Diplomatic chief calls revered Sikh temple the ‘Golden Mosque’
Foreign Office mandarin apologises for confusing sacred pilgrimage site with Muslim place of worship
BRITAIN’S chief diplomat has apologised after calling one of the most sacred sites in Sikhism a mosque.
Sir Simon Mcdonald, the permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office and head of the diplomatic service, admitted that he made the mistake on Monday when referring to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, as the “Golden Mosque”.
Sir Simon claimed on Twitter that a photograph of the Queen at the “Golden Mosque” had been given to a colleague.
Realising his mistake, he said: “I was wrong: I am sorry.” He then admitted he should have said “the Golden Temple or, better, Sri Harmandir Sahib.”
The Golden Temple, constructed in the 16th century, is sacred to Sikhs because it is considered to be the main site of pilgrimage for the faith.
Sir Simon’s post enraged many on social media. Bhai Amrik Singh, the chairman of the Sikh Federation, said: “This was a major gaffe by a top civil servant and totally unacceptable. In our view, a public apology and admitting the mistake is not enough.
“What we need is a commitment from the UK Government and senior civil servants to root out such ignorance and discrimination or we will continue to face hate, abuse and threats of violence.”
The Queen had visited the site in 1997, 13 years after a deadly assault by the Indian army aimed at expelling armed separatists who wanted a separate Sikh homeland.
The scale of the UK’S involvement in the assault, which reportedly left thousands dead, is under intense scrutiny, making Sir Simon’s error even more awkward.
Jeremy Corbyn said that if he were to become Prime Minister he would launch an inquiry to investigate Britain’s role in the raid.
Addressing a Sikhs for Labour meeting in Watford, the Labour leader said: “You can be very sure that, whenever the election comes, it will be in the next manifesto … it’s a commitment that’s going to be there and we will honour that commitment.”
Sir Simon had been on a visit to the northern Indian city of Chandigarh, where he met students and politicians.
Dr Jasjit Singh, a researcher at Leeds University, questioned if the diplomat had been thinking of the Golden Mosque in Rochdale, which is an actual place of Muslim worship.
Meanwhile, Twitter users pointed out the irony that such a senior diplomat had made such a mistake.
Callum May wrote: “Hi, very senior Foreign Office official. The big Sikh temple in Amritsar is definitely not a ‘golden mosque’. Can you imagine the uproar if a senior India official described St Paul’s or Westminster Abbey as a mosque or temple. That’s not just embarrassing it’s shocking.”
Another user added: “Wow. The ignorance is astounding, especially from someone who works in the Foreign Office.”