, told Reuters. “Sanjeet Kumar has been accused of desecrating the holy book by the locals. The accused is in our custody.”
Tensions were high in the region following the incident, with Muslim protestors taking to the streets in several towns and setting fire to shops belonging to Hindus in the city of Usta Mohammad.
The Hindu Panchayat Council, a representative body of Hindu minorities, has appealed on Hindus to keep a low profile while celebrating the ongoing Holi festival of colours.
(Additional reporting by Gul Yousafzai, Writing by Maria Golovnina, Editing by Angus MacSwan)
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http://www.onislam.net/english/news/asia-pacific/470351-quran-desecration-flares-pakistan-tensions.html
OnIslam & Newspapers
Monday, 17 March 2014 00:00
In the wake of the incident, police imposed a curfew in the southern town to prevent tension escalation.
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Muslim scholars have denounced attacks on a Hindu temple in Sindh’s Larkana district, calling for urgent probe into the incident in which protests against Qur’an desecration turned into violent clashes.
“Our religion, Islam, preaches peace, love and forbearance,” Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, the Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC), told The News on Monday, March 17.
“However, it is also necessary that the followers of other religions should respect the sentiments of the Muslims,” Ashrafi Urged.
Tensions flared after reports that a middle-aged hindu has torn out pages from the Muslims’ noble Qur’an, burning and tossing them down on the street from the roof of his home.
The news spread among the Muslim community who gathered to protest the blasphemous act on Saturday.
Later on, angry students from Islamic seminaries joined the protests, where clashes erupted between Muslims and Hindus before Larkana temple which led to setting fire on the temple.
“The law and order problem surfaced in the city Saturday evening after local residents accused a Hindu youth, Surjeet Kumar, of burning pages of the Holy Koran,” senior local administration official Ghunwar Leghari told AFP.
At least two Muslims were arrested after the incident.
Deploring the incident, the Ulema Council called on the government to protect minorities, including Hindus, and prevent violence.
“Pakistan is in need of peace and it is the responsibility of the political and religious parties as well as the leaders of the Muslims and non-Muslims to play their part in achieving the target of establishing a lasting peace in the country,” the PUC chairman said.
PUC leader has urged Sindh provience chief to ease tension and take measures to prevent future incidents.
“I also contacted PUC Sindh President Maulana Tariq Madni and asked him to play his role in quelling the tension between the Muslim and the Hindu communities.” Ashrafi, PUC Chairman said.
Similar tension erupted between Pakistani Hindus and Sikhs last September over sacrilege of the copies of latter’s holy book in various parts of Southern Sindh province, an act denounced by Pakistani Muslim religious leaders as contradicting with all faiths.
‘No conspiracy’
The incident was immediately condemned by Sindh Minister for information, archive and local government who said any trials to foil tensions between the two faiths would fail.
“Any conspiracy to cause Hindu-Muslim confrontation would be foiled,” Sharjeel Innam Memon said.
The Pakistani official has also vowed a legal action against people involved in the communal incident.
According to Memon, Sindh government will compensate for the damage and will rebuild the temple.
In the wake of the incident, police imposed a curfew in the southern town to prevent tension escalation.
“The situation is not satisfactory,” Deputy Inspector General of Larkana, Khadim Rind, told Reuters.
“Sanjeet Kumar has been accused of desecrating the holy book by the locals.
“The accused is in our custody,” Rind stressed.
On the other hand, the Hindu community has denounced the desecration of Qur’an, saying that perpetrator is a “drug addict”.
“The man accused of blasphemy is a habitual drug addict and the Hindu community in Larkana can’t even think of disrespecting any community’s religious beliefs,” Kalpana Devi, the head of the local Hindu Panchayat, told a private TV channel, Online News reported.
Hindus are Pakistan’s second largest minority in Pakistan after Christian, whereas they are the largest minority in Sindh province. They constitute 2 per cent of total 180 million population of this South Asian nuclear Muslim state.
Out of total Hindu population, 92 per cent belong to schedule cast or lower cast, while 8 per cent belong to upper cast of Hindus. Upper caste Hindus are by and large rich, and educated-mostly involved in business, trade, and medical professions.
According to Pakistan’s blasphemy law, insulting any Prophet in Pakistan, a country where 95 percent of the population is Muslim, is a crime punishable with death or life imprisonment.
The law, commonly known as 295-C, was introduced in early 1980s by late President General Zia-ul-Haq.
Since then, some 700 cases of blasphemy have been registered, half of which are against Muslims.
But rights groups say the law is often exploited to settle personal scores.
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