Here's one:
Posted on 03/09/2002 5:45:03 AM PST by Pharmboy
March 9, 2002
The city's oldest Sikh temple, a nexus for the Sikh community along the East Coast, was destroyed early yesterday morning when fire engulfed the building and injured six visiting priests, the authorities said.
The temple, or gurdwara, at 95-30 118th Street in Richmond Hill, Queens, erupted in flames about 12:30 a.m. with about 25 people sleeping inside, fire officials said. The fire quickly spread to the priests' quarters and the attached cultural center, destroying a library of 15,000 books, they said.
Five minutes after the first firefighters arrived, a second alarm was sounded, they said. A few minutes later, a third alarm brought the number of firefighters to more than 140, they said.
The fire was brought under control shortly before 4 a.m., said Assistant Chief Joseph Callan, but only the building's brick facade survived.
The six injured priests were taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where one remained in critical condition last night, three were in stable condition, and two had been released, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Two firefighters were also treated for minor injuries, Chief Callan said.
The cause of the blaze was under investigation, but city officials said nothing indicated foul play. Investigators were hampered yesterday because the site was not safe to inspect. But they said they believed it started in the building's basement, where a large kitchen was situated, and are focusing on the possibility of a gas leak. Neighbors told fire officials yesterday that they smelled gas Thursday, Chief Callan said.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who stopped at the site yesterday afternoon, said, "We have to make sure the Sikh community can take care of their flock. My presence here is only out of respect for the Sikh community."
The temple, which opened in 1972, draws more than 2,500 worshipers on Sundays, regularly attracting Sikhs from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, said Harpreet Singh Toor, chairman of the Sikh Cultural Society of Richmond Hill, which owns the temple.
It often acts as a way station for Sikhs entering America and has become a common destination on pilgrimages, Mr. Toor said. "It's like Kennedy Airport — it's the first stop," Mr. Toor said. "If you're a Sikh visiting America and haven't been here, you haven't completed your trip."
Mr. Toor said the half-block complex houses the temple, an educational wing, a kitchen and living quarters for up to 50 people — mainly visiting preachers — in an area of Queens where 25,000 Sikhs live.
The temple also organizes the annual Sikh Day Parade along Broadway from Times Square to Madison Square Park. This year's, scheduled for April 20, will proceed as planned, Mr. Toor said. "This tragedy pulls out your heart, but it will not keep us from celebrating who we are as Sikhs and as Americans," he said. "We're not going to let this stop us," Mr. Toor said.
Early yesterday morning, a number of Sikhs held an impromtu service on the sidewalk. Last night, with investigators still combing through the remains, 200 people gathered outside for evening prayer. They sat on wood planks laid across the street and listened to the priest's familiar words.
"The fact that we went on with our normal routine despite what happened today speaks to the strength of our community," Mohinder S. Taneja, general secretary of the Sikh Organization of New York, said after the service. "We will accept whatever God wishes for us and become stronger."
As soon as it is deemed safe, Mr. Toor said, a tent will be erected in an empty lot behind the temple for services.
Throughout the day, with an opaque smoke smoke still rising from the temple, dozens of Sikhs gathered along the streets. Trays of food were brought and cups of steaming tea passed hand to hand.
The Sikhs sounded a call to rebuild, though they were visibly shaken by the loss.
"Like many of the people here, I left work to come see it," said Rabinder S. Bhamra, who helped start the temple 30 years ago but has since moved to Westbury, N.Y. "This is everything to us. It's our social, cultural, religious center. We come here for guidance. This is God's house."
Here's one:
With events in India and Pakistan as they are, I have a hard time believing this was accidental. Guru Nanak's spiritual children are equally hated by Muslims and Hindus. Flip a coin.
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