[VIDEO] Man vandalizes statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Lahore

[saeedhk]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shameful?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Shameful</a> this bunch of illiterates are really dangerous for Pakistan image in the world <a href="https://t.co/TXoAXCQtWW">https://t.co/TXoAXCQtWW</a></p>— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) <a href="https://twitter.com/fawadchaudhry/status/1427526071306661888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[saeedhk]

The man is heard chanting ‘ Labbaik Labbaik Ya-Rasoolallah Labbaik.’

 

[MenInG]

The man is heard chanting ‘ Labbaik Labbaik Ya-Rasoolallah Labbaik.’

Ok and your point is what?

 

[saeedhk]

Ok and your point is what?

He belongs to the TLP which is an extremist party and that the government has failed to take steps to curb extremism. The monster of religious extremism is out of control and we need to fix our home. Despite being banned, the party continues to take part in elections and hold rallies.

 

[MenInG]

He belongs to the TLP which is an extremist party and that the government has failed to take steps to curb extremism. The monster of religious extremism is out of control and we need to fix our home. Despite being banned, the party continues to take part in elections and hold rallies.

Did you check his membership card?

How many of his accomplices were there?

Your feeble attempts at generalizing are just that.

 

[saeedhk]

Did you check his membership card?

How many of his accomplices were there?

Your feeble attempts at generalizing are just that.

That slogan is associated with the TLP. And, Khadim Rizvi has publicly condemned Ranjeet Singh’s statue.

Well, you do not need mobs to spread mayhem. A single loon can do the job. TLP members have a history of killing people.

 

[Rinnegan Sasuke]

This is the second time the statue has been vandalized.

 

[guna]

Statues are prohibited in Islam and everyone knows it.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Statues are prohibited in Islam and everyone knows it.

Yes.

 

[Local.Dada]

I am more impressed that this statue lasted 70+ years unless people mistook the horse and beard for Ghazni, Ghori etc

 

[Varun]

Statues are prohibited in Islam and everyone knows it.

1. Does Pakistan's government practice Islam in its truest form?

2. How was this allowed to stand for 70+ years in any case?

 

[saeedhk]

1. Does Pakistan's government practice Islam in its truest form?

2. How was this allowed to stand for 70+ years in any case?

Nope. There is no Islam in Pakistan. This was erected in 2018.

 

[saeedhk]

Statues are prohibited in Islam and everyone knows it.

Not when it comes to statues of Muslims! This is the hypocrisy! There are statues of Quaid-e-Azam all over of Pakistan and statues of Ertugrul have been erected in recent times. This vandalism is nothing but utter hatred of Hindus!

 

[JaDed]

Not when it comes to statues of Muslims! This is the hypocrisy! There are statues of Quaid-e-Azam all over of Pakistan and statues of Ertugrul have been erected in recent times. This vandalism is nothing but utter hatred of Hindus!

Ranjit Singh was a Sikh..

 

[saeedhk]

Ranjit Singh was a Sikh..

Yes.Yes. I confused him with Raja Dahir.

 

[guna]

Ranjit Singh was a Sikh..

For Muslim extremists, he is a non-muslim. That's all that matters.

 

[saeedhk]

For Muslim extremists, he is a non-muslim. That's all that matters.

Exactly! A lot of people asked Edhi why did he help Hindus and Christians by transporting them in his ambulances and bringing up non-Muslim children in orphanages.

 

[OneManShow]

The guy in the video looks mentally gone - really is something wrong with him. Yes let's tar all Pakistanis with the same brush why don't we?

 

[MenInG]

1. Does Pakistan's government practice Islam in its truest form?

2. How was this allowed to stand for 70+ years in any case?

Its a cultural thing - someone from Lahore will explain.

 

[Zaz]

You get loons everywhere in the subcontinent Op making out like its a govt led vandal when its just one crazy

The statue will be reerected and the vandal hopefully punished harshly

 

[MenInG]

LAHORE: The Punjab Police on Tuesday arrested an activist of the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) for vandalising the statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh - the ruler of the Sikh empire during the 19th century – placed near Lahore Fort.

The act of vandalism occurred earlier in the morning, with the Lahore fort's administration saying that strict action would be taken against the accused.

In a video, the vandal can be seen chanting slogans and breaking the arm of the statute and then dismantling Singh’s bust from the horse altogether.

The video further shows the individual then being restrained from causing further damage by a passer-by.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary condemned the incident saying that such ‘illiterates are really dangerous' for Pakistan's image internationally.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill said immediate action will be taken against the accused.

“Recently, the statue of Samiullah Sahib was also desecrated. These are symptoms of a sick mindset. This is an attempt to undermine Pakistan's assessment,” the SAPM added in a tweet.

