This blog post is a tribute to the bravado of my#Sikh brothers, who stood up in respect for humanity beyond faith during the #UKriots.
It was devastating to see the peoples power gone berserk in UK riots, as the arson and looting carried on unabated into the fourth night . Unfortunately against the sheer numbers, the police seemed helpless to control the unruly mob.
While following the #UKriots on Twitter and BBC News, hashtag #Sikhs started to trend—first World wide and then in UK, London.
A tweet was seen:
Remroum Remi Kanazi
Was afraid #Sikhs trending was going to be some bigoted stream. Thankfully it was this: Sikhs protecting people while they prayed #UKRiots
They came pouring, tweets one after the other with speed getting faster:
Prandha_Swag Harpreeeeezyf.baby
#Sikhs is trending.
Nagra18 Jasraj Nagra
#Sikhs is trending, never thought i’d see the day #proud.
KavelKaur Kavel Kaur
#Sikhs are a world wide trend!!!!
GDS1ngh GD singh
#sikhs trending, fantastic. doing what we do best.
moneyspinner MONEYSPINNER
#sikhs nanak naam chardi kala, tere baane sarbat dha bhala
I googled to check the details and saw Mail Online quote:
Some armed with swords, some carrying hockey sticks, defiant Sikhs stood guard outside their temples last night.
More then 700 men, some in their 80s, took to the streets to protect the homes, businesses and places of worship in Southall, West London.
The tweets went on:
Goggi_Rana Goggi Rana
Sikhs of Britain have displayed the same traits of fearlessness, as their ancestors of yesteryear #Sikhs #SangatTV
UncleWail Wail Al Aun
Thumbs Up for the #Sikhs protecting their #Temple in Toxteth #Liverpool #UKRiots
MissssChrissy Chrissy
Singh Is King… Yep I think so! #sikhs doing it real big today. #LondonRiots #ukriots
Then we heard that they had not only protected their temples but also stood at the mosque guarding while the Muslims prayed ther Taraweeh prayers of Ramadan in South Hall mosque:
A google message read :
Muslims prayed their Tarawee prayers while Sikhs protected he Masjid
Got this from a friend in London.
In a Masjid in Southall London, Muslims were praying their Taravee prayer as the riots were going on, a bunch of Sikhs stood outside the Masjid and protected the Masjid.
The similar thing happened when Sikhs were inside their Gurduwara and some Muslim youngster guarded it on the gate
Great experience, a cousin and a friend of mine reported the same incident.
May ALLAH bless people like them, humanity still remains here, despite the problems
Tweets loaded with emotions, from Muslims and people from other faiths, too poured in with ovelwhelming enthusiasm:
PMGenerals PMG Anj
Today was an historic day for #hindus #sikhs and #muslims. #unitedwestand all religions teach us to have morals and respect dis proved it! X
dj_aNomAli ∀ℓι . ᄊ乇尺cんለռէ
Sikhs protect Southall mosque while Muslims pray Taraweeh in peace. Much respect to our brothers!! #LondonRiots #Southall #Sikhs #MashAllah
DNSDj Davinder Singh
Actually brings a tear to my eye seeing the #unity between #Sikhsand #Muslims in the fight against this madness. #proudtobesikh
akchishti akchishti
Great sight in my #Birmingham where #Pakistani lads are protecting temples while Sikh lads protecting the mosques
Muslimerican Peter
Imagine a group of rioters turning down a street and suddenly seeing 400 #Sikhs standing in the distance. #wrongturn #ohshit #londonriots
AdamPatel2 Adam Patel
I hear the #sikhs are even protecting the #mosques in Southall so #muslims can read our Tarawih in peace.”>>> BIG LOVE –
And dishearted tweeps begain to take a sigh of relief
xcrimsonstarx Vicki Langfield
The #Sikhs are giving me faith in humanity
Indeed, everyone who followed this trend must have rekindled their faith in humanity. Thanks you my Sikh brothers.
MumzyStranger Mumzy Stranger
Love out to the #Sikh brothers who protected the mosque during prayer time. If we all unite we can and WILL put a STOP to this chaos! M x
And with these tweets millions or billions of eyes gleamed with hope.
We hope and pray this display of unity and humanity extends to all faiths and communities beyond borders and beliefs…
My mind recalled the verses of Sant Kabirdas which along with 500 other verses which are included in to the Guru granth Sahib, are often heard from Gurudwaras as Shabad Kirtan :
Avval Allah Noor upaya Qudrat ke sab bandey
(God created light of which all the things were born)
Aik nor ke sab jag upajaya kaun bhale ko mandhe
(From the light, the universe. So who is good and who is bad).
