Namaaz not allowed in Gurdwara

[Premi5 2,153]

www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/amid-sikh-groups-opposition-namaz-not-held-at-gurdwara/article37590555.ece/amp/

Amid Sikh group’s opposition, namaz not held at gurdwara

 

Ashok KumarGURUGRAM 20 NOVEMBER 2021 01:59 IST

UPDATED: 20 NOVEMBER 2021 01:59 IST

The proposed token Friday prayers (Jumma Namaz) could not be offered at the Sadar gurdwara here after a Sikh group raised objections to “non-Sikh” religious activities inside a gurdwara.

In view of the opposition, and rush on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, Muslim community members decided against the proposed prayers at the gurdwara. However, the namaz was held on the premises offered by Akshay Yadav, a resident of Sector 12A.

Altaf Ahmad, co-founder, Gurgaon Muslim Council, said since Thursday members of right-wing groups had been using condemnable tactics to mount pressure on the Committee of Gurdwara to stop Muslims from offering Jumma Namaz at the gurdwara. “Muslims may not have read Jumma Namaz at a physical space of the gurdwara today (on Friday). However, crores of Muslims in India have read namaz sitting in the hearts of the entire Sikh community. We thank our Sikh brothers for this noble gesture of opening their gurdwara for the prayers,” he said.

Ravi Ranjan, chairman, Jhatka Authority, held a meeting with members of Shri Guru Singh Sabha, which manages the Sadar gurdwara, during the day on its offer to allow the gurdwara premises for offering of namaz. 

“I held a meeting with the committee members and made it clear that the gurdwara premises could not be used for ‘non-Sikh’ religious activities. The committee members assured us to hold further discussions on the matter and take a decision,” Mr. Ranjan said.

The Sabha’s president, Sherdil Singh Sidhu, who had earlier offered the gurdwara premises for Jumma Namaz, said he was “misquoted” by the media and had no plans as of now to allow namaz inside the gurdwara.

“The decision will be taken by the committee if any such request comes up before it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gurgaon Nagrik Ekta Manch, a citizens’ forum, felicitated Mr. Yadav and Mr. Sidhu for their gesture of offering space to Muslims for Friday prayers.

The Manch in a letter to them has said that “compassion, love and oneness are the basic tenets of all religions and your effort draws us closer to that truth. Your commitment to this truth shines in this darkness and enables all of us to retain our faith in the goodness that resides in our social fabric”.

The civil society group also appealed to the residents of Gurugram to reject the campaign of hatred initiated by some vigilante groups and instead open their hearts and private and institutional spaces to enable the Muslim community to offer Jumma Namaz.

[Jacfsing2 618]

Yeah, people shouldn’t be doing namaz at a Gurdwara, there’s like a billion mosques for every single Gurdwara. 

[proactive 2,733]

2 hours ago, Premi5 said:

www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/amid-sikh-groups-opposition-namaz-not-held-at-gurdwara/article37590555.ece/amp/

Amid Sikh group’s opposition, namaz not held at gurdwara

 

Ashok KumarGURUGRAM 20 NOVEMBER 2021 01:59 IST

UPDATED: 20 NOVEMBER 2021 01:59 IST

The proposed token Friday prayers (Jumma Namaz) could not be offered at the Sadar gurdwara here after a Sikh group raised objections to “non-Sikh” religious activities inside a gurdwara.

In view of the opposition, and rush on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, Muslim community members decided against the proposed prayers at the gurdwara. However, the namaz was held on the premises offered by Akshay Yadav, a resident of Sector 12A.

Altaf Ahmad, co-founder, Gurgaon Muslim Council, said since Thursday members of right-wing groups had been using condemnable tactics to mount pressure on the Committee of Gurdwara to stop Muslims from offering Jumma Namaz at the gurdwara. “Muslims may not have read Jumma Namaz at a physical space of the gurdwara today (on Friday). However, crores of Muslims in India have read namaz sitting in the hearts of the entire Sikh community. We thank our Sikh brothers for this noble gesture of opening their gurdwara for the prayers,” he said.

Ravi Ranjan, chairman, Jhatka Authority, held a meeting with members of Shri Guru Singh Sabha, which manages the Sadar gurdwara, during the day on its offer to allow the gurdwara premises for offering of namaz. 