Ranjit Singh’s statue has been vandalised twice before. In December 2020, a young man broke the arm of the statue. He also belonged to a religious group, while on August 13, 2019, two young men also damaged the statue.

The Walled City of Lahore Authority claims to have deployed dozens of guards at the fort. The police were also investigating a religious billboard brought near the historic site

 

[DeadlyVenom]

You get loons everywhere in the subcontinent Op making out like its a govt led vandal when its just one crazy

The statue will be reerected and the vandal hopefully punished harshly

He is already behind bars.

 

[OneManShow]

[/B]
He is already behind bars.

Some here love to paint a bad picture of Pak - my family are from AJK and the summer of 2018 saw us take a German to Pakistan. I'd been working in Germany at the time and he was a good friend of my cousin so joined us for his wedding. We had zero issues in Pakistan. He spent time in Kashmir, Lahore, Sialkot, Jhelum, Pindi/Islamabad and Peshawar. Everybody was courteous toward him and showed him great respect. In any state you will always find whackos- the guy in this video really did look like he belonged in an asylum.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Some here love to paint a bad picture of Pak - my family are from AJK and the summer of 2018 saw us take a German to Pakistan. I'd been working in Germany at the time and he was a good friend of my cousin so joined us for his wedding. We had zero issues in Pakistan. He spent time in Kashmir, Lahore, Sialkot, Jhelum, Pindi/Islamabad and Peshawar. Everybody was courteous toward him and showed him great respect. In any state you will always find whackos- the guy in this video really did look like he belonged in an asylum.

Unfortunately our whackos are able to latch onto a religious ideology and then people give them legitimacy.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Has no place there!

 

[captain.hansolo]

Statues are prohibited in Islam and everyone knows it.

As is moneylending for interest.

Yet banks exist in Pakistan and every Islamic state.

Your opinion of what the imaginary dude in the sky says or believes is meaningless to me.

 

[captain.hansolo]

Some here love to paint a bad picture of Pak - my family are from AJK and the summer of 2018 saw us take a German to Pakistan. I'd been working in Germany at the time and he was a good friend of my cousin so joined us for his wedding. We had zero issues in Pakistan. He spent time in Kashmir, Lahore, Sialkot, Jhelum, Pindi/Islamabad and Peshawar. Everybody was courteous toward him and showed him great respect. In any state you will always find whackos- the guy in this video really did look like he belonged in an asylum.

Only an idiot would claim that this sole buffoon’s actions are a reflection on a country that has a vibrant culture that dates back almost 5000 years.

 

[ahmedzee]

Not when it comes to statues of Muslims! This is the hypocrisy! There are statues of Quaid-e-Azam all over of Pakistan and statues of Ertugrul have been erected in recent times. This vandalism is nothing but utter hatred of Hindus!

Please stop generalizing all Pakistanis when one of them commits such an act. I can give you instances for criminals all around the world, would you generalize those nations too based on the crimes of one person? Thing to note here is the guy is arrested and govt took action right away to restore the statue, which is a part of Punjab culture and heritage.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

While vandalism is wrong, why did Pakistan build a statute of Ranjeet Singh in the first place. Lets look at his record:

1 - He made Badshahi Masjid a horse stable to humiliate Muslims.
2 - Muslims faced death penalty for cow slaughter
3 - Muslims had to more in taxes than Hindus/Sikhs
4 - Mughal era monuments were looted
4 - Sikh Army massacred Muslims in many instances including women and children
5 - Muslim women were sent to Heera Mandi to be sold as slaves.

Has India honored any Mughal King? I dont get why our besharam liberals want this thug to be given a statue in Lahore.

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

While vandalism is wrong, why did Pakistan build a statute of Ranjeet Singh in the first place. Lets look at his record:

1 - He made Badshahi Masjid a horse stable to humiliate Muslims.
2 - Muslims faced death penalty for cow slaughter
3 - Muslims had to more in taxes than Hindus/Sikhs
4 - Mughal era monuments were looted
4 - Sikh Army massacred Muslims in many instances including women and children
5 - Muslim women were sent to Heera Mandi to be sold as slaves.

Has India honored any Mughal King? I dont get why our besharam liberals want this thug to be given a statue in Lahore.

Forgot india. Where has Pakistan honored Mughal king

I agree ranjit Singh doesn’t dewerve a statue

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Not when it comes to statues of Muslims! This is the hypocrisy! There are statues of Quaid-e-Azam all over of Pakistan and statues of Ertugrul have been erected in recent times. This vandalism is nothing but utter hatred of Hindus!

