In a shining instance of communal harmony and the spirit of brotherhood, members of the Sikh and Hindu communities came together to build a mosque for their Muslim brethren in a village in Punjab.
A report mentioned that in the village of Ghalib Ran Singh Waal, which is dominated by Sikhs and Hindus, a mosque was inaugurated just as the month of Ramzan is going to begin. Earlier, the Muslim community had to visit nearby villages for their namaaz
.
The report quoted Liaqat Ali, a resident of the village, as saying that their long cherished demand has been fulfilled and that the beautiful Hazrat Abu Bakar mosque is an Eid gift for them.
The village of Ghalib Ran Singh Waal has a population of 1,300, out of which around 700 are Sikhs, 200 Hindus, and 150 are Muslims. The Muslims had mostly settled in the village after the partition.
The Shahi Imam of Punjab, Maulana Habib Ur Rehman Saani Ludhianvi, said that it is a big gesture of brotherhood on part of the villagers. It was a long pending demand of the local Muslim community which will now be able to pray in its own mosque, the TOI report said.
Although the resolution to construct the mosque was passed in 1998, it was only last year that construction began with the help of the villagers. Village sarpanch Jagdeep Kaur mentioned that her village is the epitome of communal harmony. She also said that a temple is now being made with the combined efforts of the villagers. The village also has a Nanaksar Gurdwara, where members of all the faiths go to pay their respects.
Jaswinder Kumar, a resident of Ghalib Ran Singh Waal, said that there had hardly been any instance of communal violence in their village. Fellow resident, Om Kumar, added that they wanted to tell those fighting in the name of religion that they should instead work together. "Our village is a perfect example of how members from various communities can come together in a peaceful manner, and respect each other's faith," he said.
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