Indeed, I hail my Sikh brothers for living up to the spirits of their faith, their Gurus and their Book.
In return many Muslims also stood up with the Sikhs and helped them form groups which defended their communities and boroughs. Hail Sikh Muslim Solidarity.
Let this be the beginning of Sikh-Hindu-Muslim-Christian-Jew –other faiths unity for all faiths believe in one Supreme Power and all faiths belong to one Humanity’
I dedicate this tribute to my Sikh brothers with the greeting, which in Punjabi means exactly what Allah u Akbar stands for :
Vaheguru ji ka khalsa, vaheguru ji ki fateh.
(God’s pure and God’s victory )
My brothers, Rabb Raakhaa
Ilmana Fasih, Aug 10, 2011
P.S.: Please scroll down in the comment box to see the reaction of the Muslim community after 3 Pakistani boys were killed in Birmingham.
Comments on: "Avval Allah, Nur upaya, qudrat de sab bandey…" (9)
Very beautiful post. and makes us realize that in the need of the hour..all religions can support each other! 🙂
Faith unites us all..Humanity…THE RELIGION OF LOVE AND COMPASSION…..GOD IS ONE…
As the threats and rumours follow, so do the spirits of help among different commnunities. Saw these tweets today:
sjkgill SHANU JODHIE KAUR
Rumours that mosques are to be targetted tonight under cover of riots – please be vigilant. Many have volunteered to defend them tonight
jilaawatan Inder
And in return #Sikh locals got same allegiance & support from their #Muslim brothers. God’s Grace! @ZEEMANA @ManzVanKhroad #UKriots @iamrana
Waheguru
PEACE. (You need a share button Ilmana)
I followed it on twitter and sky news… It was truly wonderful.
British Asians were leading the way protecting our communities.
NOW how can the EDL and BNP say that this is THEIR country? They are OUR communities, the people that believe that peace and unity is the way forward. Britain standing united, no matter what race, religion or colour.
My favourite twitter…
bablu121 Bablu Miah (retweeted) by AngelFlanaganJT
“@freddiejohnson1: Bl**dy immigration. We let these Sikhs into our country and all they do is defend our boroughs and communities #southall”
Brilliant. Thank you gentlemen of Southall for setting such a great example.
God bless you all.
DISPLAY OF SOLIDARITY AND PATIENCE BY THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY
As the fourth night of rioting was over, there came the news of 3 Pakistani boys who were killed in Birmingham.
ReportS Express Tribune”
” Three Pakistani men died Wednesday after being hit by a car during riots in the central English city of Birmingham, officials said, as witnesses said they died while trying to protect their community from looters.”
“People came out of prayers and they were protecting the area. My friends were targeted, they were standing on the side of the road and the car just came and ran them over,” witness Kabir Khan Isakhel said.
However despite this the community bore the tragedy with patience. I came across these tweets, which certainly spelt sanity and harmony:
IAmBirmingham I Am Birmingham
“This is not a race issue, please respect the memory of my sons” – #Birmingham father of men killed by hit-and-run rioters #birminghamriots
muskhalili mustafa khalili
Sobering candlelight vigil and prayers read out in memory of haroon jahan,abdul musavir and shazad ali #birmingham #ukriots
while some other exemplary tweets being:
akchishti akchishti
those who were assassinated by terrorists in #Birmingham were #Pakistanis & #British.We salute them & condemn terrorists who has no color.
mehreenkasana Mehreen Kasana
Tariq Jahan. You’ve made Pakistan proud by displaying such bravery and calm during these turbulent times. More power to you.
sufisal salman ahmad
RESPECT for South Asians in UK, preventing thugs from creating more chaos by making human shields across the spectrum of Religion/Ethnicity
mehreenkasana Mehreen Kasana
Tariq Jahan proved that a true Muslim holds no grudge against the world no matter how brutal it gets. Thank you, Tariq Jahan, for existing.
I recieved tweets:
jilaawatan Inder
@ZEEMANA Bhai aaj bhi ej dusre ke liye khade hote hain… shayad duniya itni buri nahin hai @iamrana @aaquib_ @akhtar978 #UKriots
UncleWail Wail Al Aun
#UKRiots bring faiths together in #London Southall bit.ly/okRco5 thank you @ZEEMANA
I wish to see this unity inside INDIA !