All over Pakistan? Where? I know of only museums and art galleries like Alhamra

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Having looked at video; this is one lame statue tho. Is it made of wood lol? The guy broke it into pieces with bare hands lmao

 

[mustang]

While vandalism is wrong, why did Pakistan build a statute of Ranjeet Singh in the first place. Lets look at his record:

1 - He made Badshahi Masjid a horse stable to humiliate Muslims.
2 - Muslims faced death penalty for cow slaughter
3 - Muslims had to more in taxes than Hindus/Sikhs
4 - Mughal era monuments were looted
4 - Sikh Army massacred Muslims in many instances including women and children
5 - Muslim women were sent to Heera Mandi to be sold as slaves.

Has India honored any Mughal King? I dont get why our besharam liberals want this thug to be given a statue in Lahore.

Don't many Indians revere Akbar, Shah Jahan etc? Or am I mistaken?

 

[Mamoon]

While vandalism is wrong, why did Pakistan build a statute of Ranjeet Singh in the first place. Lets look at his record:

1 - He made Badshahi Masjid a horse stable to humiliate Muslims.
2 - Muslims faced death penalty for cow slaughter
3 - Muslims had to more in taxes than Hindus/Sikhs
4 - Mughal era monuments were looted
4 - Sikh Army massacred Muslims in many instances including women and children
5 - Muslim women were sent to Heera Mandi to be sold as slaves.

Has India honored any Mughal King? I dont get why our besharam liberals want this thug to be given a statue in Lahore.

It has nothing to do with his religious beliefs and treatment of Muslims.

He is Punjab’s greatest hero and Lahore is Punjab’s greatest city.

His statue shall stand tall and proud. It will be a complete shame if it is removed.

 

[Zaz]

It has nothing to do with his religious beliefs and treatment of Muslims.

He is Punjab’s greatest hero and Lahore is Punjab’s greatest city.

His statue shall stand tall and proud. It will be a complete shame if it is removed.

He was a great figure of the region where he was born n bred And rightly should be honoured

If im not mistaken his remains are also in lahore

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Statues obviously aren't allowed in Islam but this isn't the way to address the issue. It just makes you look stupid.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

He was a great figure of the region where he was born n bred And rightly should be honoured

If im not mistaken his remains are also in lahore

Mughal Kings were born n bred in the subcontinent starting with Akbar. They are buried in the subcontinent. How many of them are honored by India with a statue? And neither has Pakistan given them a statue.

Almost the entire Pakistani and North Indian Muslim culture, whether its cuisine, clothing, language, architecture, religion was due to Muslim rule of the subcontinent. Yet no statue of any of those Kings. However we will honor Ranjeet Singh.....What a besharam quam we have became.

 

[Zaz]

Mughal Kings were born n bred in the subcontinent starting with Akbar. They are buried in the subcontinent. How many of them are honored by India with a statue? And neither has Pakistan given them a statue.

Almost the entire Pakistani and North Indian Muslim culture, whether its cuisine, clothing, language, architecture, religion was due to Muslim rule of the subcontinent. Yet no statue of any of those Kings. However we will honor Ranjeet Singh.....What a besharam quam we have became.

What india does or does not do has no significance on how pakistan should behave or what n who it celebrates

If india wants to be degenerates let them be They are harming themselves and their country

Pakistan has its own path to tread and that should be one of inclusivness and harmony

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Don't many Indians revere Akbar, Shah Jahan etc? Or am I mistaken?

Liberal Indians dont hate the Mughals, and some might even like them, and they consider them Indian. RW Indians consider them foreign invaders, regardless of the fact that they were in the subcontinent for centuries, were born n bred there, are buried there, and intermarried with locals.

However to my knowledge, their is not one statue of any Mughal King in India. Nor did India name anything after them. Yet they have built plenty of statues, and named things after Hindu/Sikh Kings. So i dont agree that Indians revere Akbar and Shah Jahan.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

What india does or does not do has no significance on how pakistan should behave or what it celebrates

If india wants to be degenerates let them be They are harming themselves and their country

Pakistan has its own path to tread and that should be one of inclusivness and harmony

Fine, I would agree that would be the correct path...........So why not build a statue of a Mughal King, and Ranjeet Singh??? If their is no statue of any Muslim King, and you are building one of Sikh one, then something is wrong with that picture.

Akbar is the most liberal Muslim King, and had his capital at Lahore for awhile.
Janghair is buried in Lahore.
Shah Jahan is born in Lahore.
Aurangzeb built the Badshahi Masjid.

Why cant Pakistan build a statue of one of them also?????? Why only Ranjeet Singh?????

