Gurdwara in Melbourne, Australia Burnt Down 'An Attack on Religion'

Melbourne Sikh temple arson 'an attack on religion'
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-news/28919-gurdwara-melbourne-australia-burnt-down-attack.html

* Lauren Wilson
* From: The Australian
* January 14, 2010 12:00AM

A fire was deliberately lit inside the Nanaksar Thath Isher Darbar Sikh Temple, which is under construction, in Lynbrook overnight. Temple elder Satnam Singh and Amarpreet Singh examine the damage. Picture: Stuart McEvoy Source: The Australian

AN elder at a Melbourne Sikh temple suspected to have been torched by arsonists has described the early-morning vandalism as an "attack on religion", placing further strain on diplomatic relations already damaged by a spate of serious assaults on Indian students.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=28919

The partially built Nanaksar Thath Isher Darbar temple in Melbourne's outer southeastern suburbs, home to a congregation of Sikhs, many of whom come from the Punjab in northern India, is believed to have been set on fire with the use of molotov cocktails early yesterday.

Distraught temple elder Satnam Singh said the wilful destruction of a "God house" was an attack on Indians.

Detective Senior Constable Paul Stow, in charge of the investigation, said the fire was being treated as suspicious, but detectives were yet to establish whether race or religion had motivated the arsonists.

"At this stage there is nothing to suggest it is (race-related) other than the fact that it happened to a temple," Detective Constable Stow told The Australian yesterday.

The Sikh temple, known as a gurdwara, is in the middle of a large empty paddock in front of a sprawling housing estate at Lynbrook, on Melbourne's suburban fringe. The fire could put further pressure on bilateral relations between India and Australia, which have come under renewed strain since the stabbing of a 21-year-old Punjab-born accounting graduate, Nitin Garg, in a park in Melbourne's west earlier this month.

Among the members of the Indian community who visited the temple yesterday to survey the damage was the consul-general of India in Melbourne, Anil Kumar Gupta, who walked around the site taking notes and talking with elders. One worshipper, who asked not to be named, said he was informed by police that three molotov cocktails and a jerry can containing petrol were found inside the temple. Constable Stow confirmed that "a number of items were located to suggest accelerant was used".

Despite initial police reports indicating that a group of teens had lit "a couple of small fires" in piles of rubbish in the temple, Constable Stow said police believed the arson to be a "deliberately lit fire" rather than a bonfire that had burned out of control.

A police spokeswoman last night said investigators were keeping an open mind about the investigation.

"We can't discount anything," she said.

Victorian police have been criticised and caricatured in India for being too quick to rule out racism as a motive for attacks on Indian students.

Walking through the blackened interior yesterday, Mr Singh said the fire was "very, very personal".

"This is an attack on religion, this is very bad," he said. "This should not have been done, this is a God house, everybody who comes here prays to God."

When asked whether he believed the attack to be race-related, Mr Singh said: "Yes, attack on Indians."

The deputy high commissioner of India, V.K. Sharma, yesterday said: "We have no comment to make."

It is believed two people were seen leaving the temple near midnight.




Source: http://www.theaustra...f-1225819009767

 
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Gurfateh,
Who ever did that must be sick mind heartless person. Gurudwara is our institution where we can learn our religion and peace
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=28919
Have any one seen Any Church’s being in this kind of situation No Never
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=28919
In Australia, every day we are hearing Sikh is being attacked or Sikh female or male has been killed.
I would like request Sharomani Committee Amritsar and C.M. MR Parkash Singh Badal or our Jathedar’s from Akaal Thakat sahib to do some thing instead of fighting in our own country in Indian Punjab
Gurfateh

Aussies have gone mad.Despite having 72 lakh sq km of land they feel threatened by a handfull of Indians who are their just for studies.It looks to me racism is the basic nature of Humans no matter how much you educate them it can never go

Aus Desi ji

I wonder if all of Australia has gone mad -- or if there is something very strange going on within a particular segment of Australian society. Has there been any recent analysis in the news or elsewhere that looks at the demographics of the attackers? As these stories mount, the impact on someone several thousand miles away is ghastly. Yet, I for one am pretty certain that Australia is "not like that." I could be wrong but would appreciate your insights into my question.

Narayanjot ji

Aus desi ji has not responded yet

Anyway let me tell you another thing.those who are familier with cricket know that Australian Cricket team can go to any extent to win a game that means using abusive language against other teams,sledging abusing etc and that too even with white cricket teams too like England.Once they were beating england and Boys in crowd were making fun of some of Englishmen
.One cricketer went to talk to boys and told them don't your parents have taught you any manners and their reply was No ,but they taught us how to beat you in cricket.Even their cricketers have worst reputation in Behaviour.
No wonder Even New zealand and England enjoy when Australia looses in Cricket.

kanwardeep ji

I think Aus Desi may be off-line now and did not read my comments and question. But it sounds as if you are saying that a high level of aggression is commonly accepted and perhaps it knows no boundaries. Aggression is needed for sports -- but I don't understand cricket so that may or not be true regarding cricket. But Aggression also needs to be tempered so that it doesn't flow over into areas where it doesn't belong. Just some thoughts.

Do you think that there has been a generational problem in learning how to control aggression, that young men are not learning how to cultivate self-control.

Nanaksar Isher Darbar in Melbourne ? Who do you think is the Sant who erected this building. How did he get the funds to build this building? Does the Sant have a 'holy' reputation in the first place ?

Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=28919
Please feed me with this vital info first.

Look there are several sides to this story. Comparing this to Australia cricket makes no sense.

These stories are just media spotlight. There are reasons why Indian students are attacked but racism is not one of them. In most cases its a stereotype.

Now there are problems with Indian students. 1) They don't get adequate housing. 2) They have to work odd jobs to make a living. 3) some of the institution they study in are extremely dodgy.

These are the background problems. These problems make the bashings possible.

First, Indian students are forced to live in low socio economic violent suburbs because the rental prices near the city centre is through the roof. This puts them in harms way because they have to travel to these suburbs where most middle class Australians will not go.

Second, They can only work 20 hours legally. This means they cannot support themselves AND send money to India like their parents want to. So they work illegally at night. They cannot put this money into banks as its illegal so they are forced to keep it in their wallets. Now the housing issue comes in again. Since they live with 10 other Indian students they cannot keep this money at home.

Third, The institutions which have agents in India promise the Indian students accomodation, jobs etc. In reality they are nothing but shop fronts for Visas. They have a floor in a building in the CBD where indian students go to study. Sometimes they close down without noticeleaving hundreds of students out of pocket but you'll never see these stories on CNN-IBN.

Fourth, now look at the problems above and you realise that in the minds of young "bogans"(note:bogans are non-white people as well), Indian students are "walking-talking ATMs". Any Jazza or Bazza who wants a pack of Smokos and Smirnoff ice black tins will beat up an Indian guy and get atleast $100.

This is a stereotype not a racial thing although it might appear so. If they figured that Croatians all had $20 in their pocket they'd do the same to Croatians.

Finally, This thing also plays into it but not as often. Some of these Indian students who have arrived recently bring their old habits here as well. e.g. talking loud on the phone, hitting on every gori and non-gori that moves and other things. That makes them easy to target as well.

I'll reply to other messages later.