“I held a meeting with the committee members and made it clear that the gurdwara premises could not be used for ‘non-Sikh’ religious activities. The committee members assured us to hold further discussions on the matter and take a decision,” Mr. Ranjan said.

The Sabha’s president, Sherdil Singh Sidhu, who had earlier offered the gurdwara premises for Jumma Namaz, said he was “misquoted” by the media and had no plans as of now to allow namaz inside the gurdwara.

“The decision will be taken by the committee if any such request comes up before it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gurgaon Nagrik Ekta Manch, a citizens’ forum, felicitated Mr. Yadav and Mr. Sidhu for their gesture of offering space to Muslims for Friday prayers.

The Manch in a letter to them has said that “compassion, love and oneness are the basic tenets of all religions and your effort draws us closer to that truth. Your commitment to this truth shines in this darkness and enables all of us to retain our faith in the goodness that resides in our social fabric”.

The civil society group also appealed to the residents of Gurugram to reject the campaign of hatred initiated by some vigilante groups and instead open their hearts and private and institutional spaces to enable the Muslim community to offer Jumma Namaz.

Good effort by the Jhatka Committee, these Gurdwara committees don't have any time for parchar of Sikhi but have all the time in the world for allowing Sikh religious spaces to be misused by other religions especially the religion of 'peace'. I hope more and more Sikhs will stop these committees and liberal idio.ts from subverting Sikhi in future. A challenge has been given to these idio.ts and they now know that Sikhs will not quietly accept the misuse of our Gurdwaras for these woke events. 

[dallysingh101 4,437]

3 hours ago, proactive said:

Good effort by the Jhatka Committee, these Gurdwara committees don't have any time for parchar of Sikhi but have all the time in the world for allowing Sikh religious spaces to be misused by other religions especially the religion of 'peace'. I hope more and more Sikhs will stop these committees and liberal idio.ts from subverting Sikhi in future. A challenge has been given to these idio.ts and they now know that Sikhs will not quietly accept the misuse of our Gurdwaras for these woke events. 

What about the Gurdwara in BC that was offering the same thing in the floods? 

[proactive 2,733]

2 hours ago, dallysingh101 said:

What about the Gurdwara in BC that was offering the same thing in the floods? 

What can I say, these kind of fud.hus also exist in the diaspora. 

[dallysingh101 4,437]

9 minutes ago, proactive said:

What can I say, these kind of fud.hus also exist in the diaspora. 

@justasking

See, this is what happens when we big ourselves up too much. 

 

[Premi5 2,153]

 

Gurudwaras under pressure but more step up to offer Namaz space Piyush Ohrie21 Nov 2021 6:28 PM

http://www.millenniumpost.in/delhi/gurudwaras-under-pressure-but-more-step-up-to-offer-namaz-space-459509?infinitescroll=1

Gurudwaras under pressure but more step up to offer Namaz space

Piyush Ohrie21 Nov 2021 6:28 PM Gurugram:

Even as gurudwara that had offered Namaz space to Muslims are under pressure from Hindu outfits to reconsider their decision, the continuous disruption of public Namaz in Gurugram for the last two months has now led to more good samaritans offering up their private spaces for the prayers.

After Akshay Yadav, a resident of Sector 12, offered his commercial garage for Muslim devotees for prayers this Friday, now one more resident Lekhi Ram has volunteered to offer his individual space in Sheetla colony — very close to the Sector-12A Namaz site — where disruptions have escalated over the weeks. Also Read - Air quality in Delhi improves as winds sweep city Presently residing in Sector 44, Lekhi Ram got in touch with Haji Shahzad Khan of Muslim Ekta Manch and offered his individual space for offering Friday prayers till the time the space is not being utilised. "I have a vacant property at Sheetla colony which is not being used so I have offered that space for Muslim devotees to offer Friday Namaz till the time I or my family do not utilise it.

It is important that we maintain harmony in the city and find ways to resolve differences," said Lekhi Ram. At a time when more and more public Namaz spaces are being obstructed by protesting Hindu outfits, such instances have now started to emerge. In fact, even this Friday protests came up at the designated Namaz site in Sector 37.
 

