Nawaz Sharif To Visit Lanka’s Most Sacred Buddhist Shrine

[Gibbs]

I wonder what the few of the more fundamentalist Islamic Pakistani posters here think about this


Nawaz Sharif To Visit Lanka’s Most Sacred Buddhist Shrine -The New Indian Express

COLOMBO: Giving a new look to Islamic Pakistan in keeping with changing times, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will be breaking a time honoured religious taboo to visit Sri Lanka’s holiest Buddhist shrine, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth at Kandy, when he is in the island nation on an official visit between January 4 and 6.

However, the ice had been broken way back in December 2010 itself, when the then Pakistani President, Asif Zardari, responded favourably to a request from the then Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to send the Buddhist relics of Gandhara for exhibition in Lanka. In June 2011, the Director of General of Archeology, Pakistan, Dr Fazal Dad Kakar brought down the Gandhara relics to Lanka. Pakistani High Commissioner Seema Ilahi Baloch ceremonially presented a casket containing the relics to monks of the Bodhigyana Kapuwa temple at Kaduwela near Colombo. Not to be outdone, India brought the Kapilavastu relics to Lanka in August 2012.

Pakistan is clearly keen on using its Buddhist past to promote ties with Sri Lanka with which it has been having excellent relations on account of its unstinted military support to the island nation during its 30 years war against Tamil separatists. During his current visit, Nawaz Sharif will be signing 10 agreements to promote trade and investment. There will be an agreement to monitor money laundering and terror financing also.

 

[Abdullah S.]

Not sure what the article is trying to tell. There's no taboo on head of state or PM visiting religious places during visits to other countries.

 

[Gibbs]

Not sure what the article is trying to tell. There's no taboo on head of state or PM visiting religious places during visits to other countries.

Given the source is Indian media, It may well be trying to shuffle a few feathers but interested to know what would the reactions be from the more hardcore Islamic segments in Pakistani society to this visit to a Buddhist shrine.. Will there be a backlash atleast in the media and from those few here on PDF ?

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

Given the source is Indian media, It may well be trying to shuffle a few feathers but interested to know what would the reactions be from the more hardcore Islamic segments in Pakistani society to this visit to a Buddhist shrine.. Will there be a backlash atleast in the media and from those few here on PDF ?

I don't think it's a big "issue" .. I'd love to visit Temple of the tooth etc..

 

[Zibago]

Given the source is Indian media, It may well be trying to shuffle a few feathers but interested to know what would the reactions be from the more hardcore Islamic segments in Pakistani society to this visit to a Buddhist shrine.. Will there be a backlash atleast in the media and from those few here on PDF ?

Not really, he celebrated diwali with hindus its not an issue in Pakistan

 

[MadDog]

Nawaz Sharif celebrated diwali this year, spent time with Hindu community !!!

 

[samv]

Nawaz Sharif celebrated diwali this year, spent time with Hindu community !!!

Don't worry the OP @Gibbs is an Islamophobic bigot. Just go through his posting history. Always screaming and wailing and ranting and raving against Muslims.

 

[xyxmt]

I broke the taboo 20 years ago when I visited a Church....what kind of stupid people are writing for news papers these days

 

[ravi kiran]

I wonder what the few of the more fundamentalist Islamic Pakistani posters here think about this


Nawaz Sharif To Visit Lanka’s Most Sacred Buddhist Shrine -The New Indian Express

COLOMBO: Giving a new look to Islamic Pakistan in keeping with changing times, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will be breaking a time honoured religious taboo to visit Sri Lanka’s holiest Buddhist shrine, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth at Kandy, when he is in the island nation on an official visit between January 4 and 6.

However, the ice had been broken way back in December 2010 itself, when the then Pakistani President, Asif Zardari, responded favourably to a request from the then Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to send the Buddhist relics of Gandhara for exhibition in Lanka. In June 2011, the Director of General of Archeology, Pakistan, Dr Fazal Dad Kakar brought down the Gandhara relics to Lanka. Pakistani High Commissioner Seema Ilahi Baloch ceremonially presented a casket containing the relics to monks of the Bodhigyana Kapuwa temple at Kaduwela near Colombo. Not to be outdone, India brought the Kapilavastu relics to Lanka in August 2012.

Pakistan is clearly keen on using its Buddhist past to promote ties with Sri Lanka with which it has been having excellent relations on account of its unstinted military support to the island nation during its 30 years war against Tamil separatists. During his current visit, Nawaz Sharif will be signing 10 agreements to promote trade and investment. There will be an agreement to monitor money laundering and terror financing also.

Isn't it anti islam to visit kafirs worship places?

 

[Sliver]

Given the source is Indian media, It may well be trying to shuffle a few feathers but interested to know what would the reactions be from the more hardcore Islamic segments in Pakistani society to this visit to a Buddhist shrine.. Will there be a backlash atleast in the media and from those few here on PDF ?

I don't think it's a big "issue" .. I'd love to visit Temple of the tooth etc..

Nawaz Sharif celebrated diwali this year, spent time with Hindu community !!!

Isn't it anti islam to visit kafirs worship places?

There is no reaction even from the Pakistani members here to suggest something like that. Also, The premier of Pakistan has celebrated with the minorities as well in the recent past without having any "backlash" from his citizenry. Looks like people here are egging for a backlash from Pakistanis.

They are getting more tolerant of minorities and more intolerant of the extremist view of Islam (which is an untrue version of Islam).

When Pakistanis sent aid and personnel to Nepal during the calamity, no one asked "Nepal is a Hindu state" (or once was.)

Seems more like a troll thread to highlight that a Muslim is going to visit a Buddhist shrine where in the real world, its a human going to visit a sanctified place of other human.

 

[terry5]

Isn't it anti islam to visit kafirs worship places?

I visit my herd of cows shed everyday even clean them and feed them .





Nice one Nawaz visiting a temple whos origins belong in the land of Pakistan

 

[Brahmaputra Mail]

The only issue will be if Wazir-e-Azam of Pakistan prays to the idol or statue of Buddha. Praying to idols is a big NO NO.

 

[ravi kiran]

I visit my herd of cows shed everyday even clean them and feed them .

So you are also kafir like me.

 

[Gibbs]

Seems more like a troll thread to highlight that a Muslim is going to visit a Buddhist shrine where in the real world, its a human going to visit a sanctified place of other human.

Well i was directly quoting a news item.. Neither was the thread heading altered nor the content.. So it's far from a trolling effort but a query on the reason for such an article to appear.. Again my intention is to get the reaction from those ideologically far right in these forums NOT the majority of posters with the more consensual view point.. Lets not kid ourselves i have had quite a number of exchanges with those that holds a view that this would be against the very fundamental tenants of Islam.. Again that may well be the view of a minority here but a strong view nontheless

There is no real reason to get defensive

 

[Imran Khan]

ok good lord buddha help him to finish load-shedding