Sikhs in Pekhawar protest against terrorism

[Bengal_Tiger]

Sikh community in Peshawar protest against target killing of their community members. Sikhs are being targeted by terrorists and they are faced with big problems of movement and business.
We stand with you. We condemn the killings of the Sikhs in Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa.

Watan Pal Yusufzai

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203221953451423&set=a.1151666833624.2023099.1286240939&type=1&theater

Sikh in Pekhawar.




Sikhs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

[Bengal_Tiger]

Through the ages: A hidden gem continues to shine in the heart of Peshawar



By Hidayat Khan / Photo: Muhammad IqbalPublished: March 31, 2014
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Mohallah Jogan Shah is one of the oldest abodes of Sikhs in Peshawar. The locality, situated near Dabgari, is home to a historic gurdwara and its own community school, hidden amongst the surrounding lofty buildings.

“There are some 6,000 Sikhs that live in the mohallah,” says 50-year-old Pardeep Singh. “This is the area where our ancestors lived and we have maintained our culture, traditions and our own educational system,” added the Sikh proudly. Bhai Joga Singh Khalsa Dharmic School and Guru Angat Dev Jee Khalsa Dharmic School both impart religious as well as secular education, with a deep focus on Sikh culture, said Pardeep.

The oldest houses run alongside the narrow, but well-paved and seemingly endless maze of streets. The locality is circumscribed by several gates on all sides, making it perhaps the only gated community of the city.

A majestic symbol of Sikh architecture, the centuries-old Gurdwara Jogan Shah is located in the midst of Peshawar and is one of the two Sikh temples in the city. The spacious three-storey structure is beautifully inlaid with mirror work and is visited twice a day by local residents for sangat – a ceremony where people gather to recite verses from the Guru Granth Sahib. Due to the deteriorating law and order situation, however, another wall has been raised around the building with vigilant police personnel standing on guard around the clock.

“Our gurdwara has been constructed in honour of Bhai Joga Singh, who was venerated in Peshawar, not only amongst Sikhs, but Pukhtuns as well,” says a local elder, Ameer Singh. “There used to be a fair held near the gurdwara every year; however, it has been stopped due to the security situation of the city,” he added nostalgically.

SM Jaffar in his book, Peshawar: City on the Frontier, writes that the gurdawara was known as the dharamshala of Joga Shah, a Hindu fakir. He terms it as one of the most efficiently kept institutions of Sikhs in Peshawar, and states that it can easily accommodate about two thousand persons at a time.



Besides various folk tales associated with Bhai Joga Singh, locals believe a spring used to run through the locality, which was also named after him. This spring – no longer in existence – was said to be famous throughout the Peshawar Valley for its miraculous healing powers and was visited by pilgrims from far and wide.

Several magnificent structures were erected during the Sikh rule of the city from 1823 to 1848. While certain buildings, like Gurdwara Jogan Shah are well-kept, there are many others in dilapidated conditions. The Sikhs of Peshawar say they do their best to keep their heritage alive, however, once an old building collapses it is near impossible to restore it to its original form.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/689271/through-the-ages-a-hidden-gem-continues-to-shine-in-the-heart-of-peshawar/

- Non-Muslims have lived amongst Pashtuns for centuries. Pashtuns are a peaceful people.

We often hear about persecution or killing of non-Muslims in the Punjab but not in Pakhtunkhwa but yet the western and Pakistani media seek to portray Pashtuns as extremists.

The existence of 6,000 Sikhs in Pekhawar and their places of worship are just one example to refute this anti-Pashtun propaganda.


[MENTION=1201]Toramana[/MENTION] [MENTION=1068]gadoonwal[/MENTION]

[Da Bannu Mazdigar]

Maximum security should be provided to them

Otherwise PTI is responsible

[Bengal_Tiger]

Da Bannu Mazdigar
This message is hidden because Da Bannu Mazdigar is on your ignore list.

Da Bannu Mazdigar, I am asking you in polite and civilized language.

1. Please do not post in my threads.

I do not post in yours e.g. http://www.pashtunforums.com/showthread.php?t=42784

That flag ban has been dropped btw.



2. You have also been spreading lies about me on another forum, insulting me and got another Bangladeshi member there banned permanently.

Please put me on ignore, please do not post in my threads and please do not talk about me.

You have insulted my family, my country and also threatened people here with violence, spread lies and false information about me so please just leave me alone.

Thank you for your co-operation.

Bye

[Da Bannu Mazdigar]

This is a matter of my Province and i have more rights to express my concern related to this than you.

Perma was your own mistake,though i can revoke your perma ban if you apologize :D

[Bengal_Tiger]

Remove user from ignore list Da Bannu Mazdigar
This message is hidden because Da Bannu Mazdigar is on your ignore list.

Da Bannu Mazdigar, please stop posting in this thread, my thread, as I do not post in any of your threads e.g.http://www.pashtunforums.com/showthread.php?t=42784

I am asking you in a polite and civilized manner.


Thank you for your co-operation.





For legitimate posters and everyone else:


Sikhs and Muslims live in harmony in Peshawar - YouTube

[gadoonwal]

Pashtuns never been extremists.They always protected the minorities.
The Hindoes and Sikhs is respected community of pashtunkhwa.
There are many Sikhs villages in the tribal area of Terah.They speak afridi pakhtu and live in peace with pashtuns.
They trade with eachothers and help eachother.
Buner is another area where many Sikhs and Hindoes live.They are living like brothers and the local pakhtuns protected them.
They are runing small businesses.minor papulation of Sikhs and hondoes can be find in swat,shangla,khyber agency,banu and mardan.
They should be fully protected .
Since the arrival of zaliman/talibs to pashtun region the minorities are under threat.
All this is happening in the lahori islamic republic of pakistan.

[Bengal_Tiger]

Pashtuns never been extremists.They always protected the minorities.
The Hindoes and Sikhs is respected community of pashtunkhwa.
There are many Sikhs villages in the tribal area of Terah.They speak afridi pakhtu and live in peace with pashtuns.
They trade with eachothers and help eachother.
Buner is another area where many Sikhs and Hindoes live.They are living like brothers and the local pakhtuns protected them.
They are runing small businesses.minor papulation of Sikhs and hondoes can be find in swat,shangla,khyber agency,banu and mardan.
They should be fully protected .
Since the arrival of zaliman/talibs to pashtun region the minorities are under threat.
All this is happening in the lahori islamic republic of pakistan.

1. The Deobandism of the TTP is not from Pashtun culture but from central India i.e. mainly around Uttar Pradesh.

Prior to the Zia-sponsored artificial promotion of Deobandi madrassas the Islam in Pakhtunkhwa was very different.

Western and Pakistani media are trying to portray Pashtuns as inherently extremist.


2. There are Christians in Pekhawar too.



Christians in Pekhawar.


3. Pashtun nationalism is against religious extremism e.g the ANP get killed by the TTP, Punjabi nationalists work with religious extremists e.g. Nawaz Sharif and his PML-N's friend with militant anti-Shia groups.

I could carry on but suffice to say there is a lot of propaganda against Pashtuns.

[afghan]

I guess the minorities are suffering equally as the other residents. Every one is suffering. Their should be a solution to completely eliminate the terrorism.

[gadoonwal]

I guess the minorities are suffering equally as the other residents. Every one is suffering. Their should be a solution to completely eliminate the terrorism.

how will you stop them?