[Premi5 2,153]

 

https://swarajyamag.com/politics/ground-report-gurugram-gurudwara-cancels-invitation-to-namazis-hindu-activists-want-total-stop-to-friday-congregations-on-public-land

Ground Report: Gurugram Gurudwara Cancels Invitation To Namazis, Hindu Activists Want ‘Total Stop’ To Friday Congregations On Public Land

bySwati Goel Sharma-Nov 21, 2021 05:25 AM

 

The entrance of Gurudwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha in Gurugram’s Sadar Bazar on 19 November

Snapshot

• Devotees at the gurudwara asked why a namaz congregation was necessary at their place of worship when there was a Jama Masjid nearby?

Gurugram, 19 November: From as early as 10 am, mediapersons began streaming into Gurudwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha in Sadar Bazar area of Gurugram.

Two days earlier, the gurudwara committee president Sherdil Singh Sandhu had announced in the media that Muslims were welcome in the gurudwara premises to offer group prayers on Fridays.

The offer made international headlines as residents and Hindu groups in Haryana’s Gurugram district have been obstructing group namaz on Fridays in open spaces.

They have been calling it "encroachment of public land" and demanding that such prayers be held in mosques or closed spaces only.

The gurudwara is located in the busy Sadar Bazar market that sees heavy traffic. There is little space to park vehicles.

On 19 November, the gurudwara was jam-packed and the road outside was choked on account of Gurpurab — one of the most important festivals of Sikhs as it marks the birthday of Guru Nanak.

 

 

A view of the gurudwara

 

Inside the gurudwara on 19 November

Much to the disappointment of camerapersons, no namazis were in sight. As the day progressed, it became clear that Muslims would not be offering prayers inside the gurudwara.

Sandhu and the gurudwara management had made a U-turn on the offer.

Two days after telling the media that he was inviting Muslims for group namaz in the gurudwara premises to “save the country”, Sherdil Singh Sandhu now told them that ‘his intention was not to offer space in gurudwaras to Muslims’.

“This is not possible in any way,” Hindustan Times quoted him as saying.

“We have clarified to Muslims that we cannot give them space,” The Times of India quoted him as saying. Sandhu told the newspaper that his statement was opposed by other sabha (gurudwara committee) members.

This correspondent could not reach Sandhu, but met other committee members. One of them, who did not wish to be quoted, said: “we will be sending out a press release soon”, and affirmed that Sandhu’s proposal was merely “his personal opinion”.

Members of a Sikh organisation called Jhatka Certification Authority had come from New Delhi to talk to the management.

When the men came out of the meeting room, they told a few mediapersons present that it had been mutually decided that the “maryada” (honour) of the gurudwara will not be violated.

Ravi Ranjan Singh, chairman of the organisation, told this correspondent that while no one is prohibited from entering the gurudwara irrespective of religion, caste and creed, namaz inside the premises is an entirely different issue.

 

 

Ravi Ranjan Singh (holding the mike)

“The management has assured us that the maryada will not be violated…Everyone is welcome inside as long as he or she is within the gurudwara maryada,” Ravi Ranjan, flanked by two men, said.

Amid religious activities such as kirtan, and partaking of langar and prasad, several devotees this correspondent spoke to, rubbished the offer of gurudwara space to namazis.

Joginder Singh, who had travelled about 30 minutes to reach the gurudwara from his residence by car, said the place was meant only for Gurbani (recital of Sikh holy text, Guru Granth Sahib).

Singh politely turned down the request to click a picture, saying he had trimmed his beard and thus was not in proper ‘Sikh maryada’.

Gagandeep Singh, a man in his 20s, said the matter had been “resolved” and there was no need to comment on the offer anymore.

A woman, Prabhjot Kaur, said though she did not know about any such offer as she had not been following the news, she did not understand why anyone would make such an offer.

“Then what are mosques for?” she calmly said.

A sewadar at the gurudwara gate, who was helping distribute free water bottles to devotees, said that he failed to understand why would namazis offer prayers inside the gurudwara when there was a mosque nearby.

The Sadar Bazar Jama Masjid, as it is called, is walking distance from the gurudwara.

The controversy

[ipledgeblue 553]

On 11/22/2021 at 10:27 AM, Premi5 said:

 

Joginder Singh, who had travelled about 30 minutes to reach the gurudwara from his residence by car, said the place was meant only for Gurbani (recital of Sikh holy text, Guru Granth Sahib).