 

[Giannis]

A despicable act and offensive to Sikhs. That said I'm not fan of Ranjit Singh, he was extremely oppressive towards Muslims in Punjab and Kashmir, he's no more a hero of for Punjabi and Kashmiri Musalmans than Abdali was yet for whatever reason Punjabi nationalist liberals love revising history to make it seem like he was some great son of the soil that unified Punjab. What's even worse is that this statue was erected during the reign of the Sharif's - two brothers that are of Kashmiri descent, it's like they know nothing about their own heritage. This statue is an insult to the people of Pakistani Punjab and the millions of Kashmiri origin people living in the province. Ranjit wasn't a Guru or some religious figure in Sikhism, he was more of an emperor someone like Mohammad Bin Qasim.

 

[Tera Gawaandi]

Maharaja Ranjit Singh was not a devout Sikh. In fact he was flogged by Akali Phula Singh because Sikh community was so upset with Ranjit Singh. Ranjit Singh had multiple wives, he married a Muslim Moran Sarkar. The Maharaja at Moran's request, built a mosque Mai Moran Masjid in Lahore. This is located in Lahore's bazaar now called Pappar Mandi near Shah Almi Gate.

It doesn't offend Sikhs if someone destroys his statue as Sikhs are also monotheistic religion and totally against Statues etc. He is revvered for his bravery and courage. He was 11 when he lost his father and attempts were made at his life when he was 13, soon he was in battlefield.

Also there is a misconception that he was not a secular king, he was secular and his army consisted of 60% Muslim soldiers, many notable Muslim Generals such as -
Ghaus Mohammad Khan
Shaikh Elahi Baksh
Mohammed Khan Zufar
Naziruddin Ilahi

Among his European Generals were:

Ventura - Italian (Modena)
Paolo di Avitabile - Italian (Naples)
Claude Court - French
Oms - Spanish
Honignberger- Romanian
Hohenzollern- Prussian
Alexander Gardner
Josiah Harlan – American

He banned consumption of both beef and pork as he had many Hindu's in his army, it was for communal harmony. That's why meat is not allowed in a Gurdwara langar (community kitchen), so people from different faith can sit together and enjoy the meal.

When Sikhs criticize Aurangzeb, Islam is not dragged into debate. Most Sikhs know Aurangzeb was farthest thing from a devout Muslim. He took oaths on Quran yet had no deen-imaan.

 

[Giannis]

Maharaja Ranjit Singh was not a devout Sikh. In fact he was flogged by Akali Phula Singh because Sikh community was so upset with Ranjit Singh. Ranjit Singh had multiple wives, he married a Muslim Moran Sarkar. The Maharaja at Moran's request, built a mosque Mai Moran Masjid in Lahore. This is located in Lahore's bazaar now called Pappar Mandi near Shah Almi Gate.

It doesn't offend Sikhs if someone destroys his statue as Sikhs are also monotheistic religion and totally against Statues etc. He is revvered for his bravery and courage. He was 11 when he lost his father and attempts were made at his life when he was 13, soon he was in battlefield.

Also there is a misconception that he was not a secular king, he was secular and his army consisted of 60% Muslim soldiers, many notable Muslim Generals such as -
Ghaus Mohammad Khan
Shaikh Elahi Baksh
Mohammed Khan Zufar
Naziruddin Ilahi

Among his European Generals were:

Ventura - Italian (Modena)
Paolo di Avitabile - Italian (Naples)
Claude Court - French
Oms - Spanish
Honignberger- Romanian
Hohenzollern- Prussian
Alexander Gardner
Josiah Harlan – American

He banned consumption of both beef and pork as he had many Hindu's in his army, it was for communal harmony. That's why meat is not allowed in a Gurdwara langar (community kitchen), so people from different faith can sit together and enjoy the meal.

When Sikhs criticize Aurangzeb, Islam is not dragged into debate. Most Sikhs know Aurangzeb was farthest thing from a devout Muslim. He took oaths on Quran yet had no deen-imaan.

It doesn't change the fact that he persecuted Muslim Punjabis and Kashmiris, in fact the Muslim exodus from the valley started under his reign in 1820, only his successor Gulab Singh was worse.

 

[street cricketer]

While vandalism is wrong, why did Pakistan build a statute of Ranjeet Singh in the first place. Lets look at his record:

1 - He made Badshahi Masjid a horse stable to humiliate Muslims.
2 - Muslims faced death penalty for cow slaughter
3 - Muslims had to more in taxes than Hindus/Sikhs
4 - Mughal era monuments were looted
4 - Sikh Army massacred Muslims in many instances including women and children
5 - Muslim women were sent to Heera Mandi to be sold as slaves.

Has India honored any Mughal King? I dont get why our besharam liberals want this thug to be given a statue in Lahore.

Throughout the history of India, there was always religious persecution.

The hindus didn't have a great time under the muslim kings, the buddhists and jains didn't have a great time under the hindu kings and the muslims didn't have a great time under sikh kings.

You can see how polarised Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs are in the 21st century. Imagine how it would have been way back in those times when human rights wasn't a thing.

