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| India-Pakistan |
| Chaos at Taj Mahal as thousands force entry |
| 2006-08-06 |
| Thousands of Muslim pilgrims entered the Taj Mahal without tickets on the pretext of offering prayers, as security personnel and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials struggled to maintain order. According to reliable sources, for close to three hours on Friday there was total chaos at the historical monument here and all security arrangements came to a naught as pilgrims returning from Ajmer Urs entered in huge numbers. The Taj Mahal, which is closed to visitors on Fridays, opens for about two hours in the afternoon to allow local Muslims to offer prayers at the mosque inside. According to eyewitness accounts, over 10,000 people barged into the monument as security personnel found it tough to screen every one of them and one of them said: “Those who entered the Taj Friday were definitely not there just to offer prayers.” This confusion is also said to have resulted in substantial revenue losses through the non-sale of tickets. Meanwhile, the right-wing Shiv Sena announced they will perform a ‘Maha aarti’ (Hindu services) at the Taj Monday to reassert their claim of the mausoleum being built at the site of a Shiva temple. When asked how they would enter, a Sena official said: “This will be a guerrilla operation.” Shiv Sainiks believe that the Taj Mahal was originally a Rajput structure, which housed a Shiva temple. They have prepared a long list of evidence in support of their claim, which most historians do not accept. According to sources, hundreds of Muslims have been forcibly entering the historical monument situated across the Taj Mahal called Etmauddaula, commonly known as ‘Baby Taj’ in the past few weeks. People come in on the pretext of saying prayers, but they all enjoy a picnic and leave. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #7 Whenever there was a call to prayer, hundreds of muslims would spread rugs and pray, blocking roads, sidewalks, the entrance to train stations. That's another good thing tanks are for. It will only take one or two good grinding of gears and slide-slipping through the "masses" to put an end to all of that kind of sh$$. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2006-08-06 22:08 |
| #6 The muslim prediliction for taking over public spaces affects even the most educated. Dr. Zakir Hussain, a former University Chancellor, when he was President of India in the late 1960s, converted a section of the Presidential Palace into a mosque so he could pray there. Not a common prayer room, available for all faiths, but a mosque, for muslims only. Now this is a magnificent British Raj era building, larger than Buckingham Palace, built for the viceroy and protected, like other Lutyens designed buildings, under Indian law. Hussain broke the law by altering the stucture. When he left office, the next President was confronted with a mosque he did not want but could not touch in any way, since it was a mosque and muslims would riot if it were demolished. |
| Posted by: john 2006-08-06 10:00 |
| #5 Whenever there was a call to prayer, hundreds of muslims would spread rugs and pray, blocking roads, sidewalks, the entrance to train stations that only works if the cars and pedestrians will stop for you. I'd put the pointy end of my boot a foot deep in the ass of the first one that blocked my path |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-08-06 09:48 |
| #4 The "maha aarti" was quite effective in Mumbai a few years ago when muslims groups began to offer namaz in public spaces. Whenever there was a call to prayer, hundreds of muslims would spread rugs and pray, blocking roads, sidewalks, the entrance to train stations. It was an expression of muslim mass power. They could close down the city arteries when they wished. All people had to wait until muslims finished praying. Well, the Shiv Sena was having non of this. They began to have "maha aartis", with thousands of hindus offering aarti in front of mosques and blocking the entrances to muslim areas. The muslims soon saw sense and stopped their foolishness. |
| Posted by: john 2006-08-06 09:32 |
| #3 No, let them in, after they're all in, close and bar the doors for a couple of days. Then call the Police and let them out, charge them with Tresspassing, arrest and fine heavily each and every one. That should put a screeching halt to this kind of shit. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2006-08-06 09:17 |
| #2 Shoot them!! -M |
| Posted by: Manolo 2006-08-06 08:49 |
| #1 Guerilla picknickers? |
| Posted by: Greash Glomomp4196 2006-08-06 03:37 |