Singh politely turned down the request to click a picture, saying he had trimmed his beard and thus was not in proper ‘Sikh maryada’.

 

lol what the.... 

[proactive 2,733]

6 hours ago, ipledgeblue said:

lol what the.... 

At least he understands that  ONLY Kirtan and Katha of Gurbani should take place in a Gurdwara. I place such a Sikh even if he has a trimmed beard many rungs above people like Ravi Singh who might have a khula dharha yet subverts Sikhi every day in order to further the liberal aganda. 

[Jacfsing2 618]

3 minutes ago, proactive said:

At least he understands that  ONLY Kirtan and Katha of Gurbani should take place in a Gurdwara. I place such a Sikh even if he has a trimmed beard many rungs above people like Ravi Singh who might have a khula dharha yet subverts Sikhi every day in order to further the liberal aganda. 

I mean Ravi Singh doesn't really get involved in Gurdwara politics.

[proactive 2,733]

Just now, Jacfsing2 said:

I mean Ravi Singh doesn't really get involved in Gurdwara politics.

He recently gave a call on Twitter for more Gurdwaras to allow Namaz on their premises so he is quite willing to go against the Rehat Maryada as long as it is for the benefit of Muslims and pis$es off RW Hindus.  I would say he is more political than the average Gurdwara Pardhan. 

[ipledgeblue 553]

On 11/24/2021 at 4:56 PM, Jacfsing2 said:

I mean Ravi Singh doesn't really get involved in Gurdwara politics.

 

On 11/24/2021 at 4:59 PM, proactive said:

He recently gave a call on Twitter for more Gurdwaras to allow Namaz on their premises so he is quite willing to go against the Rehat Maryada as long as it is for the benefit of Muslims and pis$es off RW Hindus.  I would say he is more political than the average Gurdwara Pardhan. 

I am confused, are you talking about Ravi Ranjan Singh who is mentioned in the article, or Ravi Singh Khalsa Aid?

[S1ngh 2,271]

To all these Ultra Hyper Liberals, Why keep bullshitting our own kaum. Get Sri Akhand Paat organized in any main mosque, if done then do whatever you want to do. Meanwhile shut this thing down fast. 

Agla banda tuhanu gharray nahi vaarda, tusi apnay gharray bado badi varri janday. apna jaloos appay hi kadi janday.

[proactive 2,733]

12 hours ago, ipledgeblue said:

 

I am confused, are you talking about Ravi Ranjan Singh who is mentioned in the article, or Ravi Singh Khalsa Aid?

I am writing about Ravi Singh of Khalsa Aid, He has given a call on twitter for more Gurdwaras to offer themselves for holding Namaz. The other Ravi Ranjan Singh appears to either a Hindu convert to Sikhi or someone who comes from a mixed Hindu Sikh family. I think he is  a Bihari and was a litigant in the Ram Mandir case. He is also leading an organisation called the Jhatka committee aimed at fighting the dominance of Halal meat in India and promoting Jhatka in its place. So he is pretty shady in some aspects but positive in others. 

Now compare the two Ravis, someone born a Sikh and who gives out many statements about the way Sikhs have been treated by India and who is being projected as the greatest Sikh of the 21st century and who should be awarded the Nobel prize and the other is someone possibly born a Hindu, associated with the Hindu Mahasabha and thus probably someone who believes that Sikhs are Hindus. 

   

 

Now which one would you think would be someone who would be defending the Rehat Maryada? Ravi Singh of Khalsa Aid or Ravi Ranjan Singh of Hindu Mahasabha?

The guess on face value and the true answer shows just what is wrong in our people at the moment. Ravi Singh of Khalsa Aid is quite happy to go against the Rehat Maryada and allow Namaz in our Gurdwaras, rather than just keep quiet when the Gurdwara Pardhan faced flak for his initial announcement offering the Gurdwara for Namaz, Ravi Singh KA is actually encouraging Gurdwaras to go against the Rehat Maryada! He may have a Khula Dharha but I doubt he has even read the Rehat Maryana or even has much knowledge of Gurbani, his charity is just a business he has set up to advance his liberal agenda.