On topic, this reminds me a bit of the debate around Tipu Sultan's legacy in Karnataka. There are some liberals in Karnataka who feel Tipu should be celebrated just because he was a Kannadiga, while a lot of hindus feel Tipu shouldn't be celebrated for his role in massacring and forced conversion of hindus in Malabar and Coorg. If you ask my honest opinion, it doesn't make sense in Pakistani Punjabis celebrating Ranjit Singh or Indian Kannadigas celebrating Tipu Sultan given the tribal allegiance of subcontinent has always been based on religious lines and Pakistani Punjabis would probably relate more with Abdali who was a Pashtun and similarly Indian Kannadigas would probably relate more with Telugu or Marathi hindu kings.

I think the outreach by Imran in building that Gurudwara for Indian Sikhs to visit and building this Ranjit Singh statue has a lot to do with in the soft power battle, particularly aimed at the Sikhs who are sympathetic to the Khalistan movement. It's not much different to India trying to get soft power with the Afghans.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Throughout the history of India, there was always religious persecution.

The hindus didn't have a great time under the muslim kings, the buddhists and jains didn't have a great time under the hindu kings and the muslims didn't have a great time under sikh kings.

You can see how polarised Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs are in the 21st century. Imagine how it would have been way back in those times when human rights wasn't a thing.

I agree, however my main issue is that Pakistan never built a statue for any Mughal Kings, and neither has India. Had Pakistan had statues of Mughals as well as Ranjeet Singh I would have no issue. They could add Asokha, Porus, etc. No problem.

On topic, this reminds me a bit of the debate around Tipu Sultan's legacy in Karnataka. There are some liberals in Karnataka who feel Tipu should be celebrated just because he was a Kannadiga, while a lot of hindus feel Tipu shouldn't be celebrated for his role in massacring and forced conversion of hindus in Malabar and Coorg. If you ask my honest opinion, it doesn't make sense in Pakistani Punjabis celebrating Ranjit Singh or Indian Kannadigas celebrating Tipu Sultan given the tribal allegiance of subcontinent has always been based on religious lines

Did Tipu persecute Hindus in his empire, or only outside the borders of his empire? That would make big difference I guess. In Pakistan he is remembered for defeating the British, and their is a street named after him in Karachi.

Pakistani Punjabis would probably relate more with Abdali who was a Pashtun and similarly Indian Kannadigas would probably relate more with Telugu or Marathi hindu kings.

Not really. Punjab was already ruled by Muslims, and his invasions actually weakened Mughal rule in Punjab. So i dont think their is much love for him there.

However the country is called Pakistan and not Punjabistan so a missile is named after him.

Interestingly Muslims of UP actually supported him in Panipat. As the Mughals were too weak, and the marthas were getting stronger they were hoping he would get rid of the Marthas

I think the outreach by Imran in building that Gurudwara for Indian Sikhs to visit and building this Ranjit Singh statue has a lot to do with in the soft power battle, particularly aimed at the Sikhs who are sympathetic to the Khalistan movement. It's not much different to India trying to get soft power with the Afghans.

Maybe, but if that is the case I would say the establishment is behind it then. IK has no interest in Khalistan, and if it was his idea then the intention was out of a desire to improve relations with India. Under IK Pakistan has also renovated a bunch of mandirs.

Also a Gurdwara was not built. It already existed. What was a built was a corridor for Indians to enter without a visa.

 

[Giannis]

I agree, however my main issue is that Pakistan never built a statue for any Mughal Kings, and neither has India. Had Pakistan had statues of Mughals as well as Ranjeet Singh I would have no issue. They could add Asokha, Porus, etc. No problem.



Did Tipu persecute Hindus in his empire, or only outside the borders of his empire? That would make big difference I guess. In Pakistan he is remembered for defeating the British, and their is a street named after him in Karachi.



Not really. Punjab was already ruled by Muslims, and his invasions actually weakened Mughal rule in Punjab. So i dont think their is much love for him there.

However the country is called Pakistan and not Punjabistan so a missile is named after him.

Interestingly Muslims of UP actually supported him in Panipat. As the Mughals were too weak, and the marthas were getting stronger they were hoping he would get rid of the Marthas



Maybe, but if that is the case I would say the establishment is behind it then. IK has no interest in Khalistan, and if it was his idea then the intention was out of a desire to improve relations with India. Under IK Pakistan has also renovated a bunch of mandirs.

Also a Gurdwara was not built. It already existed. What was a built was a corridor for Indians to enter without a visa.

