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India: Laser pointer misuse in 2002 said to cause riots and close 600-year-old religious shrine
01 May 2018 -- Categories: Non-aviation incidents
A May 1 2018 news story about a 600-year-old Indian shrine states that the shrine was closed in 2002 after a riot broke out, instigated in part by misuse of a laser pointer.
The shrine of Madhin Saheb was built in 1444 in Srinagar, a city in the Kashmir Valley. In the late 20th century, the shine was popular with locals and tourists. Sunni and Shia Muslims worshipped together inside the shrine. The article states:
The peace was, however, broken in 2002, after a rumour spread in Srinagar that some miracle had happened inside the shrine. The rumour spread like a wildfire and a number of people rushed to the shrine. Though there are different versions on the incident, the largely accepted one is that Shias claimed that the outer wall of the shrine had some blood spots on it and a “Shia flag was miraculously erected on the roof of the shrine, hence the entire monument belongs to them.”
“It was a mischief done by someone. The blood spots were actually a beam from a laser pointer, a trending device then used as a source of amusement,” says Ghulam Nabi, 62, who was among the hundreds of people present on the spot that day.
He says that soon after this act, riots broke out near the shrine and its adjoining areas leaving many people injured. “It was chaos all around. No one from either sect was ready to listen. It was only after tiresome efforts by police and civil administration that the situation was brought under control,” Nabi says. Following the incident, Department of Archives, Archeology & Museums sealed the shrine, and since then, entry to it is restricted.
The director of the Department of Archives was quoted as saying “Though there has been an improvement in the situation since the day it (shrine) was closed, we do not think that opening this shrine right now would be a reasonable decision. We respect the sentiments of people attached to the shrine, but we have to keep it shut till situation returns to normal. The monument will be opened one day. We see that happening soon, Insha-Allah.”
From the Kashmir Narrator
The shrine of Madhin Saheb was built in 1444 in Srinagar, a city in the Kashmir Valley. In the late 20th century, the shine was popular with locals and tourists. Sunni and Shia Muslims worshipped together inside the shrine. The article states:
The peace was, however, broken in 2002, after a rumour spread in Srinagar that some miracle had happened inside the shrine. The rumour spread like a wildfire and a number of people rushed to the shrine. Though there are different versions on the incident, the largely accepted one is that Shias claimed that the outer wall of the shrine had some blood spots on it and a “Shia flag was miraculously erected on the roof of the shrine, hence the entire monument belongs to them.”
“It was a mischief done by someone. The blood spots were actually a beam from a laser pointer, a trending device then used as a source of amusement,” says Ghulam Nabi, 62, who was among the hundreds of people present on the spot that day.
He says that soon after this act, riots broke out near the shrine and its adjoining areas leaving many people injured. “It was chaos all around. No one from either sect was ready to listen. It was only after tiresome efforts by police and civil administration that the situation was brought under control,” Nabi says. Following the incident, Department of Archives, Archeology & Museums sealed the shrine, and since then, entry to it is restricted.
The director of the Department of Archives was quoted as saying “Though there has been an improvement in the situation since the day it (shrine) was closed, we do not think that opening this shrine right now would be a reasonable decision. We respect the sentiments of people attached to the shrine, but we have to keep it shut till situation returns to normal. The monument will be opened one day. We see that happening soon, Insha-Allah.”
From the Kashmir Narrator