India: Gulmarg Shut Down over Koranic Verses on Snowboard

By Larry Habegger | Permalink | No Comments | February 12th, 2009 | Trackback

The entire town of the famous ski resort of Gulmarg was shut down for two hours recently by protesters demanding action against a Swedish snowboarder who brought a board with verses of the Koran inscribed on it. Enraged locals handed over both the Swede and the board to police, asserting that to ski on verses of the holy book was sacrilegious. All shops and businesses closed in protest, and demonstrations spread to Srinigar, where police used tear gas and cane charges to disperse the protesters. The incident is a reminder that cultural sensitivities can be strong, and we ignore them at our peril.

Home » Asia, India, Demonstrations/Protests, Temporary closings/Delays, Cultural news

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