This statue is the idea of pseudo-liberal Punjabi nationalists, the types that would refer to themselves as "Indus person" and "son of the swaayil" that believe in building goodwill with Indian Sikhs as they think it could lead to a Unified Punjab, they're willing to sell out their ancestors and forget history. I'm all for Punjabi Muslims taking pride in their heritage but not in the whole historical revisionism thing; Ranjit has nothing to do with Sikhism, he was a conqueror like Stalin, Churchill, and Abdali among others. It'd be the equivalent of Spain building a statue of Tariq bin Ziyad to "honor" Muslims in Spain & abroad when in reality there are better ways to honor Muslims and building a statue that majority of your citizens probably view as an invader is disrespectful towards them.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

This statue is the idea of pseudo-liberal Punjabi nationalists, the types that would refer to themselves as "Indus person" and "son of the swaayil" that believe in building goodwill with Indian Sikhs as they think it could lead to a Unified Punjab, they're willing to sell out their ancestors and forget history. I'm all for Punjabi Muslims taking pride in their heritage but not in the whole historical revisionism thing; Ranjit has nothing to do with Sikhism, he was a conqueror like Stalin, Churchill, and Abdali among others. It'd be the equivalent of Spain building a statue of Tariq bin Ziyad to "honor" Muslims in Spain & abroad when in reality there are better ways to honor Muslims and building a statue that majority of your citizens probably view as an invader is disrespectful towards them.

Completely agree. Their are much better ways to do so. If they wanted to honor the pre-islamic heritage a statue for Porus would have been better.

 

[street cricketer]

Did Tipu persecute Hindus in his empire, or only outside the borders of his empire? That would make big difference I guess. In Pakistan he is remembered for defeating the British, and their is a street named after him in Karachi.

He did persecute hindus in Malabar which falls under Kerala and Coorg which was his own dominion, falling in Karnataka. But the boundaries of those days were different to present day boundaries. Besides it wouldn't matter if Tipu persecuted hindus only outside his empire, because religious allegiance trumps ethnic allegiance in the subcontinent. It's not like Punjabi muslims would identify with Ranjit Singh if he only persecuted muslims in Sindh and Kashmir and not Punjab.

Not really. Punjab was already ruled by Muslims, and his invasions actually weakened Mughal rule in Punjab. So i dont think their is much love for him there.

However the country is called Pakistan and not Punjabistan so a missile is named after him.

Interestingly Muslims of UP actually supported him in Panipat. As the Mughals were too weak, and the marthas were getting stronger they were hoping he would get rid of the Marthas

My point was muslims will always prefer Abdali in comparison to Ranjit Singh. Hindus will always prefer Hindu kings and Muslims will always prefer Muslim kings, similarly Sikhs likewise. Tribalism based on religious lines towers above any other form of tribalism in the subcontinent.

 

[Giannis]

Completely agree. Their are much better ways to do so. If they wanted to honor the pre-islamic heritage a statue for Porus would have been better.

Yeah and Ranjit isn't even a Pre-Islamic figure as Sikhism was formed several centuries after Islam took root in Punjab.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

He did persecute hindus in Malabar which falls under Kerala and Coorg which was his own dominion, falling in Karnataka. But the boundaries of those days were different to present day boundaries. Besides it wouldn't matter if Tipu persecuted hindus only outside his empire, because religious allegiance trumps ethnic allegiance in the subcontinent. It's not like Punjabi muslims would identify with Ranjit Singh if he only persecuted muslims in Sindh and Kashmir and not Punjab.



My point was muslims will always prefer Abdali in comparison to Ranjit Singh. Hindus will always prefer Hindu kings and Muslims will always prefer Muslim kings, similarly Sikhs likewise. Tribalism based on religious lines towers above any other form of tribalism in the subcontinent.

Even South India?

For North India & Punjab/Sindh in Pakistan I agree. Religion is an ethno-religious group there. Whether you are a Kashmiri, Sindhi, Punjabi, etc, religion has divided them into separate tribes.


However if you include KPK and Baluchistan as part of the subcontinent, then I dont know if i would agree there. Those groups are like 99% Muslim, so their is no real divide among them in terms of religion.

 

[saeedhk]

Please stop generalizing all Pakistanis when one of them commits such an act. I can give you instances for criminals all around the world, would you generalize those nations too based on the crimes of one person? Thing to note here is the guy is arrested and govt took action right away to restore the statue, which is a part of Punjab culture and heritage.

We cannot deny that we have a big problem with extremism. While others were busy making records at the olympics, we made a world record by arresting an 8 year old for blasphemy! Youngest ever person to be accused and arrested over blasphemy. These are not isolated incidents. There is a reason why over 50% of blasphemy allegations are filed against 2% of our minority population.

 

[saeedhk]

All over Pakistan? Where? I know of only museums and art galleries like Alhamra

New QeA statue erected in Karachi on Independence Day.

 

[street cricketer]

Even South India?

