From News Dispaches BAGHDAD: Iraq’s Minister for Wakfand Religious Affairs, AbduIlah Fadil assured the former Indian President Giani Zail Singh that the Government of Iraq respected all religions and would preserve the historic site near here visited by Guru Nanak 500 years ago.
The Iraqi Minister personally escorted by Zail Singh around the historic site in the midst of a graveyard currently under repair and closed to the public. Fadil assured Zail Singh that the site would be thrown open to the public once the repairs were completed.
During the day visitors to the site will be allowed to pay their respects to Guru Nanak. However, as it is located within the grave yard visitors will be banned from staying overnight, cooking meals, holding langars, and kirtans, in deference to the sensitivities of the majority community in Iraq.
The historic site consists of two rooms and a courtyard. One of the rooms contains the grave of Pir Bahlol Dana with whom Guru ‘Nanak had stayed during his visit to Baghdad. The other room, said to have been occupied by Guru Nanak contains a plague in Turkish commemorating the occasion of his visit. The courtyard enclosing both these rooms also contains a plaque.
The Minister assured Zail Singh that the Iraqi Government respected all religions and allowed freedom of worship to all Iraqis and others living in Iraq.
Although not a single Iraqi citizen was a Sikh, he said the Government had preserved the historic site because it respected the Sich Gurv’s ideals and what he stood for.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 28, 1989
