The Eastern Mediterranean has been rocked by rising tensions between an Islamist, expansionist Turkey led by its President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Cradle of Western Civilization, Greece. When Turkey was praying in Hagia Sophia, Greece was in mourning, Church flags were flown at half-mast, and Church bells tolled in Greece as Turkey conducted Islamic prayers in the Byzantine era cathedral, now turned into a mosque.
A few days after Turkey converted the controversial structure into a mosque, two Islamic extremists in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan laid claim over a historical Gurudwara in Lahore. In the last few months, the people and government of Pakistan dumped the ideological guru Saudi Arabia- which is slowly becoming moderate- for a more radical and vocal Turkey which is being led by charismatic Islamist leader. Therefore, taking a lesson from Turkey, Pakistani people want to convert Gurdwara Shahidi Asthan, a historical gurdwara where Bhai Taru Ji made the supreme sacrifice in 1745, into a mosque.
The video, in which Pakistani men were threatening people of Sikh Community and were claiming over the historical gurudwara, has gone viral over the internet.
The claim on Gurudwara by Islamic extremists has led to a very strong response from the Indian government. “A strong protest was lodged with the Pakistan High Commission today on the reported incident whereby Gurdwara Shahidi Asthan, site of martyrdom of Bhai Taru Singh ji at Naulakha Bazaar in Lahore, Pakistan has been claimed as the place of Masjid Shahid Ganj and attempts are being made to convert it to a mosque,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in a statement.
The Pakistani government must not forget that it might try to imitate Turkey but India is not Greece. If the Indian government can implement CAA for the safeguard of Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan, scrap Article 370, then it can also take appropriate action against Pakistan for its misadventures.
Strongly condemn attempts being made to convert holy Gurdwara Sri Shahidi Asthan in Lahore, site of martyrdom of Bhai Taru Singh Ji, into mosque. Urge @DrSJaishankar to convey Punjab's concerns in strongest terms to Pakistan to safeguard all Sikh places of reverence.
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) July 28, 2020
The Sikh community in India has registered a very strong protest against what is happening in Pakistan. “Strongly condemn attempts being made to convert holy Gurdwara Sri Shahidi Asthan in Lahore, site of martyrdom of Bhai Taru Singh Ji, into mosque. Urge @DrSJaishankar to convey Punjab’s concerns in strongest terms to Pakistan to safeguard all Sikh places of reverence,” tweeted Captain Amarinder Singh, CM of Sikh majority state of Punjab.
Since the day Turkish President spoke against the scrapping of Article 370 by India, Pakistan has found a new messiah. PM Imran Khan has already accepted Erdogan as new Khalifa and trying to promote Turkish culture in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Turkish TV show Ertrugul, which builds myths of Islamic golden age during the Ottoman Empire, has broken all records of TV viewership in Pakistan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan personally urged all Pakistanis to watch Ertrugul to learn “Islamic values” and “culture”, He said that “third hand culture” is being promoted in Pakistan through Hollywood and Bollywood.
“Unfortunately, I have to say that I am seeing that through Bollywood….30-40 years ago even in Bollywood, you wouldn’t see these kinds of things. Now there is so much dirt in it. They have adopted the worst of Hollywood’s traits. But they don’t show the strength of their own legacy. Our children are being very negatively affected by this,” he said.
However, Imran Khan must not forget that India will not ignore Pakistan’s provocations like Greece did that of Turkey. Greece is not responding to Turkish provocations. What Athens is doing is plain and simple military posturing, in the face of a hostile Turkey. This ‘no-first-fire-policy’ is antagonistic to Greece’s sovereign interests. The message that Greece is giving is that it is ready for a conflict. Athens is waiting for Erdoğan to make the next move. But the Turkish President is already getting to do what he wants- drilling and exploration in Greece’s Continental Shelf and humiliating them by converting Greek Orthodox Church’s oldest site into a mosque.
However, on the other hand, India responded to Uri as well as Pulwama with even greater use of force, and if Pakistan allows the conversion of Gurudwara, it might end up losing Lahore too.