For North India & Punjab/Sindh in Pakistan I agree. Religion is an ethno-religious group there. Whether you are a Kashmiri, Sindhi, Punjabi, etc, religion has divided them into separate tribes.


However if you include KPK and Baluchistan as part of the subcontinent, then I dont know if i would agree there. Those groups are like 99% Muslim, so their is no real divide among them in terms of religion.

There is no real divide in terms of religion there because, like you rightly say, there are hardly any non muslims living there. They are probably more conservative/tribal in their views on religion than Punjabi, Sindhi muslims or even the Mohajirs who have had contact with or lived with hindus and the culture among them is slightly more syncretic when compared to KPK or Balochistan or even Afghanistan.

South India has always been culturally different from North India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in that ethnic allegiance trumps religion which is why it's hard for hindutva movement to take hold in the south. Still, there are states like Karnataka where there's religious polarisation and the Tipu Sultan debate is often a big thing during Tipu Sultan Jayanti (birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan) celebrated by the state. In states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala, ethnic allegiance definitely takes precedence over religious allegiance which is why you wouldn't find the animosity that you tend to see between Punjabi hindus and Punjabi muslims or Bengali hindus and muslims with Tamil hindus, christians and muslims in Tamil Nadu. You'd probably find more animosity towards the Sinhalese than muslims or Pakistan due to the history of the region. South India is just culturally different and each has its own sensitive points, but it's fair to say ethnic identification trumps religious one (but there are exceptions like a few regions in Karnataka and even in Kerala which are hotspots for religious polarisation).

 

[cricketjoshila]

Its a cultural thing - someone from Lahore will explain.

Hi mig

Which part of pakistan are you from?

 

[ahmedzee]

We cannot deny that we have a big problem with extremism. While others were busy making records at the olympics, we made a world record by arresting an 8 year old for blasphemy! Youngest ever person to be accused and arrested over blasphemy. These are not isolated incidents. There is a reason why over 50% of blasphemy allegations are filed against 2% of our minority population.

Pakistan is definitely not perfect and we have to work at a macro level to work on minority rights. That starts with elders in the family.
Thankfully we have independent judiciary and a competent govt which took notice of such an incident and those who carried out the attacks are persecuted, with the temple being restored by the Punjab govt.

Bad things happen in good places, it is upto the govt to act. If they act right away, they did the right thing. If they stay quiet and do nothing, then it is their failure. Soon, with the next generation the perception of being “above minority” would change as younger generation is more aware about inclusivity. We are not there, but inshallah we would get there.

 

[Greenstorm]

While vandalism is wrong, why did Pakistan build a statute of Ranjeet Singh in the first place. Lets look at his record:

1 - He made Badshahi Masjid a horse stable to humiliate Muslims.
2 - Muslims faced death penalty for cow slaughter
3 - Muslims had to more in taxes than Hindus/Sikhs
4 - Mughal era monuments were looted
4 - Sikh Army massacred Muslims in many instances including women and children
5 - Muslim women were sent to Heera Mandi to be sold as slaves.

Has India honored any Mughal King? I dont get why our besharam liberals want this thug to be given a statue in Lahore.

This. Ranjit's statue makes no sense. Sooner or later, state will be forced to remove this statue.

 

[PakLFC]

No need to do this at all. Ranjit Singh is no hero of mine at all but it does not mean we should abuse his memory. We wouldn't like it if the Sikh's did this to Moghul monuments in India. If it is to be removed then do it respectfully by handing it back to the Sikh's. RasoolAllah(saw) would never approve of such disgusting behaviour done in his holy name.

 

[PakLFC]

Yes we do have a massive problem of hating Sikh's and Hindu's in Pakistan. All though it is a minority yet they are enough to have a strong impact on the overall image of the country.

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Wednesday rejected the "gratuitous remarks" by the Indian External Affairs Ministry regarding the vandalism of Ranjit Singh's statue, terming India “highly hypocritical” as it itself is a purveyor of state-sponsored discrimination.

“It is highly hypocritical of a country that is a purveyor of state-sponsored discrimination against its minorities to pontificate on the issue of minority rights elsewhere,” said a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

The statement said: “A mature state would have appreciated the immediate arrest of the [suspect] against whom strict legal action has already been initiated.”

It said the government, legislature, judiciary, civil society, and the media in Pakistan have always worked for ensuring constitutional protections for members of minorities as equal citizens and their places of worship, whereas in India, incidents against minorities were taking place with state complicity.

“Rather than feigning concern for minorities elsewhere, India should seriously introspect, move away from entrenched anti-minority mindset being destructively spawned by the RSS-BJP regime, and discard state-sponsored discriminatory policies,” it said.

The FO urged upon India to ensure the safety, protection, and well-being of minorities including Muslims, and take effective steps for the protection of their places of worship, culture, and heritage sites.

Ranjit Singh's statue vandalised at Lahore Fort

A video of a man destroying the statue of 18th-century Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh with his bare hands at the Lahore Fort went viral earlier on Tuesday.

The video showing a young man destroying the statue was reportedly the third time the statue has been vandalised since 2019.

The suspect has been taken into custody by the Lahore police, Geo News reported Tuesday.

GEO

 

[MenInG]

Hi mig

Which part of pakistan are you from?

Karachi but spent a lot of time in Lahore also.

 

[MenInG]

A magisterial court on Friday granted post-arrest bail to the individual who allegedly vandalized the statue of Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh at the Lahore Fort.

The accused, Rizwan, was presented before the court today. During the proceedings, the investigation officer of the case asked the court if it had no objection against him being sent on judicial remand.

Meanwhile, the accused’s counsel informed the court that the police have completed their investigation and have recovered a hammer from the possession of the accused.

He further implored the court that the sections under which the FIR was registered are bailable and requested the court to grant bail to the accused.

The judge of the magisterial court then granted bail to the accused.

The accused was arrested on Tuesday and is an activist of the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan.

In a video, the vandal can be seen chanting slogans and breaking the arm of the statute and then dismantling Singh’s bust from the horse altogether.

This is the third time the statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh has been vandalized since its unveiling in 2019 to commemorate the ruler’s 180th death anniversary.

The first act of vandalism took place when two men struck it with wooden rods, due to which one of the statue’s arms broke and other parts were damaged. The vandals were protesting the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status by India.

The second occurrence was reported in December 2020, when a man broke off one arm of the statue. The accused, reportedly an active member of a religious party, later confessed to his crime.

The Walled City of Lahore Authority claims to have deployed dozens of guards at the fort. The police were also investigating a religious billboard brought near the historic site.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Yes we do have a massive problem of hating Sikh's and Hindu's in Pakistan. All though it is a minority yet they are enough to have a strong impact on the overall image of the country.

What are you basing this on? Has there been some sort of survey of the public where data emerged?

 

[PakLFC]

What are you basing this on? Has there been some sort of survey of the public where data emerged?

Basing it on my personal experience. How many non Muslim's have represented Pak in Sport. Where have the 14% non Muslim's who were living in Pak during independence disappeared?

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Basing it on my personal experience. How many non Muslim's have represented Pak in Sport. Where have the 14% non Muslim's who were living in Pak during independence disappeared?

I think the sharpshooter is shooting backwards.

Your point about the minorities declining is one used by our trolling neighbours. Been debunked and disproven about 1000 times on the forum.

 

[PakLFC]

I think the sharpshooter is shooting backwards.

Your point about the minorities declining is one used by our trolling neighbours. Been debunked and disproven about 1000 times on the forum.

I have never read anyone disapproving the state of Pak minorities here or where so many went after independence?. I did not say India is any better then us, what they do is not our problem.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I have never read anyone disapproving the state of Pak minorities here or where so many went after independence?. I did not say India is any better then us, what they do is not our problem.

There have been lots of posts about the "decline" in numbers of minorities in Pakistan - however most it is parroting from BJP and Amit Shah etc


Before the split of Bangladesh the minority percentage of East + West combined was higher....but that was due to the East Pakistan having a much larger hindu population.

The non-muslim minorities of West Pakistan have remained constant/remained the same post independence.

Yes Pakistan may not be a great place to live for most people but this isn;t reflected in a sharp drop in numbers/population of hindus/sikhs.

 

[saeedhk]

The suspect has been granted bail. A bail in Pakistan means you are free. Pretty disappointing to see extremists let off so easily!

 

[IMMY69]

The suspect has been granted bail. A bail in Pakistan means you are free. Pretty disappointing to see extremists let off so easily!

I doubt there is any country in the world where bail would have been denied for desecrating a statue.

 

[MenInG]

Add sources for any stats you post - just stating stats is not good enough

 

[saeedhk]

I doubt there is any country in the world where bail would have been denied for desecrating a statue.

In every other country, the police and the law follows up on the suspect after bail. However, in Pakistan, getting bail means getting freedom. There is no follow-up on criminal cases after bail.

 

[MenInG]

case has been registered after a statue of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was blown up in Gwadar, Balochistan.

Officials of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) said that a case of destroying the Quaid's statue with the help of explosives has been registered at the CTD Gwadar police station.

According to the CTD officials, the case has been registered under section 7 of the ATA and Explosives Act. Other provisions have also been added to the lawsuit.

In a similar incident in August, a video of a man destroying the statue of 18th-century Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh with his bare hands at the Lahore Fort went viral.

The suspect was later taken into custody by the Lahore police.

Geo